Iran Agrees to Arrange a Meeting of Arrested Writers and their Families

As a result of efforts from the Azerbaijani consulate in Tabriz, an agreement was obtained for a meeting of Azeri writers arrested in Iran, Farid Hussein and Shakhriyar Hajizade, with their family members, said Foreign Ministry spokesman, Elman Abdullayev at the press briefing on Wednesday.

    According to him, the Consul General of Azerbaijan in Tabriz, Ali Alizadeh, met twice on this matter with the Governor of Iranian province of East Azerbaijan, on July 15 and 17. At the last meeting, the governor said that Tehran has consented to such a meeting.  However, the answer to the question, what the young writers are accused of, has not been received. It is not reported when family members can meet detainees.

     Young poets from Azerbaijan were invited to Tehran for a presentation of the literary compilation in late April. At the end of the event they went to Tabriz and were arrested immediately upon arrival on May 2. They were detained by several people in civilian clothes and taken to an unknown destination. Two and a half months have passed and Iranian authorities have not made an official statement on the reason for their detention.

    At the same time, Iranian media reported the writers are accused of espionage. -06В-