The Iranian side in Violation of the Vienna Convention Ignores the Appeal of the Azerbaijani Diplomats

Representatives of the consular authorities of Azerbaijan to Iran are still not able to meet with the citizens of Azerbaijan - the writer Khalida Khalid and her driver Shamkhal Huseynov arrested in Tabriz on April 30.

According to the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry's spokesman Elman Abdullayev, the Azerbaijani side is negotiating to visit the Azerbaijani citizens arrested by the consular service members.

He recalled that, under Article 36 of the Vienna Convention, a person performing the duties of consul, has a right to visit his country's citizens in prison and to provide the necessary legal assistance.

Appropriate authorities of Iran must immediately inform about the detention and arrest of Azerbaijani citizens.

Iran's response to the note of the Azerbaijani side was brief and did not clarify the reasons for the arrest of the Azerbaijani citizens.

Abdullayev expressed the hope that, in accordance with the Vienna Convention, and taking into account the peaceful neighborhood relations, the Iranian side as soon as possible will create the conditions for a meeting of the Azerbaijani diplomats with the arrested.

At today's session of the Parliament Oktay Asadov also said that he would ask the Speaker of Iran's Parliament Ali Larijani for the release of the arrested citizens of Azerbaijan.

According to unofficial information from the Iranian side, Azerbaijani citizens are accused of espionage.

However, colleagues of Khalid, who works at the Institute of Literature named after Nizami, have denied the allegations and point to the fact that she is a scholar of the Iranian poet, ethnic Azerbaijani Shahriyar. -16D06-