TOTAL ARRESTS

After coming to power in late April 1920, the Azerbaijani Bolsheviks launched a large-scale campaign to arrest citizens in the country. Moreover, studying the archival cases of those years, it is impossible to understand the logic in this matter. Everyone was put in custody - former parliamentarians and members of government, military and police officers, ordinary citizens and foreigners. The authorities saw "counterrevolution" everywhere. They acted on the principle of "whoever is not with us is against us". Sometimes people were arrested and punished for the most absurd reasons. Undoubtedly, politicians of the ousted government of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic were targeted by the Bolsheviks first of all.

On 5 May 1920, People's Commissar of Justice Ali Heydar Qarayev wrote to the chairman of the Supreme Revolutionary Tribunal (SRT), Teymur Aliyev: "I invite you, comrade, to assume the duties of chairman of the Extraordinary Commission formed to investigate the abuses of members of the former government." The leaders of political parties such as Musavat, Mammad Amin Rasulzada, and Ittihad, Qara Qarabayov, MPs Abuzar Rzayev and Bahram Vazirov, the governor of Ganja, Xudadat Rafibayli, ministers Samad Mehmandarov and Rasid Kaplanov, generals Ali Aga Sixlinski and Abdulhamid Qaytabasi, as well as many others were arrested. Their fates developed differently. Some was freed thanks to the intervention of Nariman Narimanov and others were sent to camps or executed. But there were those who could not be blamed for anything. In such cases, after spending a few months in jail, they were released. How the Bolsheviks "fought" unwanted persons is proved by the facts stated below.

"Arrested on personal instructions"

On 23 May 1920, on the personal orders of Ali Heydar Qarayev, a former member of the ADR parliament, one of the founders of the Musavat Party and cousin of Mammad Amin Rasulzada - Ali Mammad Rasulzada - was arrested and put in the Bayil prison. Archival materials have the following document: "Resolution. On 22 June 1920, I, an investigator of the Supreme Revolutionary Tribunal of the Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic, Aleksandrovich, considered a verbal order on Rasulzada, former member of parliament of the Azerbaijan Republic, and taking into account that there are ample grounds for starting a preliminary investigation against Mammad Ali Rasulzada on charges of counterrevolution, according to the resolution of the head of the Investigations Department of the Supreme Revolutionary Tribunal, Klokov." As can be seen from the text of the document, the investigator considered a "verbal order" and found "ample grounds" to start a preliminary investigation. Thus, the decision to initiate an investigation was made after a month after his arrest. However, as follows from the resolution, there was no reason for the arrest and for starting an investigation. The registration card of the suspect, which served as the accompanying document when the prisoner was put in jail, says that "Rasulzada was engaged in criminal activity for a long time, until 28 April 1920". That's to say Rasulzada's "guilt" was his membership of the Musavat party.

Two days later, on 22 June, Rasulzada was questioned by Aleksandrovich. In response to the investigator's questions, he said that he was 35 years old, married, a journalist by profession, had two children, had attended four grades at the Russian-Tatar school and was a member of the Musavat Party, had a cottage in the village of Novxani, where he stayed under Bolshevik rule in 1918, in 1918-1920 he published Aciq Soz newspaper and was a member of the ADR parliament. In 1907, he was kept in prison as a political criminal, he said.

After reading the indictment decision, Rasulzada said that he did not consider himself guilty and pointed out that, as a member of parliament, he was in the Musavat fraction and was its secretary for some time. "The chairman of the fraction was Mammad Amin Rasulzada. Before assuming the post of secretary, I ran the government printing house on Birzhevaya (now Uzeyir Hacibayov) street. In the parliament, I worked at the committee on the labour question. The committee chairman was Karasharov and then Qarayev. I took part in the general meetings of the parliament and in the general meetings of the faction. I did not address the general meetings of the parliament. I have nothing more to add," he told the investigator.

After nearly two months in prison, M. A. Rasulzada was released under an amnesty on 18 July 1920, although his guilt was not proven.

