Azerbaijan hands over 12 prisoners to Iran
BAKU - Azerbaijan has extradited 12 Iranian convicts to the neighboring country, Iran’s law enforcement official told Fars News agency.
Head of Astara’s Justice Department Ali Qayebi said that the 11 men and one woman handed over at Iran's northern borderline city of Astara on Tuesday had been charged with crimes including drug trafficking as well as illegal entry into Azerbaijan. The extradition took place under a protocol signed earlier between Iran and Azerbaijan, Qayebi said.
Qayebi said a number of Iranian nationals are currently serving jail terms in Azerbaijan, pointing to the need for their extradition to Iran as well.
The Azerbaijan Justice Ministry’s Penitentiary Service has confirmed the reports.
It also said that the Azerbaijani scientist, who was released Wednesday after being held in neighboring Iran, has no bearing on the extradition issue.
Rashid Aliyev, a leading physicist who was detained in Iran on charges of spying two years ago, returned to Baku on Thursday.
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