On January 17, a ceremony dedicated to the 35th anniversary of the January 20 tragedy was held at the Republican Seismological Service Center (RSXM) of the National Academy of Sciences of Azerbaijan. Initially, a moment of silence was observed in memory of the Great Leader Heydar Aliyev and the martyrs who lost their lives in the struggle for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

During the event, the Director General of RSXM, corresponding member of the National Academy of Sciences of Azerbaijan, Professor Kurban Yetirmishli spoke about the processes in the 1990s that accelerated the collapse of the former Soviet empire, noting that the imperial leadership committed bloody crimes in many republics to prevent the ongoing processes in the countries of the union.

Talking about the massacre committed by Soviet troops in Baku on the night of January 19-20, 1990, the Director General recalled the scale of the killings and the extreme cruelty against innocent people, stating that civilians, regardless of their age or gender, were murdered. He also highlighted that even doctors were prevented from helping the wounded by Soviet soldiers and military equipment, and that military vehicles were driven over ambulances. The Director General mentioned that despite the Soviet leadership's attempts to cover up the massacre, Azerbaijani ships in the Caspian Sea transmitted the incident to the world with an “SOS” signal.

Professor Kurban Yetirmishli also spoke about the evaluation of the events by the Great Leader Heydar Aliyev. According to him, it was a significant and risky step for Heydar Aliyev to go to the Azerbaijani representative office in Moscow and declare to the world that those responsible for the tragedy were the leaders of the Soviet Union at that time, as a protest against the January 20 tragedy. This was especially courageous since the Soviet structure still existed. Nevertheless, the Great Leader took all risks and conveyed the true voice of his people to the world.

The Director General of RSXM emphasized that due to the increasing influence of our country in the world and the successful foreign and domestic policies of President Ilham Aliyev, Azerbaijan has become a leading country in the region. Professor Kurban Yetirmishli also spoke about the liberation of our occupied lands by the brave Azerbaijani army under the leadership of the Supreme Commander, President Ilham Aliyev, the heroism of Azerbaijani soldiers and officers during the Patriotic War, the construction and restoration works in the liberated territories, and the resettlement of the population in their homeland.

Noting that the Azerbaijani people never forget their martyrs, the Director General emphasized that our people always honor the memory of the January 20 martyrs with great respect. Professor Kurban Yetirmishli stated that the disasters faced by our people will forever remain in our bloody memory, and it is important for our youth to always learn these historical truths.

Later, a video dedicated to the 35th anniversary of the January 20 tragedy, prepared by the Electronic Services Department of RSXM, was shown.