A constitution tested by time and victory From 1995 to today

Undoubtedly, this year’s Constitution Day of Azerbaijan, declared by President Ilham Aliyev as the “Year of the Constitution and Sovereignty,” holds special significance. As noted in the decree, the first Constitution of the Republic of Azerbaijan, prepared and adopted on 12 November 1995 under the direct leadership of the National Leader Heydar Aliyev, played a crucial role as the legislative foundation for safeguarding the independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of our state.

With the historic Victory in the 2020 Patriotic War and the successful counterterrorism operation carried out in 2023, the legal force of the Constitution of Azerbaijan has been fully restored across the entire territory of our country. In these new historical realities, Azerbaijan “continues its independent policy even more decisively and fundamentally, based on the demands of the Constitution and its sovereign rights,” confidently advancing toward the achievement of strategic goals.

The National Leader particularly emphasised that the Constitution is the document tasked above all with reflecting the state’s independence, resilience, and the principles of defending and preserving this greatest achievement. He stressed that the Constitution must be enduring—a document capable of capturing both the historical stage experienced and the future of the state. Therefore, he said shortly before the new Constitution came into force, “we are aware of the responsibility we bear before future generations in adopting this important document.”

At the same time, Heydar Aliyev highlighted the crucial historical aspect of the matter. In 2001, he recalled that the spirit of freedom and independence had always lived within the Azerbaijani people, yet the communist ideology that dominated the USSR for 70 years prevented these aspirations from being realised. To illustrate his point, Heydar Aliyev cited an example: after the adoption of the new Constitution of the Soviet Union in 1977, the constitutions of the union republics were approved in 1978. “In the draft Constitution of Azerbaijan,” he noted, “we included an article stating that the state language of the republic is Azerbaijani. Moscow categorically objected to this, claiming that such an idea could not be implemented.”

However, thanks to “our persistence and overcoming strong resistance,” in 1978, the Azerbaijani language was enshrined in the Constitution of our republic as the state language. This, in turn, helped awaken “national consciousness, national spirit, and a sense of personal connection and love for our language” among the people.

Therefore, it was no coincidence that on the eve of adopting the new Constitution of the Republic of Azerbaijan in 1995, Heydar Aliyev emphatically declared: “Now we ourselves—completely independently, without looking to any other state, without dependence on any centre, independent of anyone—adopt it on our own.”

Three years later, speaking at a session of the Milli Majlis (parliament) dedicated to the 80th anniversary of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic, Heydar Aliyev emphasised that the adoption of the Constitution of independent Azerbaijan in November 1995 through a nationwide referendum became one of the most significant historical events of the 20th century.

A month before the Constitution’s adoption, the National Leader noted that the Fundamental Law should endure over time. “That would be very good; I personally wish for it,” Heydar Aliyev stressed. “Let us ensure that it is long-lasting.”

Today, the Constitution of independent Azerbaijan—which enshrines key principles such as the equality of all citizens regardless of nationality, language, or religion, and guarantees the protection of the rights of national, ethnic, and religious minorities—remains strong, robust, and fundamental. It continues to safeguard Azerbaijan’s full independence, the country’s territorial integrity, and the inviolable rights of the Azerbaijani people.

At the present historical stage—as a victorious country and a victorious nation—we perceive with special emotion Heydar Aliyev’s assessment of the adoption of our Constitution as “the logical outcome of the historical path traversed by the Azerbaijani people.”

One of the key qualities of a state’s Constitution is its stability. The amendments introduced in the context of large-scale reforms carried out in the country—approved through nationwide referendums—have in no way affected its fundamental principles or core essence. Their sole purpose was to ensure the more effective protection of human rights and freedoms, as well as to improve the mechanisms of efficient state governance, including provisions granting citizens the right to appeal to the Ombudsman and the Constitutional Court, among other norms.

That is why the head of state emphasises that the Constitution of Azerbaijan, founded on universal values, “possesses great legal, political and ideological potential, serving the well-being of the Azerbaijani people.”

It is highly symbolic that, following the celebrations of the fifth anniversary of the glorious Victory achieved by the valiant Azerbaijani Army, as well as the State Flag Day, we now mark Constitution Day — the day of the Fundamental Law of our lives. Alongside sovereignty, territorial integrity, national and spiritual values, the flag, the coat of arms, and the anthem, it stands as one of the system-forming paradigms that shape the essence of Azerbaijani identity.

This day shines with particular brilliance against the backdrop of Azerbaijan’s emergence as one of the key geopolitical actors shaping the agenda not only of the region but of the world as a whole. This is something that we ourselves — and the entire world — can clearly see. At the heart of this process lies the consolidation and further development by President Ilham Aliyev of the solid foundation laid by the National Leader Heydar Aliyev.