Transfer of 4 Iranian prisoners from Azerbaijan to Iran

Askar Jalalian, Deputy for Human Rights and International Affairs at Iran’s Ministry of Justice, announced that following their transfer to Iran, the prisoners were handed over to the General Directorate of Prisons in Gilan Province to continue serving their sentences.

The head of the Ministry of Justice’s Prisoner Transfer Committee noted that this marks the first phase of transferring Iranian prisoners back to the country, following a three-year hiatus in implementing the prisoner transfer agreement between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Republic of Azerbaijan.

Jalalian further stated that most of the Iranian prisoners in other countries’ prisons, especially neighboring states, have been convicted of drug trafficking or possession of prohibited pills. He added that many compatriots are arrested and sentenced to long-term imprisonment abroad due to reasons such as lack of knowledge of foreign laws or unknowingly carrying packages whose contents they are unaware of.

The Deputy for Human Rights at the Ministry of Justice expressed gratitude for the efforts and cooperation of the Prisoner Transfer Committee, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the General Directorate of Justice in Gilan Province, the Prisons Organization, and the Public and Revolutionary Prosecutor’s Office of Astara County in facilitating the transfer of these individuals.