Atakhan Abilov
Encyclopedia
Atakhan Abilov is a Talysh
national minority and human rights
activist from Azerbaijan
, lawyer and author of books on International law
. He has refugee status from the Russian Government and UN, as his colleagues from the "Voice of Talysh" newspaper's editorial staff have already been convicted and have received real terms of imprisonment in Azerbaijan.
, he claimed that bad roads makes travel to Lankaran
from the mountain villages close to impossible. Despite the 1999 Azerbaijani official census reported, that there were 76,800 Talysh in Azerbaijan, Abilov claimed that true number is around 320,000.
According to Amnesty International
, Atakhan Abilov, a "Talysh activist, was allegedly detained by officials from the Ministry of National Security [of Azerbaijan]. His apartment was also searched and he was allegedly dismissed from his job at the Baku State University
on account of his political convictions". In 2007 he subsequently left Azerbaijan for Russia
.
Abilov is one of de facto refugees who has received such a status from the Russian government. The United Nations
refugee organization also granted him the same status that allows him to leave Russia for a third country. But he waited in Moscow for his family to get out of Azerbaijan.
According to a December 3 joint declaration by Talysh leaders Alikram Hummatov
, Zahiraddin Ibrahimi and Ismail Shabanov
, on November 30, 2008 Atakhan Abilov was assaulted in Moscow
by three masked men. Abilov was subsequently hospitalized with a concussion and a broken nose.
Talysh people
Talysh are an Iranian people indigenous to a region shared between Azerbaijan and Iran which spans the South Caucasus and the southwestern shore of the Caspian Sea. They speak the Talysh language, one of the Northwestern Iranian languages...
national minority and human rights
Human rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
activist from Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan , officially the Republic of Azerbaijan is the largest country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded by the Caspian Sea to the east, Russia to the north, Georgia to the northwest, Armenia to the west, and Iran to...
, lawyer and author of books on International law
International law
Public international law concerns the structure and conduct of sovereign states; analogous entities, such as the Holy See; and intergovernmental organizations. To a lesser degree, international law also may affect multinational corporations and individuals, an impact increasingly evolving beyond...
. He has refugee status from the Russian Government and UN, as his colleagues from the "Voice of Talysh" newspaper's editorial staff have already been convicted and have received real terms of imprisonment in Azerbaijan.
Biography
Abilov is a Talish public activist. While being an independent candidate from #75 Lankaran-Masalli constituency in AzerbaijanAzerbaijan
Azerbaijan , officially the Republic of Azerbaijan is the largest country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded by the Caspian Sea to the east, Russia to the north, Georgia to the northwest, Armenia to the west, and Iran to...
, he claimed that bad roads makes travel to Lankaran
Lankaran
-History:The city was built on a swamp along the northern bank of the river bearing the city's name. There are remains of human settlements in the area dating back to the Neolithic period as well as ruins of fortified villages from the Bronze and Iron Ages. Lankaran's history is rather recent,...
from the mountain villages close to impossible. Despite the 1999 Azerbaijani official census reported, that there were 76,800 Talysh in Azerbaijan, Abilov claimed that true number is around 320,000.
According to Amnesty International
Amnesty International
Amnesty International is an international non-governmental organisation whose stated mission is "to conduct research and generate action to prevent and end grave abuses of human rights, and to demand justice for those whose rights have been violated."Following a publication of Peter Benenson's...
, Atakhan Abilov, a "Talysh activist, was allegedly detained by officials from the Ministry of National Security [of Azerbaijan]. His apartment was also searched and he was allegedly dismissed from his job at the Baku State University
Baku State University
Baku State University is a public university located in Baku, Azerbaijan. Established in 1919 by the Parliament of Azerbaijan Democratic Republic, the University started with faculties of history and philology; physics and mathematics; law and medicine with an initial enrollment of 1094...
on account of his political convictions". In 2007 he subsequently left Azerbaijan for Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
.
Abilov is one of de facto refugees who has received such a status from the Russian government. The United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
refugee organization also granted him the same status that allows him to leave Russia for a third country. But he waited in Moscow for his family to get out of Azerbaijan.
According to a December 3 joint declaration by Talysh leaders Alikram Hummatov
Alikram Hummatov
Alikram Hummatov or Ali Akram Hemmatzadeh is a Talysh military and political activist of Azerbaijan, the president of self-proclaimed Talysh-Mughan Autonomous Republic in 1993, formerly prisoned in Azerbaijan...
, Zahiraddin Ibrahimi and Ismail Shabanov
Ismail Shabanov
-Human right activities:According to Shabanov:“A massive resettlement of Kurds to the originally Talysh-populated southern regions of Azerbaijan is underway. Some 5,000 Kurds have moved to Lenkoran alone, plus some 500-1,500 people per village. Intolerable conditions for the locals are being...
, on November 30, 2008 Atakhan Abilov was assaulted in Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
by three masked men. Abilov was subsequently hospitalized with a concussion and a broken nose.