Tabriz, South Azerbaijan, July 11
According to Gunaz Tv (the official media of South Azerbaijan), most of the detainees of the Babak Castle ceremony were released on Heavy bail. The status of 16 South Azerbaijani activists is still unclear.
Abbas Lisani, Ibrahim Nouri, Jafar Rostami, Kiumars Islami, Sahand Maali, Abbas Nikrvan, Mortaza Yazdani, Salar Afshari, Sajjad Abdoli, Abbas Khodayari, Gholam Gholizadeh, Rahim Ali Rezaei, Abolfazl Bidokht, Abolfazl Karamati, Amir Hashamzadeh and Ahad Alavi are 16 South Azerbaijani national civil right activists that no information has been published since their arrest.
It should be noted that most of the South Azerbaijani national civil right activists were released on heavy bail.
Every year in the first week of July, South Azerbaijani Turks in Iran gather at Babak Castle to commemorate the birthday of Babak Khorramdin. Babak Castle, also known as ‘Immortal Castle’, or ‘Republic Castle’, is reminiscent of Babak Khorramdin, an important religious and political figure who during the Abbassid empire was the leader of the Khurramites, a sect mixing Shi’a Islam and Zoroastrianism.
In the protesting leading up to this year’s commemoration, activists encouraged people to take part in the festivity in honor of their national hero and protested against the systematic discrimination of South Azerbaijani people. During these protests, Iranian regime forces arrested at least 60 activists.
Despite the intense security atmosphere of regime most of the South Azerbaijani people have participated in the annual ceremony of Babak Castle.
