Creation of the Committee to Protect the Rights of Azerbaijani poets arrested in Iran

On May 2 a group of writers and journalists in Azerbaijan held a debate on  the arrest  of two young Azerbaijani poets, Farid Hussein and Shahriyar Hajizade, in Iran. The writer Chingiz Abdullayev  told the details of the invitation  of these poets to  Iran to the presentation of the book, and  sudden subsequent arrest. He described the incident as lawlessness and serious violation of human rights. Abdullayev, proposed the creation of a committee of defense and appeal for support to international human rights structures.

   Others who spoke supported the proposal, and even criticized the local human rights activists and the media for ignoring the case.

   There were also suggestions to ignore all the invitations for the Azerbaijani writers to Iran.

     Huseynov and Hajizade  were officially invited to Tehran  to the presentation of a local collection of poems, and on the way back they were arrested in Tabriz.

   Iranian authorities  admitted their arrest several weeks later, and still  have not done an official explanation on the reasons for their arrest. From unofficial sources, it became known that they are accused of espionage. -05C-