The Azerbaijan Democratic Republic that was established in May of 1918, exerted its best efforts to investigate crimes committed by Armenian nationalist groups against the Azerbaijani population. On August 31, 1918 the government of ADR headed by Fatali Khan Khoyski decided to establish the Extraordinary Investigation Commission (EIC).
Furthermore, in September-October 1918, the commission started to conduct extensive investigative actions. Therefore, the witnesses were questioned in the places where the massacre had been committed, as well as collected all the available evidence and taken photos of the scene of crime.
On January 6, 1919 the chairman of the Commission A. Khasmammadov in the letter to the Minister of Foreign Affairs reported, that for the delegation sent to the Paris Peace Conference had been prepared materials, clearly showing the atrocities committed by the Armenians against the Muslim population in Baku, Shamakhi, Guba, Shamakhi, Goychay, Javad and Guba uyezds. The Commission presented the primary investigative materials in six volumes and 95 photos. On May 5, 1919 the Chairman of the Extraordinary Investigation Commission (EIC) A.Khasmammadov in the letter to the Minister of Justice reported, that commission had also additionally prepared two lantern slides in each set containing 80 photographs.
It should be noted that on the basis of the reports prepared by a member of the Extraordinary Investigation Commission (EIC) Ch.Klassovski on August 27, 1919 the materials collected by the commission contained 36 volumes and 3,500 pages.
The Extraordinary Investigation Commission continued its work until the April coup of 1920. Noteworthy, reports and materials prepared by the EIC, are valuable evidence of atrocities committed by the Armenian gangs against the Azerbaijani population.
Chairman of the Commission:
Alakbar Bey Khasmammadov (1870-1925) - graduated from the Moscow State University, a professional lawyer. By 1918, he became a well-known lawyer and a public figure. In 1925 he was arrested and shot by the Bolsheviks.
Ismayil Bey Shakhmaliyev (1883-1938) - graduated from the University of Novorossiysk, a professional lawyer, titular counsellor. By 1918 he was a member of the District Court of Ganja. After 1920, he worked in various justice sector institutions as a legal advisor. In 1938 he was arrested and convicted for 10 years, and the same year he died in Khabarovsk in Stalin’s camp. In 1955, he was rehabilitated.
Andrey -Clementiy Fomich Nowatski (1866 -?) - ethnic Pole. He graduated from Warsaw University, a professional lawyer, the court counsellor. By 1918 he was a member of the District Court of Ganja. After 1920 his fate is unknown.
Nikolai Mikhailovich Mikhailov (1867-1920) - ethnic Russian. He graduated from Kharkov University, a professional lawyer, councillor of state. In 1918, he became a member of the District Court of Ganja. In 1920, he died during Ganja anti-Soviet revolt.
Goodwill V.V. (? -?) – Russian by nationality. A professional lawyer, the active councillor of state. By 1918 he became the chairman of the Congress of Justice of the Peace. After 1920 his fate is unknown.
Mirza Javad Akhundzadeh - teacher
Dashkevich L.U - Photographer
Litvintsev N. - Photographer
Mohammed Khan Tekinski (1888-1930) - ethnic Turkmen. During the occupation of Central Asia by Russian troops his family died, afterwards the boy was adopted by Ehsan Khan Nakhchivanski. He graduated from the University of Novorossiysk, a professional lawyer. By 1918 he became a member of the Baku district court. In January 1919, he worked as a diplomatic representative of Azerbaijan to Armenia. After 1920, he worked as a legal advisor in different justice sector institutions. In 1937 he was arrested. Afterwards, in 1938 he was shot. In 1955, he was rehabilitated.
Czeslaw Boleslavovich Klossowski (1874-?) - ethnic Pole. He graduated from Warsaw University, a professional lawyer, the court counsellor. By 1918 he became a judge of the District Court of Ganja. In January 1919, he was appointed Comrade (deputy ) of Ganja prosecutor. After 1920, for a certain period of time he worked in the Ministry of Justice of Azerbaijan SSR, his further destiny is unknown
Aley Adamovich Alexandrovich (Lithovsky) (1874-?) - Lithuanian ethnic tatar. A professional lawyer. He worked in the courts of Warsaw and the Caucasus. In September 1919 he became an attorney (barrister) of Azerbaijan Court of Justice. After 1920 his fate is unknown.
Alexander Evgeniyevich Kluge (1879-1919) - ethnic German. He graduated from the University of Novorossiysk, a professional lawyer, collegiate assessor. By 1918 - Comrade (deputy) of prosecutor of Baku district court. In October 1919, he died from the disease.
Mahyaddin Bey Shahmaliyev (? -?) - a professional lawyer, by 1918 he was the investigator of specific operational affairs of the District Court of Ganja. After 1920 his fate is unknown.
Khidayat Bey Sultanov (? -?) - a professional lawyer, by 1918 he became a member of Baku provincial court. After 1920 his fate is unknown.
Abbas Ali Bey Haji-Irzayev (? -?) - a professional lawyer. After 1920 his fate is unknown.
B.Yusifbeyov (? -?) - a member of the Baku District Court. After 1920 his fate is unknown.
“M.Hajinski, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yelizavetpol,
July 15, 1918
For the past four months, different parts of the Azerbaijani territory have been torn apart by gangs who, under the name of the Bolsheviks, irresponsible Armenian military units, etc., are committing untold atrocities against the lives and property of peaceful Muslims. At the same time, the public opinion in Europe has taken the completely opposite view because of incorrect information sent by the organizers of these gangs. In the inter¬est of the nation and in the interests of groups of victims, it is absolutely essential to create an organization that would deal with:
1. Accurate recording of all incidents of violence, 2. Circumstances under which violence was committed, and 3. Establishment of the perpetrators and the size of losses inflicted.
The organization must have the character of a special commission of inquiry, and the labors of this committee shall be declared in the main European languages (Russian, French and German, and, of course, Turkish) and widely disseminated.
The organization of this commission should begin immediately, since it can easily implement many things now hot on the trail, in the sense of questioning persons, photography, and retention of other evidence, which later become difficult, if not completely impossible.
If the Government agrees with this goal, I would ask anyone of the Ministers to entrust the organization of the Commission and to allocate the costs of the temporary commission 50,000 rubles.”
State Archives of the Republic of Azerbaijan,
fund 1061, inventory 1, file 95, sheet 1.