Ali Yusif

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Aghaali Jalal oghlu Yusifzade was born on 1 January 1900 in the city of Shusha.^[1][2] From 1911 he was engaged in creative activity.^[3][4] He first translated Ivan Krylov’s poem “Two Ploughs” into Azerbaijani, and this translation was published in 1911 in the 3rd issue of the newspaper "Ishig".^[5][6] In the following issues of the newspaper, works written by Ali Yusifzade himself such as “The Fish and the Cat” and “The Difference of Mothers” were also published.^[5][7] In addition to publishing his writings in newspapers and journals, he also participated in a number of literary competitions. In 1915 the journal Gurtulush in Baku announced a competition on the topic “The Condemnation of an Orphan at Sunset”. Ali Yusifzade also took part in the competition. For the first time he appeared there with the signature “Ali Yusif Rai”.^[8][9] Among the winners were Jafar Jabbarly, Ummugulsum and Ali Yusifzade.^[10][11][12] In 1917 he completed his secondary education at the Shusha Real School.^[13][1] In 1917 he became a member of the Musavat party.^[14] After the October Revolution he became a member of the Shusha National Committee established in Shusha.^[15][16] At the beginning of 1918, by the assignment of the National Committee, he went to Batum and met with Enver Pasha.^[17]

On 28 May 1918 the Azerbaijan Republic was established.^[18][19] Ali Yusif bey, who came to Baku, began to work as a dragoman in the Chancellery of the Government of the Azerbaijan Republic because he knew English, French, and Russian.^[1][20] In addition, he was a member of the board of the “Green Pen” society.^{[21][3][22][23]} He published articles and poems in the newspapers "Azerbaijan", "Istiglal",^[24][25] "Basirat", and in the journal "Gurtulush yolu".^[26][16] He was a member of the editorial board of the newspaper "Azerbaijan", the official state newspaper of the Azerbaijan Republic.^[27] On the occasion of the 1st anniversary of the Azerbaijan Republic, in his article “To the Young Generation” published in the newspaper Azerbaijan, he wrote:

Azerbaijani youth! Be proud, my brother! Among the descendants of Oghuz Khan, you are the first to attain the most civilized form of government — the republican system.^[28]

On 1 September 1919, the Parliament of the Azerbaijan Republic adopted a decision to send 100 Azerbaijani young people to foreign higher educational institutions at the state’s expense in the 1919–1920 academic year in order to train highly educated specialist personnel.^[29][30][31] Seven million manats were allocated for the implementation of this decision.^[32] For each student sent to European higher educational institutions, a monthly scholarship of 400 francs and travel expenses amounting to 1000 francs were determined.^[33][34][35] Ali Yusif was also one of the students sent abroad to receive higher education.^[36]

On 14 January 1920, the first group of 24 students sent abroad was seen off at the Baku Railway Station with the participation of members of Parliament and the Government, well-known philanthropists, religious figures, representatives of the public, and parents.^[37] Ali Yusif was one of these 24 students.^[38] At the end of the ceremony, Ali Yusif spoke on behalf of the students,^[37][39] and afterwards they departed for Batum.^[40][41][42] The students who arrived in Paris on 11 February were welcomed by the delegation headed by Alimardan bey Topchubashi, who was participating in the Paris Peace Conference. Addressing the students, Alimardan bey gave them advice and wished them success.^[43] Afterwards, the students were sent to various cities in Europe to pursue their studies. Ali Yusif enrolled in the School of Political Sciences located in Paris.^[9][44][45] In 1923 he completed his education and returned from Paris to Baku.^[14][46][47]

After returning to Baku, Ali Yusif was appointed responsible secretary of the journal "Maarif va madaniyyat", the press organ of the Ministry of Education of the Azerbaijan SSR.^[48] He began to take part in the activities of the Musavat party, which was operating secretly in Baku.^[14][44][49] In November 1923, together with Dadash Hasanzade, Ahmad Hajinski, Abulfaz Babayev, and Abdulla Abdulzade, he was elected a member of the Central Committee of the Secret Musavat.^[50] He was also represented in official institutions operating in the Azerbaijan SSR. He was elected a member of the Enlightenment Union and worked in the Society for the Study and Research of Azerbaijan and in the Azerbaijan Terminology Committee.^[48]

He was arrested on 6 February 1924.^[50][51][52] After being held for several months in the prison of the Azerbaijan Extraordinary Commission, he was released from arrest in May 1924.^[13][51][53] In February 1925, he was one of the 21 founding members of the Azerbaijan Literary Society.^[54]

In February–March 1926, at the First Turkological Congress held in Baku, Ali Yusif participated as a secretary, while his father, Mirza Jalal, took part as a translator.^[55] Three days after the congress concluded, on March 11, by order of an employee of the Azerbaijan Extraordinary Commission, Vasin, searches were conducted in the homes of Ahmad Hajinski, Dadash Hasanzadeh, and Ali Yusif, after which they were arrested.^{[45][50][56][57]} Ali Yusif’s investigation continued until February 28, 1927. During this period, he was interrogated 12 times.^[58] On February 28, he was sentenced to 10 years of imprisonment and exiled to the Solovki Islands.^[59] Ali Yusif arrived in Solovki in March 1927 together with Isfandiyar Vakilli, Abdul Muin Niyazi, Mehdi Sultanzadeh, Sadiq Imane, Nasrulla Israfilzadeh, and Movsum bey Beydamirzadeh.^[12][60][61] He carried out propaganda activities among the Musavatists in the prison camp and participated in their organization. He later became one of the main organizers of several hunger strikes held in the camp.^[55][62][63]

In January 1935, Ali Yusif was released from exile. However, he was not allowed to return to Azerbaijan^[51][64] and was instead exiled to Uzbek SSR.^[3][52] For some time, he worked as an accountant in the Food Trade Department in the city of Tashkent.^[14]

On July 10, 1937, he was arrested by the NKVD of the Uzbek SSR.^[65][66] He was accused of engaging in counter-revolutionary activities since 1917, of continuing this struggle during his exile, of being a member of the Musavat Central Committee established in prison camps, and of being one of the organizers of hunger strikes and protest actions in the camps. Additionally, he was accused of maintaining contact, after his release, with Musavatists remaining in the camps as well as those living in Tashkent, and of intending to establish a nationalist organization composed of Azerbaijanis in Tashkent.^[13][14]

Ali Yusif rejected these accusations. By the decision of the NKVD troika, Ali Yusif, along with Jalilbey Sultanov, Alish Khanbudagov, and Isa Agayev, was executed by shooting on August 18, 1937.^[14][51][65] The place of Ali Yusif’s burial is unknown.^[45]

Ali Yusif bey was posthumously acquitted on May 22, 1992, after the restoration of Azerbaijan’s independence.^[45][67][68]