[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 16 (Friday, January 25, 2019)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E93-E94]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           RECOGNIZING THE 29TH ANNIVERSARY OF BLACK JANUARY

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. PAUL A. GOSAR

                               of arizona

                    in the house of representatives

                        Friday, January 25, 2019

  Mr. GOSAR. Madam Speaker, today I rise to remember the 29th 
anniversary of what is known as Black January. This month, 29 years 
ago, the Soviet Union sent its Red Army into Azerbaijan to violently 
put down a growing independence movement. The 26,000 Red Army troops 
attacked peaceful demonstrators in the capital city of Azerbaijan, 
Baku. The attacks killed more than 130 civilians, left over 700 
wounded, and another 800 people were imprisoned.
  The U.S.S.R. had hoped the sudden strike and violence of action would 
send a message to not only the Azeri people but to millions of others 
under the oppressive Soviet thumb.

[[Page E94]]

The message was clear: dissent will not be tolerated.
  The Soviets underestimated the resolve of the freedom-loving Azeri 
people, and their actions galvanized the population. The people would 
continue to push for freedom and democracy, and the Parliament formally 
declared it on August 30, 1991.
  Since then, Azerbaijan has been a crucial ally of the U.S. in the 
region, even providing troops to serve with U.S. forces in Kosovo, 
Iraq, and Afghanistan. Azerbaijan plays a key role in Europe's energy 
security by shipping natural gas to Europe.
  I urge my colleagues to recognize the 29th Anniversary of Black 
January and the sacrifices of the Azeri people.

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