Hasan Rashidi — July 5, 2018
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| At the Babak Castle gathering in July 2002, activists from Ardabil hold a placard reading: “Babak has always been the loud voice of the nation of Azerbaijan against oppression and oppressors.” |
It appears that this year, on July 5 and 6, 2018—Thursday and Friday, a ceremony was expected to be held at Babak Castle near the city of Kaleybar in East Azerbaijan, similar to those organized between 2000–2004. The event was to coincide with the birthday of Babak Khorramdin, the historic Azerbaijani hero who fought against the tyranny of the Abbasid caliph for twenty-two years.
As in those earlier years, participants would probably have commemorated Babak Khorramdin, played traditional ashik music, performed ashik songs, and organized other civic and cultural activities. Some participants might also have called for the implementation of Articles 15, 19, and 48 of the Constitution.
