“GEGHARD”
SCIENTIFIC ANALYTICAL
FOUNDATION
2024
2024
It is written on the photo: "For 16 years already, the Talysh language textbook has not been printed"
Although Azerbaijan tries to present itself as a multicultural country where the rights of national minorities are supposedly protected, the reality is different.
In the third chapter of the second section (Major Rights, Freedoms, and Responsibilities) of the Constitution of the Republic of Azerbaijan, which is titled "Principal Human Rights and Civil Liberties," concerns important issues such as national identity and the right to use the mother tongue.
Article 44 defines the right to national identity. It includes the following provisions:
1․ Everyone has the right to preserve one's national identity.
2․ No one can be deprived of the right to change one's national identity.
Article 45 defines the right to use one's own mother tongue, which includes the following provisions:
1․ Everyone has the right to use the mother tongue. Everyone has the right to be raised and get an education, be engaged in creative activities in one's mother tongue.
2․ No one can be deprived of the right to use the mother tongue.[1]:
While it may seem that national minorities in Azerbaijan have all the rights to live freely and equally in the country, the reality is quite different.
The "Liberty" radio in Azerbaijan has shed light on the situation of the Talysh people, the second largest ethnic group in the country. According to lawyer Ramiz Mamadov, Talysh people living in Azerbaijan can only speak their mother tongue within their families.
He states that while it is possible to receive some primary education in the Talysh language, it is not comprehensive. The last Talysh language textbooks were published in 1995 and have not been updated since. Despite being the second largest ethnic group in Azerbaijan, there is no special field for national affiliation in passports. This policy dates back to the 1930s when, under Soviet ideology, local Turkic people were officially designated as "Azerbaijani" in documents. This practice was extended to other nationalities living in Azerbaijan, including the Talysh[2].
The Voice of the Talysh," the first Talysh-language newspaper, was printed in 1992. Since 2001, Novruzali Mammadov had been the editor of the newspaper until 2007 when he was accused of espionage for Iran and sentenced to 10 years in prison. In 2009, Mammadov "died" in prison. After his death, Hilal Mammadov became the editor of the newspaper, but his tenure was short-lived. In 2012, he was accused of drug possession, treason, spreading hatred, and abuse of power.
The Lezgins, a national minority in the Republic of Azerbaijan, primarily residing in the Qusar district, also live in dire conditions. Many Lezgins work in Russia and Baku, while workers from Turkey, engaged in construction work, are paid significantly higher than Lezgins. The Lezgins are also deprived of the right to receive education in their mother language. Sadagat Karimova, the editor-in-chief of the "Samur" newspaper, notes that while Lezgins continue to preserve their traditions in everyday life, receiving education and publishing newspapers and magazines remains a serious challenge.
It should be noted that it is forbidden to bring Lezgi language textbooks from the Dagestan region of the Russian Federation into Azerbaijan. Currently, it can be said that there is not even a single textbook in the Lezgi language. Previously, Lezgi language specialists were trained at the Baku branch of Dagestan State University, but it was also closed several years ago[3].
Asad Mamadaliyev addressed the issue of textbooks in minority languages. According to him, Jeyhun Mammadov, a member of the Education and Science Committee of the National Assembly of the Republic of Azerbaijan, draws attention to the fact that security agencies of several countries are trying to use the national factor to destabilize Azerbaijan and turn the peoples living in the country against the state.
According to him, the Republic of Armenia stands behind this, and supposedly there are departments of the Talysh language in Armenian universities and TV channels, and all this is done for a specific purpose. Another official, Etibar Aliyev, a member of the National Assembly's Education and Science Committee and an education expert, does not find it appropriate to teach in the languages of ethnic groups. He said, that according to the Constitution of Azerbaijan, the language of teaching is Azerbaijani, and education should be in Azerbaijani language[4].
In the Republic of Azerbaijan, national minorities are not only deprived of the right to receive education in their mother tongue. The dire social situation of both the Azerbaijani population and national minorities deserves special attention. An article titled "Our name is beggar" highlights the difficult social situation of national minorities in Azerbaijan, which particularly states that people living in Azerbaijan rich with oil and gas, are deprived of basic living conditions.
They often lack electricity, gas, sewage, and well-maintained streets. Due to poverty, dozens of families with many children are unable to send their children to school. Instead of education, minors engage in begging with their parents and, at best, earn their daily bread by collecting and selling metal. Kurds living in Azerbaijan note that especially mothers with many children need help. No one helps the Kurds, schools do not accept their children, and many of them cannot even enrolled in military service because they are illiterate[5].
Parallel to all this, there is a widespread opinion in Azerbaijani society that the Armenian side has always tried to use Azerbaijan's national minorities as a tool against their state. The Azerbaijanis attempted to accuse the Lezgin "Sadval" organization and the Armenian side of the terrorist act carried out in the Baku metro on March 19, 1994[6].
It is evident that national minorities living in Azerbaijan are essentially a targeted group whose rights are systematically violated. The constitutional provisions meant to protect them are not only unenforced in practice, but high-ranking Azerbaijani officials openly claim that implementing these rights could pose a threat to the state. In reality, Azerbaijan manipulates the existence of national minorities. These minorities have become tools in the hands of the authorities, stripped of their constitutionally guaranteed rights, including the ability to preserve their national culture.
[1] AZƏRBAYCAN RESPUBLİKASININ KONSTİTUSİYASI 1995 il:
[2] Azadlıq radiosu, Talışlar ana dillərində yalnız ailə içərisində sərbəst danışa bilirlər Talışlar ana dillərində yalnız ailə içərisində sərbəst danışa bilirlər, Fevral 23, 2010: https://www.azadliq.org/a/1965247.html (accessed 15.06.2024):
[3] Ibid.
[4] Məmmədəliyev Ə., Etnik azlıqların dilində dərs: Deputatlardan fərqli fikirlər, Aprel 1, 2024: https://teleqraf.com/news/toplum/372343.html (accessed 15.06.2024):
[5] Ermənistanın İctimai Radiosu, Azərbaycanda milli azlıqların “yaxşı həyatı”, 22.05.2023, https://az.armradio.am/2023/05/22/az%C9%99rbaycanda-milli-azliqlarin-yaxsi-h%C9%99yati/ (accessed 15.06.2024):
[6]Ona.az, Azərbaycana qarşı "milli azlıq kartı": Separatçılar iflasa uğrayan planlarından əl çəkmir, aprel 13, 2022:
https://ona.az/az/tehlil/azerbaycana-qarsi-milli-azliq-karti-separatcilar-iflasa-ugrayan-planlarindan-el-cekmir-tehlil-30406 (Մուտք 15.06.2024):