The PACE General Rapporteur for political prisoners, Azadeh Rojhan (Sweden, SOC), made the following statement regarding the conviction of Igbal Abilov, a Talysh historian and ethnographer, on charges...

In Azerbaijan, the state prosecutor proposed sentencing Talysh researcher Igbal Abilov to 19 years in prison. The defense disagreed with the hasty completion of the trial and the prosecutor’s speech, stating their intention to seek an acquittal. Abilov’s relatives believe that the real reason for the persecution is his research on Talysh culture. The charge of treason looks unconvincing and has become another episode in the practice of persecuting activists from national minorities in Azerbaijan, human rights activists stated. “Caucasian Knot” has prepared a report “How is the arrest of Igbal Abilov connected with the persecution of Talysh activists?” Today, the trial in the Lankaran Court of Grave Crimes continued via videoconference. Abilov and his lawyers participated in the hearing remotely from the pretrial detention center in Baku, while the state prosecutor and judges were in the courthouse in Lankaran. Two witnesses were also questioned there – Gilal Mamedov and Irada Melikova, Abilov’s lawyer Fariz Namazly told the “Caucasian Knot” correspondent. According to the lawyer, despite the fact that the witnesses were called by the prosecution, they testified in favor of Abilov, stating their confidence in his innocence. “After the witnesses spoke, the judges began to rush to bring the case to a close. The document examination stage was completed, and the floor was immediately given to the state prosecutor for the final speech. We, the lawyers, objected – we asked for time to prepare written motions regarding the documents examined, since their legality was questionable. However, the judges insisted on the prosecutor speaking. We pointed out the inappropriateness of such haste. We also filed an oral motion to call the specialist who conducted the author’s examination. The fact is that the case materials contain some Internet material, which, as they say, contains calls for “inciting ethnic hatred.” Another name is indicated under the text, but the examination came to the conclusion that the material was prepared by Abilov. Therefore, it became necessary to question the expert – on what basis did he make such a conclusion,” Namazly said. However, the motion was rejected. Then the prosecutor spoke, asking the court to sentence Abilov to 19 years in prison. “The judges announced that the next hearing would be held on Monday, May 5. We strongly objected, since two days are not enough for lawyers to prepare for a presentation in a case with such a volume of materials. As a result, the court scheduled the hearing for May 12,” Namazly said. He emphasized that the defense would insist on an acquittal, since no reliable evidence of Abilov’s guilt was presented during the trial. “The judges and prosecutors did not talk to me like that” Hilal Mamedov, a member of the board of the Public Council of Talysh of Azerbaijan, who testified at the trial, complained about the rude behavior of one of the judges. “My testimony given during the preliminary investigation was read out at the trial. I said that I know Igbal Abilov as a young scientist, researcher and teacher. His research concerned not only the Talysh, but also other peoples of the region. As part of his scientific work, he maintained contacts with scientists from different countries. I myself suggested some topics related to folklore, history, and culture of the Talysh people to him. The presiding judge asked what I could add to the testimony during the investigation. I expressed my conviction in Igbal’s innocence. I said that Igbal was a patriot of Azerbaijan. Such prominent representatives of the intelligentsia should not be in prison, but should be free to continue their scientific research. One of the judges, Ali Aliyev (Clarification from the “Caucasian Knot” from 09.08 Moscow time 03.05.2025: the judge’s name is Neymat Mamedov, Gilal Mamedov told the “Caucasian Knot” on May 3), began to interrupt me, was rude, addressed me informally, said: “don’t blab here,” “get out of here.” When I said that I would complain about him, he replied: “Go complain wherever you want!” I myself was subjected to unfounded criminal prosecution, but even then, judges and prosecutors did not talk to me like that,” Mamedov said. He noted that he intends to file a complaint against the judge with the Judicial-Legal Council of Azerbaijan. In September 2013, Gilal Mamedov was sentenced to five years in a maximum security prison colony on charges of treason, inciting ethnic hatred and drug possession. Mamedov did not admit his guilt, stating the political nature of the case. On March 17, 2016, the President of Azerbaijan signed an order to pardon 148 people, including Gilal Mamedov. The biography of Gilal Mamedov is posted on the “Caucasian Knot” in the “Personalities” section. The Lankaran Court for Grave Crimes confirmed information about the hearing on Abilov’s case. Representatives of the prosecution were unavailable for comment. “Let him do science, not other things” Igbal Abilov lived in Azerbaijan until he was five years old, then his family moved to Belarus, and he graduated from school there, graduated from the faculty of international relations at the local state university, and began working on his dissertation there and teaching at the same time. He became the editor-in-chief of the magazine “Bulletin of the Talysh National Academy” and one of the founders of the Talysh National Academy, which was registered in 2010 in Riga, Latvia. Abilov also studied the languages ​​and cultures of the peoples living in the South Caucasus, Turkey, Iran and the Far East. Igbal Abilov’s short film “Fragments” was awarded the prize for “Best Science Fiction Film” at the Monza International Film Festival (Italy). The film was also included in the list of best works at the Prisma Awards – Rome Independent Film Award, according to the article “Azerbaijan: “Justice will prevail” – the father of an activist accused of treason”, published on April 25 by JamNews. “The film was supposed to participate in the Warsaw Film Festival at the end of July. But Igbal was arrested, he was deprived of this opportunity,” the publication quotes his father Shahib Abilov as saying. He came out of there with a smile, as we are used to seeing him He said that the scientist was interrogated by the state security service for six hours, they told him that his phone had been tapped since March-April 2024, despite the fact that he does not live in Azerbaijan. “But then they let him go. He came out of there with a smile, as we are used to seeing him. There they told me: “He is a scientist, let him do science, and not other things.” I replied: “So he does not do anything else,” said Abilov Sr. However, a few days later, when Igbal Abilov tried to return to Belarus, he learned that he was restricted from leaving the country. His passport and phones were taken away. “On July 19 (2024), they called us and said: “Let him come to Masalli (260 km from Baku) and pick up his documents.” We thought: thank God, that means there is justice,” says the father. “We arrived there, stood at the gate, Igbal went inside. Not even five minutes had passed – a car sped past at high speed. We were worried, went inside. We asked – what happened? We were told: “Yes, he was taken away.” After that, we informed the ombudsman and returned to Baku. There they confirmed to us that he was arrested. “For what?” I asked. They answered: “We don’t know, it’s a political case,” – Igbal Abilov’s father reported the details of his arrest. It should be noted that the criminal prosecution of Igbal Abilov has caused a stir outside of Azerbaijan, with protests in his support taking place in Vilnius, The Hague, Warsaw and Strasbourg. A number of international human rights organizations have spoken out in defense of Igbal Abilov. The Union for Freedom for Political Prisoners in Azerbaijan has included Igbal Abilov in the list of political prisoners.

