Adalet

Adalet

 

or Adaliat (in Persian, justice), a social democratic organization of Iranian workers.

Adalet was founded upon the decision of the Baku Committee of the Russian Social Democratic Workers’ Party by B. Agaev, B. Agasiev, M. Alekperov, G. B. Gadzhiev, A. Gafar-zade, K. Sadyk-zade, A. Iusif-zade, and others to conduct work among workers from Iranian Azerbaijan. It began functioning in May 1917. Adalet operated in Azerbaijan, in several cities of Middle Asia, Astrakhan, and Iran. From June 1917 it published the newspaper Bairagi adalet (The Banner of Justice) in Baku, in both the Azerbaijani and Farsi languages. The leaders of Adalet were also members of the Baku and Caucasus krai bolshevik committees.

In 1920 the Adalet organizations in Russia merged with the local Communist organizations [with the Baku organization of the RCP (Bolshevik) and the Communist organization Gummet]. Adalet organizations were active in Iran, mainly in Tabriz, Tehran, Resht, Enzeli, and other cities, from 1920. The members of these organizations were workers, artisans, and members of the urban petite bourgeoisie. The basic demands of these organizations, published in March 1920, were a struggle against British imperialism, the royal government, and the feudal lords and the transfer of lands to the peasants. In April and May 1920 the rising national liberation movement led to the legalization of the Adalet organizations in Iranian Azerbaijan and in Gilan. At the first congress (June 22–24, 1920, in Enzeli) the Iranian organizations of Adalet united into the Communist Party of Iran.