"Unconditional counterrevolutionary"

On 18 June, a former member of the ADR parliament, Bahram Vazirov, was arrested at his home in the village of Karyagino in Cabrayil District. At the time of his arrest, he was 62. He was a member of the Ittihad party and a member of the fraction of this party while in parliament. And he also faced the standard charges - a counterrevolutionary. At the same time as Bahram Vazirov, his nephew Surxay Vazirov was arrested. He had never engaged in political activity and did even have home education. He was a ploughman all his life.

The Vazirovs were arrested by the special department of the Revolutionary Military Council of the 11^th Red Army (the department of famous Semyon Pankratov). The interrogation, which took place a month after the arrest, was conducted by the officer of the All-Russian Extraordinary Committee (Cheka), Ivan Aslamazov. In response to the investigator's question about his political beliefs, Vazirov said that he was "a supporter of the unity of all parties in Azerbaijan and a common programme that protects the interests of all classes". He pleaded not guilty: "I do not feel any guilt, and I do not know why I have been arrested. During the Ganca uprising against Soviet rule, I was at home and did not know anything about the uprising in Ganca until refugees arrived from there. Since 1 April, I have been at home, so I have not participated in the events near Barda, Tartar and other places. When the Red Army approached Karyagino, refugees from those places said such horrible things about the actions and attitude of the Red Army towards the local population. They said that the Red Army attacked everyone indiscriminately: women, children, old people, they robbed and raped people and so on. The population of Karyagino fled in all directions. I did the same."

Vazirov temporarily moved to his estate Zobucuh, which was a few kilometres from the Araz River. This was seen by the investigation as an attempt to escape. Not satisfied with Vazirov's testimony and with no evidence of his guilt, investigator Aslamazov decided to question locals. But he was disappointed again – none of those questioned testified against Bahram. Only the head of the local district police, Agayev, testified against Vazirov. Nevertheless, "taking into account the noble origin of the arrested and his affiliation with the wealthy class", the investigator concluded that "Bahram Vazirov definitely had a close relationship with a handful of counterrevolutionaries, who had decided to fight the workers' and peasants' army to the last breath". With regard to Surxay, he was charged with involvement in Armenian-Azerbaijani clashes. Vazirov's case was sent to Special Section №3 at the Cavalry Division of the 11^th Red Army for further investigation.

It is all Ittihad's fault

On 31 July 1920, the military investigator of the special department of the Revolutionary Military Council of the 11^th Red Army, Romanov, issued a final ruling on the case of Vazirov. He also recognized Vazirov as a member of the Ittihad party and the parliamentary faction of the party. According to Romanov, Ittihad is a constitutional monarchist party of the Young Turks in Turkey. It worked entirely in the interests of German imperialism. The inspirer of this party was Wilhelm II. The promoter and founder of the Ittihad party in Turkey is Enver Pasha, the head of the Young Turks, whose slogan was unity and progress, and a staunch representative of Ittihad and Unity and Progress in Azerbaijan is Nuru Pasha. The aim of the latter was to unite the entire Islamic world under Turkish rule and create the great Turkey of Murad's times. "With this conclusion, Romanov sent Vazirov's case to the special section of the 11^th army and from there to the Supreme Revolutionary Tribunal for the verdict. 

On 16 August 1920, Vazirov asked the investigative commission of the Azerbaijani SRT to interrogate him as soon as possible and release him on bail. Receiving no answer, he submitted the same request to the chairman of the SRT in early September. On 13 September, investigator Musabayov was asked to interrogate the arrested Vazirovs within 48 hours. Investigator Musabayov agreed with the previous charge of counterrevolution against Vazirov and started dealing with the case. On 23 October 1920, he charged Vazirov with "being a member of parliament in the government hostile to the communists". Once again, ordinary residents of Karyagino were questioned and confirmed their previous testimony. On 31 October, the case was referred to the court. On 8 February 1921, the SRT considered the charges brought against the Vazirovs and, recognizing the lack of corpus delicti in their actions, decided to drop the case against them.