Azerbaijan sentences Talysh activist to 16 years in prison for treasonhttps://oc-media.org/azerbaijan-sentences-talysh-activist-to-16-years-in-prison-for-treason/Posted by Kilikia

Karli Storm-Närväinen Even the most democratic of aspiring nation-states can be likened to bastions of memory, particularly when ‘bastions’ are taken to mean fortified structures, or bulwarks, d...

His defense argues that the investigation has not presented a single legally proven fact. Arrests in Azerbaijan, letter from Igbal Abilov

Zahiraddin Ibrahimov, a Talysh historian, disappeared in Russia and was found several days later in Azerbaijan.

Oggi, desidero rendere omaggio al popolo Talysh, uno dei beni culturali più significativi dell'Azerbaijan e popolo indigeno della regione meridionale del paese. Residenti tra le montagne e il mare, i Talysh hanno sviluppato una cultura e uno stile di vita che si armonizzano con la loro geografia unica. Si stima che la popolazione Talysh in Azerbaijan oscilli tra 300.000 e 600.000 persone. Possiamo tutti concordare sul fatto che i Talysh sono tra le comunità fondamentali della cultura azera, distinte dalla loro squisita cucina, ricche tradizioni e bella lingua. In particolare, durante il periodo safavide, i Talysh erano l'unico gruppo etnico

Visitato Lankaran, poi fino a Sim. Che posto naturalmente bello. Prima volta in visita a sud del paese

Come un talysh, è pazzesco https://youtu.be/hhlM2v58oN4?si=S-TJGMuCAdWu4b0Ndi KAZIMLI42

Rekken av arrestasjoner av aserbajdsjanske aktivister og journalister i forkant av COP29 øker. Den siste i rekkefølgen er historikeren Igbal Abilov fra den etniske minoriteten Talysh.

Un altro ricercatore è stato arrestato il 20 maggio. Igbal Abilev, che stava ricercando il folklore di Talysh, è stato condannato a 18 anni di prigione per

Талышский историк и активист Захираддин Ибрагимов был похищен в Екатеринбурге в конце марта, сообщает OC Media

A court in Azerbaijan has sentenced Igbal Abilov, a Talysh researcher, to 18 years of freedom deprivation for treason. The charges were based on subjective assumptions, his defence has stated intending to appeal against the verdict.