Igbal Abilov


Abilov Igbal is a scientific researcher, Talysh scholar, educator, editor-in-chief of the "Herald of the Talysh National Academy" and a research fellow at the Talysh National Academy.

Biography

Igbal Shahini Abilov was born in Kulaton village, Masally district, Azerbaijan SSR in 1989. At the age of 8, the family moved to Belarus, where Igbal went to second grade. In 2007, he graduated from school, and in 2012 he graduated from the Faculty of International Relations of the Belarusian State University. Later, continuing his education, he completed his master's degree in 2013 and his postgraduate degree in 2016 from the same faculty.
He is the author of books, publications and essays, as well as a participant in scientific conferences in the field of history and ethnography of the South Caucasus, Turkey and Iran.
In 2017-2021 he was Lecturer at the Faculty of International Relations of the Belarusian State University.
In 2021-2023 he taught at the Belarusian Institute of Law.

Talysh National Academy

In 2010, the Talysh National Academy was registered in Riga, which since 2017 has continued its activities in Vilnius under the name "Talyšų Nacionalinė Akademija".
He is the editor-in-chief of the "Herald of the Talysh National Academy", which is an international scientific journal dedicated to the scientific study of Talysh.
Scientists and researchers from Russia, Azerbaijan, France, Iran, the Netherlands, Northern Cyprus and Armenia published their works on the pages of the "Herald" on the topics of Talysh history, ethnography, culture and language.
In 2011, TNA published a book with historical and ethnographic essays by I. Abilov and I. Mirzalizade.
From July 4-8, 2011, the IX Congress of Ethnographers and Anthropologists of Russia was held in Petrozavodsk. On July 6, the report of the staff member of the Talysh National Academy Igbal Abilov "Folklore as a source for reconstructing the historical memory of the Talysh people" was heard at the congress. The work focused on two mythical creatures known in the oral folklore of the Talysh people: "Siyo Chykho", common in Azerbaijani Talysh, and "Siyah Galesh", common, respectively, in Iranian Talysh. The audience was particularly interested in the situation of the Talysh people, the problems facing the preservation of the language and cultural heritage. The listeners were interested in the difference in the situation of the Talysh people in the Soviet period and at the present stage.
From April 25 to May 5, 2012, the Talysh National Academy, together with the Peter the Great Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography of the Russian Academy of Sciences and the Russian Ethnographic Museum, conducted a scientific expedition to Southern Talysh. The expedition was led by TNA staff member Igbal Abilov. The TNA representative in Southern Talysh Armin Faridi is a researcher of the Talysh musical tradition, a collector of folklore, and the author of the collection “Talysh Music”, which presents 100 folk songs from all over Talysh. The expedition was the first attempt to survey Iranian Talysh in Russian-language ethnographic science; the trip was primarily aimed at familiarizing with the region, its cultural, geographical, and social features. Several interviews were collected with residents of Talysh villages in the area of the Rasht city; there were visited the Talysh city of Masule and the Gilan Rural Heritage Museum, which presents 20 different examples of local architecture, as well as the rural area of Alyand in Fuman, the Rasht Bazaar, as well as the city museum, where, in addition to the life of the local population, artifacts found during archaeological excavations in Marlik, Tul-e Talysh, Amlash, Agh Evlar are also presented. During the expedition, extensive material was collected on the identity of the Talysh people, their relationships with surrounding peoples, economy, calendar cycle, pantheon. Based on the collected field materials, there were made reports, which were presented at the Lavrov readings of different years.

Detention and trial

Igbal Abilov arrived in Azerbaijan on June 14, 2024, to attend his cousin's wedding and to rest.
On June 22, the State Security officers who arrived in the village took Abilov to the Masalli District State Security Service Department, where he was interrogated for 6 hours.
On June 27, when he tried to fly from Baku to Bucharest, he was not allowed to board the plane, his passport and 2 phones were taken away. On July 22, Abilov was again summoned to the Masalli District State Security Service Department under the pretext of returning his passport and phones. However, without notifying his relatives, Abilov was taken to Baku.
After contacting the ombudsman, the parents were informed that Abilov was suspected under Articles 274, 281.3 and 283.1 of the Criminal Code of Azerbaijan. The prosecution did not provide any public evidence to support these charges.
According to Abilov's relatives, he was detained on trumped-up charges, and the real reason for his persecution is his study of various national minorities, including the Talysh people of Azerbaijan. Igbal's father said that his son had lived in Belarus since childhood: "My son was not involved in politics. He conducted extensive scientific research. His research concerns not only Talysh, but also the entire vast region from China to Turkey."
On July 24, 2024, in Baku, by a court decision Igbal was placed under four-month arrest for the duration of the investigation without the opportunity to see his relatives.
On May 20, 2025,  Abilov was sentenced to 18 years in prison on charges of high treason, widely reported as politically motivated. He denied all charges during almost a year of pre-trial detention and the subsequent trial.

Reactions to the arrest and sentencing

  • International Association for Media and Communication Research issued a statement condemning the imprisonment of both Igbal Abilov and Bahruz Samadov "in retaliation for their academic work and activism.” Other human rights and academic organisations also issued statements condemning the arrest and calling for his release.
  • Amnesty International issued a call to action describing his arrest and sentencing under “false charges" and "apparently part of a campaign to suppress criticism”, calling for his release.
  • The PACE General Rapporteur condemned the 18-year prison sentence, arguing it violates academic freedom and calling for his release.
  • A joint statement was issued by European Parliament instances condemning the "harsh prison sentences" in "politically motivated cases".
  • United Nations experts called for his release, expressing deep concerns that "the arrests and trial of Abilov and Samadov have equated academic research, advocacy for peace and the promotion of a minority’s cultural identity with high treason,”