22 July: family members wait outside as the Baku Court on Serious Crimes opens proceedings against Taleh Bagirzade, members of Muslim Unity and others. Source: Meydan.TV. This month, a trial underway in Baku is bringing to light the conflict between Azerbaijan’s secular majority and the poor, religious communities found across the countries sparsely populated regions.
It involves an accused aspiring ayatollah, a prominent politician seemingly roped in at random and dozens of ordinary Azerbaijan’s citizens who may be little more than innocent bystanders. The confusion around the proceedings reveal the dichotomies of modern Azerbaijan — rich vs. poor, secular vs. religious, the state vs. the citizen.
Courtroom farce
The defendants are Taleh Bagirzade, a prominent Shiite cleric and former political prisoner, sixteen members of his Muslim Unity movement and one secular politician arrested for a critical Facebook post. These men face a litany of charges, including murder, terrorism, and attempts to seize power through violence.
