Independence movements

History of Talysh self-determination and activist prosecutions

From the 1993 Talysh-Mughan Autonomous Republic to the ongoing prosecution of Talysh activists in Azerbaijan.

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The Talysh-Mughan Autonomous Republic, 1993

On 21 June 1993, amid political turmoil following a military rebellion against Azerbaijani President Abulfaz Elchibey, Talysh activists led by Colonel Alikram Hummatov declared the Talysh-Mughan Autonomous Republic, claiming seven districts of southeastern Azerbaijan around Lankaran (Lankaran city and rayon, Lerik, Astara, Masallı, Yardımlı, Jalilabad and Bilasuvar).[1]

The republic was dissolved on 23 August 1993 after failing to gain public support, including a protest of around 10,000 people in Lankaran demanding Hummatov's removal; Hummatov was arrested, initially sentenced to death, and had his sentence commuted to life imprisonment before being pardoned and released in 2004 under Council of Europe pressure, on condition he not re-engage in Azerbaijani politics.[2]

· Declaration

Talysh-Mughan Autonomous Republic, 1993

A short-lived, self-proclaimed autonomous republic in southeastern Azerbaijan, dismantled by Azerbaijani authorities within two months.

Minority status and the prosecution of Talysh activists

The Talysh, concentrated in southern Azerbaijan near the Iranian border, gained the right to identify as a separate ethnic group in Azerbaijani censuses only from 1989, and continue to lack formal minority status under Azerbaijani law, with very limited Talysh-language education and no public broadcasting.[3]

Azerbaijani authorities have carried out a sustained campaign of intimidation and prosecution against Talysh activists, journalists and cultural figures who advocate greater autonomy, decentralization or Talysh-language rights, including Fakhraddin Abbasov, sentenced to 16 years in prison with his advocacy for an independent Talysh state cited as evidence, and Novruzali Mammadov, editor of the Talysh-language newspaper Talyshi Sado, who was arrested in 2007 on accusations of spying for Iran and died in an Azerbaijani prison in 2009.[4] More recently, Talysh researcher Igbal Abilov was interrogated on 22 June 2024, prevented from boarding a flight on 27 June 2024, and sentenced on 20 May 2025 to 18 years in prison on treason charges.[5]

· Other

Prosecution of Talysh activists

Azerbaijani authorities have repeatedly prosecuted Talysh activists, journalists and researchers advocating autonomy, decentralization or minority-language rights.

Sources for this page

Each number marks a specific claim. Notes give the source, its locator and how it relates to the claim.

  1. 1.

    Claim: On 21 June 1993, amid political turmoil following a military rebellion against Azerbaijani President Abulfaz Elchibey, Talysh activists led by Colonel Alikram Hummatov declared the Talysh-Mughan Autonomous Republic, claiming seven districts of southeastern Azerbaijan around Lankaran (Lankaran city and rayon, Lerik, Astara, Masallı, Yardımlı, Jalilabad and Bilasuvar).

    • Talysh-Mughan Autonomous Republic (Wikipedia) link, Declaration and territory sections. Source record
  2. 2.

    Claim: The Talysh-Mughan Autonomous Republic was dissolved on 23 August 1993 after failing to gain public support, including a protest of around 10,000 people in Lankaran demanding Hummatov's removal; Hummatov was arrested, initially sentenced to death, and had his sentence commuted to life imprisonment before being pardoned and released in 2004 under Council of Europe pressure, on condition he not re-engage in Azerbaijani politics.

    • Talysh-Mughan Autonomous Republic (Wikipedia) link, Dissolution and aftermath sections. Source record
  3. 3.

    Claim: The Talysh, concentrated in southern Azerbaijan near the Iranian border, have lacked formal minority status under Azerbaijani law, resulting in no state-supported Talysh-language schooling beyond a small number of primary schools and no Talysh-language public broadcasting.

    • Azerbaijan: Baku Keeps Lid on Ethnic Minorities (Eurasianet) link, Linguistic rights section. Source record
  4. 4.

    Claim: Azerbaijani authorities have carried out a sustained campaign of intimidation and prosecution against Talysh activists, journalists and cultural figures who advocate greater autonomy, decentralization or Talysh-language rights, including Fakhraddin Abbasov, sentenced to 16 years in prison with his advocacy for an independent Talysh state cited as evidence, and Novruzali Mammadov, editor of the Talysh-language newspaper Talyshi Sado, who was arrested in 2007 on accusations of spying for Iran and died in an Azerbaijani prison in 2009.

    • Azerbaijan: Baku Keeps Lid on Ethnic Minorities (Eurasianet) link, Repression section. Source record
    • Amnesty International, Azerbaijan authorities must release Talysh activists (Amnesty International) link, Activist cases section. Advocacy organisation perspective Source record
  5. 5.

    Claim: Talysh researcher Igbal Abilov was interrogated on 22 June 2024, prevented from boarding a flight on 27 June 2024, and sentenced on 20 May 2025 to 18 years in prison on treason charges.

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Printed from https://independenceatlas.com/movements/talysh/history · last substantive update 24 September 2026.