Almost 80% of Iranians jailed abroad convicted of drug-related charges

Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 3

By Umid Niayesh– Trend:

Between 2600 to 2900 Iranian citizens are jailed in foreign countries, the Islamic Republic’s Deputy Foreign Minister for Consular Parliamentary and Expatriates Affairs Hassan Qashqavi told Trend Nov. 3.

However, this figure is not consistent and often changes, Qashqavi noted, adding some 80 percent of those in jails were convicted of drug smuggling crimes.

The top Iranian diplomat further said that during the last Iranian year, ending on March 21, some 1500 Iranian citizens were released or extradited to serve their sentences in Iranian prisons.

Further, Shapur Salimi Nabi, the Iranian official in charge of consular affairs at the Iranian Embassy in Baku, told Trend Nov. 3 that, currently, about 130 Iranian citizens are jailed in Azerbaijan, mainly for crimes related to drugs.

Also, some 10 Azerbaijani citizens are serving prison sentences in Iran, he added.

At least 54 Iranian citizens who had been jailed in Azerbaijan were extradited to their home country during the last Iranian year.

Also, two Azerbaijani convicts serving sentences in Iranian prisons were extradited back home.

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