Jailed Researcher Iqbal Abilov's Academic Book Published Amid Treason Conviction

Iqbal Abilov

A new book by Iqbal Abilov, an imprisoned ethnic researcher and editor-in-chief of the "Talysh National Academy News" journal, has been published, according to his relatives and the Committee for the Protection of Abilov's Rights. The release of the academic work comes as Abilov serves an 18-year prison sentence on charges of treason and inciting national hatred.

The book, titled "Fragments of Talysh Speech I," is the inaugural publication in the "Bibliotheca Talyshica" series, established by the Talysh National Academy, which Abilov co-founded. The academic publisher Lincom released the book, which is written in Russian.

The publication reportedly contains a collection of manuscripts originally gathered by the German-Russian orientalist Boris Dorn in the 19th century. These documents, discovered by Abilov in archives in 2012, are considered a significant historical record of the northern dialect of the Talysh language. The Committee for the Protection of Abilov's Rights highlighted the book's importance, stating that its materials represent "one of the oldest known scientific studies on the northern dialect of the Talysh language."

Abilov's arrest and conviction are at the center of a separate narrative presented by his supporters. He was detained on July 22, 2024, by officers of the State Security Service (DTX) while visiting family in Azerbaijan. Abilov, who had been residing in Belarus, was subsequently charged under multiple articles of the Criminal Code, including treason and public calls against the state.

The Lankaran Court for Grave Crimes sentenced him to 18 years in prison on May 20, 2025. Abilov has consistently denied the charges, asserting that his work was purely scientific. The Committee for the Protection of Abilov's Rights supported this claim, stating that his only "crime" was "scientific objectivity, honest research, and the preservation of cultural heritage." Human rights defenders have also recognized him as a political prisoner.

A graduate of Belarus State University, where he completed his bachelor's and master's degrees in international relations before starting his postgraduate studies, Abilov also served as the editor-in-chief of the virtual "Talysh National Academy News" website, which published Talysh folklore and historical documents.