Date of Birth: 12 December 1989
Detained Since: 22 July 2024
Affiliation: Scientific researcher; Talysh scholar; Lecturer, Belarusian State University; Editor-in-Chief, Herald of the Talysh National Academy; Research Fellow, Talysh National Academy

Charges:

• High treason (Art. 274)
• Making public calls for violent seizure of power or territorial dismemberment under foreign instruction (Art. 281.3)
• Incitement of national, racial, social, or religious hatred (Art. 283.1)

Conviction and Sentence:
On 20 May 2025, the Lankaran Assize Court convicted Abilov on all charges and sentenced him to 18 years’ imprisonment.
His appeal is pending before the Shirvan Court of Appeal.

Political Prisoner Status:

His detention clearly meets criteria (a) and (e) of PACE Resolution 1900 (2012):

• (a) – violations of freedom of expression, academic freedom, association, liberty and security, and the right to a fair trial under the ECHR.

• (e) – prosecution pursued for ulterior political motives, aimed at silencing a minority-rights scholar.

Summary:

Igbal Abilov is a well-known Azerbaijani academic and Talysh scholar whose research focuses on ethnic minorities, Talysh cultural history, and minority rights. He lectures in international relations at the Belarusian State University and leads the Herald of the Talysh National Academy, a major platform for Talysh studies. His academic expeditions, publications, and public commentary have drawn international attention.

Abilov was first questioned by the State Security Service (SSS) on 22 June 2024, barred from travel on 27 June, and detained on 22 July 2024 without his family being informed. On 24 July, the Yasamal District Court ordered four months of pre-trial detention, later repeatedly extended.

The charges—treason, foreign-instructed propaganda, and incitement of ethnic hatred—are unsubstantiated and politically motivated, directly targeting his academic work on ethnic minorities and his Talysh identity. The investigation relied almost entirely on SSS assertions and unverified digital materials; no independently authenticated evidence links him to espionage, foreign instruction, or incitement. The trial was held behind closed doors, and the court failed to examine the credibility, provenance, or authenticity of the alleged evidence.

His prosecution forms part of a broader crackdown on independent scholars and ethnic-minority activists, consistent with long-documented patterns of persecution of Talysh intellectuals—some of whom have died in custody due to torture and ill-treatment.

International human rights organisations, including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, have denounced the case as politically motivated.

Download full legal analysis here as PDF