Azerbaijan urges Iran’s explanation on detention of its citizens
Baku seeks detailed explanation from the Iranian side on the detention of Azerbaijani citizens in this country, Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry spokesman Elman Abdullayev told Trend news agency on Tuesday.
"The Iranian side accused our citizens of illegal actions, without specifying what actions exactly," Abdullayev said.
According to Abdullayev, the issue of detention conditions of Azerbaijani citizens is a priority for Baku.
"Baku is working to ensure Azerbaijan's Consul in Tabriz to meet with our detained citizens in the shortest possible time in order to find out, first of all, their detention conditions," Abdullayev said.
He said that given the good neighborly relations and the existing ties between the two countries, Baku hopes that Iran will arrange a meeting and will give all the necessary explanations in connection with this situation.
Azerbaijani citizens - research fellow of the Institute of Literature named after Nizami Ganjavi of the National Academy of Sciences (ANAS), Orientalist Khalida Khalid and her assistant Shamkhal Huseynov were detained in Iran by the country's law enforcement bodies in Tabriz on April 30, Iranian media outlets reported earlier.
The Consulate General sent a note on this matter to the relevant authorities in Iran.
In the second note, the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry asked the Iranian side about meeting with detained citizens, as stipulated by the Vienna Convention on Human Rights, the ministry said earlier.
Azerbaijan will also insist on providing the necessary legal aid to the detained persons.
According to reports of the Iranian side, Khalida Khalid and Shamhal Huseynov are now in the custody of the Iranian Intelligence and Security Service (ETTELAAT), and their case is being investigated.