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1Ad Hoc Investigation Commission (AHIC) was established following the
Decree by the Government of the Democratic Republic of Azerbaijan on July 15,
1918 with a view to investigating the facts of violence towards the Muslim popula-
tion and its assets all over Transcaucasia as of the beginning of WW1. Initially su-
bordinate to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, it was then operating under the aegis
of the Ministry of Justice. The AHIC was chaired by Alakbar-bey Khasmammadov.
Initially manned by 7 employees, the Commission enjoyed the support of prosecu-
tion and judiciary officers of Baku, and Ganja. The Commission comprised officers
of varying ethnic origin, such as Poles, Russians, Germans, a Lithuanian Tatar, as well
as trained Azerbaijani lawyers, graduates of various Russian universities.
During the period of its existence since July 15, 1918 to November 1, 1918,
the AHIC succeeded in collecting 36 volumes or 3500 pages of files. 6 volumes out
of them dealt with violent acts towards the Muslim population in the city of Baku
and its surroundings. Other volumes of the investigation testify of the atrocious
crimes committed by the Armenian militants in Shemakha, Guba, Geokchay, Nukha
and Jevat Uyezds, as well in Ganja, Garabagh, Zangazur and elsewhere in Azerbai-
jan. Pursuant to the Decree by the Government of Azerbaijan issued on March 1919,
the AHIC was vested with greater authorities to include judicial and investigation
powers.
Activities of the AHIC resulted in 128 reports and draft resolutions on crimi-
nal proceedings against 194 persons charged with various criminal offences. With
reduction of the scope of AHIC’s activities, certain Commission members were dis-
pensed from their duties within the Commission and resumed their usual jobs. The
AHIC was officially dissolved on November 1, 1919 upon completion of the mission
it was entrusted with by the Government of the Republic of Azerbaijan. Meanwhile,
A.Khasmammadov and C.V.Klossovski continued their efforts within the AHIC till
late January 1920 passing over the files of investigation to the national public pro-
secution and judicial agencies. Based on these files, criminal cases were instituted
against 24 persons with the identity confirmed by the Commission, charged with
the involvement in the Baku events of 1918, and about 100 persons linked to the
events in Shemakha the same year. Some of the persons accused were detained
whereas the others declared wanted.
Following the adoption of the Pardon Law by the Parliament of the Republic
of Azerbaijan on February 9, 1920 with Azerbaijan’s de-facto recognition by the
Supreme Council of Allied States, all criminal offences instituted due to ethnic hos-
tilities, as well as those “emerging in the course of proceedings held by the Ad
Hoc Investigation Commission” were cancelled. Some of the cases instituted by the
AHIC were cancelled by the judicial authorities of the Soviet Socialist Republic of
Azerbaijan pursuant to the same Pardon Law of February 9, 1920.
2Hajjinski Mammadhassan Jafargulu oghlu (1875-1913), a renowned
political figure and active participant of the Democratic Republic of Azerbaijan,
graduate of non-classical secondary school in Baku and the Petersburg Institutte
of Technology, an engineer at Shamsi Asadullayev’s oil refinery in Moscow. In 1908,
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