Azerbaijan hands over 12 prisoners to Iran

Twelve Iranians held in prison in Azerbaijan were transferred to the country on Tuesday, said an official in charge of consular affairs at the Iranian Embassy in Baku.

This is part of an agreement on exchanging prisoners between the two countries, Mohsen Molaei said, according to Tehran Times.

He added 34 Iranian prisoners have been transferred to Iran over the last month and 35 more will be transferred within the next month.

The diplomat hinted that the transfers took place as relations between Iran and Azerbaijan have been improving in recent months.

“The good cooperation of the Azerbaijani government” was important “in this respect,” the diplomat stated.

All of the prisoners were serving their sentences in Azeri prisons on drug-related charges and will serve the rest of their sentences in the Iranian jails, he said.

Five Azeri prisoners, who were serving their sentences in Iranian jails, have been transferred to Azerbaijan in recent weeks.

In late March, 11 Iranian inmates were also transferred to the country from Azerbaijan and two Azeri prisoners were transferred to Azerbaijan.

Bakudaily.az