Employees of the Azerbaijani consulate are not allowed to the trial in the case of Farid Safarli in Iran

Baku/02.08.23/Turan: The charge of "espionage" brought by the Iranian authorities against Azerbaijani citizen Farid Safarli has been reclassified as "intent to espionage". Iranian authorities do not ensure the participation of representatives of the Consulate General of Azerbaijan in Tabriz in the trial and do not provide Safarli with an interpreter, the official representative of the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry Ayhan Hajizade stated. According to him, after repeated appeals to the Iranian side in connection with the organization of work to protect Safapi's rights, it provided information about several lawyers who could defend Safarli's rights. This information was transmitted to Safarli's family by the Consulate General of Azerbaijan in Tabriz.

Hajizadeh noted that Iranian legislation does not provide for the involvement of a lawyer living in Azerbaijan in the  trial. Despite the fact that a request was sent to the Iranian side about the dates of the court sessions and the intention of the official representatives of the Consulate General to attend the court sessions, the Iranian side did not respond to these appeals.

For this reason, the participation of the Consulate General's staff in court sessions was not possible. In addition, despite the appeals of the Azerbaijani side, the accused was also not provided with an interpreter.

It was established that during the July 19 court session, the charge of "espionage" brought against Farid Safarli was replaced by the charge of "intent to espionage". Currently, work is underway to ensure that Farid Safarli's parents visit their son, Hajizade stressed.

Safarli's mother Dilyara Askerova wrote on Facebook that her son was left without legal protection.

According to her, the lawyers proposed by the Iranian side requested very large sums for their services and the young man's family was unable to pay for them. "I had to consult him myself. I said that under the text of his testimony, written in Farsi, he should make notes that he does not understand the content," Askerova noted.

Farid Safarli, who is studying in Germany, went to Iran in February this year to meet a girl they met while studying together at the university. Since March 4, Safarli has stopped contacting. And only after almost 3 months it became known that a criminal case was opened against him in Iran on charges of espionage.----03B06----