Demand of immediate release of 2 citizens of the Republic of Azerbaijan

“IRELI” Public Union operating in Baku, Azerbaijan, consisting 12 member organizations and over 25.000 young activists is submitting petition to the broad audience, NGOs, human rights defenders and young activists all over the world calling for the help to release two young Azerbaijani poets who were groundlessly accused and detained in the Islamic Republic of Iran more than two months.

“On 29th of April 2012 two Azerbaijani poets Farid Huseysn and Shahriyar Hajizade visited Islamic Republic of Iran in order to participate at the poetry festival. Soon after when they were planning to come back Azerbaijan on the 2nd of May in Tabriz city they were kidnapped and detained by persons in civilian clothes.

Two months has passed since unjustified detainment of Azerbaijani poets. In spite of the fact that within this period of time the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan has already gave 5 letters of notes to the Iranian side but yet it has not given desired outcomes. Unfortunately Iranian authorities have not yet provided reasonable information about the reasons of detainment of Farid Huseyn and Shahriyar Hajizade.

Moreover, each attempt of meeting with detained citizens of the Republic of Azerbaijan by the Embassy of the Republic of Azerbaijan in Tehran and Consulate of the Republic of Azerbaijan in Tabriz was declined by Iranian officials. We would like to emphasize the fact that behavior of Iranian authorities is contradicting internationally admitted conventions and taking into consideration the fact that Iran is the member of UN and is part of the globally admitted civilization we find such behavior unreasonable and unjustified.

According to the information spread in Iranian mass media two Azerbaijani poets were detained because of accusation in illegal drug smuggling and in espionage to Israel. Furthermore, these media agencies also claim that two Azerbaijani poets made a confession regarding above mentioned accusations and Iranian officials has given related documents to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan. However, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan found these claims groundless and denied the fact of getting any documents by Iranian officials.

We also turn to such organizations as Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International and to the human rights defenders who based in Azerbaijan to draw more precise attention to the current issue. The curios fact is that till this moment none of above mentioned organizations have not drawn up any protocol and document regarding violation of human rights of the citizens of Azerbaijan in Iran. We also would like to see any kind of appeal by local human rights defenders to the global area, foreign media representatives, and international organizations with their true voice of justice.

We wish to see Azerbaijani human rights defenders more active and sensitive in the case when it comes to protect the rights of two Azerbaijani citizens who were unreasonably detained in other country. We make an open call to everyone who cares destiny of innocent people in Azerbaijan and across the globe to join our appeal in order to protect rights of humanity in the face of Farid Huseysn and Shahriyar Hajizade and require their soonest release.

The time is ripe for this approach because for too long Islamic Republic of Iran has not only refused release of two Azerbaijani citizens, it has also continued to ignore and repeatedly reject attempts of Consulate of the Republic of Azerbaijan in Tabriz to meet with detained Azerbaijani citizens.”