Azerbaijan marks 140th anniversary of one of founding fathers

It has been 140 years since the birth of one of the founders of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic, Mahammad Amin Rasulzadeh.

According to APA, Rasulzadeh was born on January 31, 1884, in the village of Novkhani in Baku.

As a young man, he co-founded the "Hummet" organisation together with social democrats. In 1909 he fled to Iran to escape persecution by the Tsarist regime. He spent some time there as editor-in-chief of the newspaper "Iran-e Nou", but after the revolution was suppressed he went to Türkiye.

In 1911 he was a member of the Musavat (Equality) party and four years later chairman of its central committee.

In 1918, together with Fatali Khan Khoyski, Rasulzadeh announced the establishment of the first republic in the east - Azerbaijan Democratic Republic. Bolsheviks arrested him on April 28, 1920. Rasulzadeh was released sometime later and taken to Moscow on Stalin's orders. Despite Stalin's urging, he refused to collaborate with the Soviet government and left the country.

Mahammad Amin Rasulzade died on March 6, 1955 in Ankara.

On December 24, 1992, President of Azerbaijan Abulfaz Elchibey signed an order "On the return to Azerbaijan of the family members of the prominent socio-political figure Mahammad Amin Rasulzadeh, who were subjected to repression during the totalitarian Soviet regime, and the solution of their social and domestic problems".

On December 29, 1993, the President of Azerbaijan Heydar Aliyev signed an order "On the celebration of the 110th anniversary of the birth of the outstanding socio-political figure Mahammad Amin Rasulzadeh".

On November 22, 2013, President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev signed an order "On celebrating the 130th anniversary of the birth of Mahammad Amin Rasulzadeh". According to the decree, anniversary events were held in the republic and abroad.

In honour of the 100th anniversary of the establishment of ADR, President Ilham Aliyev declared 2018 the "Year of ADR".

President Ilham Aliyev signed an order on the celebration of the 140th anniversary of the birth of Mahammad Amin Rasulzade.