YEREVAN, JANUARY 26, ARMENPRESS. Azerbaijani human rights activist, historian Arif Yunusov who is in exile in the Netherlands claims that the Armenian massacre in Baku of 1990 was organized by the then president of Azerbaijan Heydar Aliyev, ARMENPRESS reports Yunusov told Azerbaijan-based oppositionist internet TV “Objective”.

The Azerbaijani human rights activists noted that the entry of the Soviet troops to Baku for dispersing protest overnight January 20, 1990 was also organized by Aliyev’s instruction, as a result of which over 100 civilians were killed.

Arif Yunusov mentioned that Aliyev organized all these for coming to power in the future.

“There are many imaginary stories about the incidents of January 20. These incidents were presented as a glorious page of the heroic struggle of the national-democratic movement, the result of which is the independence of today’s Azerbaijan. In reality, the January incidents of 1990 are connected with Heydar Aliyev and were committed by his instruction”, Arif Yunusov said.

Yunusov informs at that time he personally read some part of the materials of the investigation launched against Heydar Aliyev by the instruction of Mikhail Gorbachev.

“The results of the investigation would be negative for Aliyev. The congress of the Central Committee of Azerbaijan Communist Party was scheduled at the end of January and Heydar Aliyev, together with his team, would be expelled from the party and politics. Aliyev knew about all these, and with the help of his supporters (Elchibey, Nemat Panahli, Fazail Aghamali, Bejan Farzailov) takes active steps within the Communist Party and the country. Nemat Panahli, who stood behind the demolition of the Nakhchivan state border (with Iran – edited) on December 31, 1989, initiated also the Armenian massacre, since he believed that much blood must be shed to create chaos to overcome the situation”, he told.

Yunusov noted that Panahli was engaged in Armenian massacres and looting, while Elchibey was occupied with bringing Heydar Aliyev to power and raising his reputation.

“Colonel of Committee for State Security (KGB) Oleg Aliyev overtly said that the Azerbaijani and Russian KGBs were informed of all these, but took no measures to prevent the Armenian massacres. Moscow took an advantage of this and entered troops to Baku. So the meeting of the USSR General Prosecutor's Office as well as the congress of the Communist Party scheduled at the end of January did not take place, the investigation against Heydar Aliyev by Gorbachev was suspend some time later Aliyev came to power”, Yunusov informed.

Arif yunusov was the head of the Informational and Analytical Department of the Presidential Administration of Azerbaijan in 1992-1993 and was occupied with the investigation of the Armenian massacres of 1990.