Total Uncertainty at the Trial of Azerbaijani Writers

The Thursday, August 16, parents of the Azeri writers Farid Hussein and Shahriyar Hajizade, arrested in Iran, met with the judge who considers the case of their sons. The meeting was attended by a representative of the Azerbaijani consulate in Tabriz.

Foreign Ministry’s spokesman Elman Abdullayev told the BBC Radio, that the judge did not answer the question from parents why the parents delayed sentencing, and did not give a date.

According to Elman Abdullayev, writers have not been still presented a formal accusation. "At the trial  

on August 9, the judge did not read formal conviction,  and closed the trial. He only said that the decision will be made within seven days," said Abdullayev.

He explained that in Iran, in contrast to Azerbaijan, the verdict is not read out at the hearing. "Our compatriots will know what they accused for  only on the day of sentencing,"  said Abdullayev.

Farid Hussein and Shahryar Hajizade were  arrested in Tabriz on May 2 this year, when they 

were going to return from Tehran, where they participated in a festival of poetry. They were told

that they had violated the border regime, and the Iranian media reported that they were spies. 

According to experts, young writers are a victim of the deterioration of relations between Baku and Tehran. -02D-