Guba to bombard the highly outnumbering and well equipped Soviet

troops. Thus a serious clash fraught with fatalities was prevented.

Nonetheless, as a person enjoying a great deal of esteem among

the local population, A.Alibeyov was immediately arrested by the new

authorities. Even though he was released shortly afterwards, all his assets,

including a 2-storeyed house and stores, were expropriated. In 1929, as

‘a former kulak’ (rural entrepreneur), he was disfranchised, however he

succeeded in accomplishing rehabilitation two months later.

With substantial experience in judiciary dating back to the time of

the Czarist administration, A.Alibeyov was practicing law and was a Bar

member in the Soviet Socialist Republic of Azerbaijan until his repeated

arrest in 1937. No specific charges were brought against Ali-beyov by

the NKVD investigators this time, let alone any evidence of his proven

guilt. The only “charge” the prosecution could come up with was that

Alibeyov “maintained close ties with the former Uyezd chief Khank-

hoyski (Amirkhan) who appointed him to the position of the mayor. Ex-

propriated and disfranchised by the Soviet administration, he engaged in

systematic agitation expressing dissatisfaction with the existing regime.

Frequently raving about the time of Mussavat Alibeyov expressed his

desire to see the old regime restored”. (208)

This is the excerpt from the records of the

Special Troyka

mee-

ting at the Azerbaijani NKVD on August 26, 1937 when A.Alibeyov’s

verdict was passed, just 20 days after his arrest. It should be noted

that charges with anti-Soviet agitation were based exclusively on the

testimonies provided by prearranged witnesses, with no evidence to

support these unfounded claims provided whatsoever. Meanwhile,

“defendant Alibeyov never confessed to his guilt”. Despite all this, the

verdict was straightforward: “execution with expropriation”. The sen-

tence was enforced within a week’s time.

When unaware of this outcome A.Alibeyov’s family applied to the

NKVD main headquarters in 1940 with the request to revisit his case,

the response communicated back through the Guba District NKVD

Department read the following: “Please be advised that A.A.Alibeyov

was sentenced to 10 years of imprisonment to be served in a special

regime penitentiary with no right of correspondence”. Cynicism of

such a response requires no comment. (209)

In fact, as one may conclude from Aliabbasbey Alibeyov’s in-

vestigation case, all inquiries, examination records, other files, as well

Events of 1918 in Guba in the Context of Plans for Mass Extermination

of Azerbaijan’s Muslim Population