Deutsche Welle Persian – Taher Shirmohammadi – July 8, 2018
Following the Babak Castle ceremony, a number of Azerbaijani civil activists were arrested. Ahmad Omid Yazdani, an Azerbaijani author and writer, told DW Persian that 30 detainees had been released, but the fate of many others remained unknown.
The annual Babak Castle gathering was held under unprecedented and intensive security measures from the afternoon of Thursday, July 5, until the evening of Friday, July 6, 2018. This year’s ceremony differed from those of previous years. The number of arrests was higher than in preceding years, and arrests continued even after the ceremony had ended.
Dr. Ahmad Omid Yazdani, the author of a comprehensive German–Azerbaijani dictionary and director of the Germany–Azerbaijan Academics Group, who lives in Berlin, issued a video message for the first time concerning those detained in connection with the Babak Castle ceremony. He called on the media to draw attention to their situation.
Regarding the detainees, he told DW Persian:
“According to the latest reports, more than 70 Azerbaijani national and civil activists have been arrested. They were severely beaten. According to the latest information, 30 people have been released, but the fate of the remaining detainees is unknown. Their release was largely the result of various demonstrations organized by Azerbaijani activists in different countries.”
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| Dr. Ahmad Omid Yazdani |
Omid Yazdani added that a number of prominent national and civil activists had been summoned and interrogated in various cities across Azerbaijan.
Explaining how and why the Babak Castle ceremony was held, Omid Yazdani stated:
“Babak is a historical figure who fought for approximately 20 years against foreign domination over Azerbaijan. Today, he is regarded as a symbol of the Azerbaijani people’s resistance to coercion and despotism, as well as to the Islamic Republic’s policies of national oppression and identity erasure.”
According to the director of the Germany–Azerbaijan Academics Group, the Babak Castle ceremony commemorates Babak’s birthday, and admirers of this “national figure” gather peacefully at the castle.
Omid Yazdani continued:
“The right to gather at Babak Castle is a civil right, but the Islamic Republic does not recognize this right and had prevented the gathering for several years. This year, however, an opportunity arose for the nation to assemble there once again.”
Ahmad Omid Yazdani also described the demands expressed during the Babak Castle ceremony:
“Clear demands are articulated at this ceremony. These include the demand for education in the mother tongue. In my opinion, gathering for the Babak ceremony is primarily an occasion for celebration and for commemorating Babak’s birthday.”