Amnesty International Calls for the Release of Detainees from Qaleh Babak Gathering

On Saturday, Amnesty International urged Iran to release all civil activists detained during the annual gathering at Qaleh Babak in East Azerbaijan province in mid-July. The London-based organization called on Iranian authorities to immediately and unconditionally free Ibrahim Noori, a civil activist, and all others still in detention. According to the organization, around 120 people were arrested in July and August in connection with two separate events related to Azerbaijani culture. In recent years, a number of Azerbaijani activists in Iran have gathered at Qaleh Babak in mid-July to celebrate and voice their social and ethnic demands. Qaleh Babak is a fortress from the Sassanid era located on a mountain near the city of Kalibar in East Azerbaijan province. This year, the event took place on July 15, during which some news and human rights websites reported that 'more than 50 individuals' were arrested in connection with this gathering. Reports indicate that Ibrahim Noori was among those detained and transferred to Ward 209 of Evin Prison. The news agency HRANA, which reports on human rights issues in Iran, stated on August 9 that Noori, originally from Ahar, has been deprived of contact and visitation rights during his detention. According to HRANA, Noori, born in 1991, had previously been sentenced to a total of 16 months in prison for 'acting against national security through propaganda against the regime' in two other cases. HRANA also reported that Kiumars Islami, another civil activist from Moghan who was detained during the Qaleh Babak gatherings, has been released on bail, suggesting that Ibrahim Noori may be the only person still in custody following the Qaleh Babak arrests. Amnesty International stated on Saturday that investigations revealed that some detainees had been tortured and mistreated by security forces, calling for an impartial investigation and prosecution of those responsible. The human rights organization emphasized the right to freedom of expression, stating that Ibrahim Noori and other ethnic activists have the right to express their views on the rights of Turkic minorities in Iran through peaceful gatherings.