On 28 April 1920, the Red Army invaded Azerbaijan and the Military Revolutionary Committee of Azerbaijan, of which Sultanov was a member, became the sole authority in the country. He was appointed People's Commissar (Minister) for Internal Affairs. He was directly involved in carrying out repressive measures against leaders of the short-lived Democratic Republic of Azerbaijan and namely in ordering the execution of hundreds of people arrested for their involvement in the 1920 Ganja revolt.