Abbas Mirza Sharifzadeh
Arrest and execution
Arrest and execution
--------------------

On 4 December 1937, at the peak of the [Great Purge](/wiki/Great_Purge "Great Purge"), Sharifzadeh was arrested on the counts of [espionage](/wiki/Espionage "Espionage"), after the performance of "Macbeth" at the [Azerbaijan State Academic National Drama Theatre](/wiki/Azerbaijan_State_Academic_National_Drama_Theatre "Azerbaijan State Academic National Drama Theatre"). The evidence used against him were his frequent visits to the [Iranian](/wiki/Iran "Iran") consulate in [Ganja](/wiki/Ganja%2C_Azerbaijan "Ganja, Azerbaijan") in 1932\. The real reason for those visits, according to his colleagues, were friendly relations between a group of stage actors, of which Sharifzadeh was part, and the Iranian consul who admired Azerbaijani theatre and would often invite them for reunions.

His [émigré](/wiki/%C3%89migr%C3%A9 "Émigré") brother's active role in the formation of the [Azerbaijan Democratic Republic](/wiki/Azerbaijan_Democratic_Republic "Azerbaijan Democratic Republic") in 1918–1920 contributed to the government's will to get rid of the actor. Sharifzadeh was also accused of promoting via theatre the works of the earlier arrested poets [Mikayil Mushfig](/wiki/Mikayil_Mushfig "Mikayil Mushfig") and [Huseyn Javid](/wiki/Huseyn_Javid "Huseyn Javid") (the former would later be executed and the latter would be exiled to [Siberia](/wiki/Siberia "Siberia")). On 19 October 1938 he was found guilty on all charges and executed by firing squad less than a month later. He was exonerated posthumously after [Joseph Stalin](/wiki/Joseph_Stalin "Joseph Stalin")'s death.


What role did Joseph Stalin's death play in Sharifzadeh's exoneration?