A committee to protect poets arrested in Iran is being created in Azerbaijan

On July, 5, a group of writers and publicists of Azerbaijan held a discussion about the arrest of two young Azerbaijani poets, Farid Gusein and Shahriyar Gajizade, in Iran. During the discussion it was decided to create a committee for protection of the arrested poets.

Earlier, the "Caucasian Knot" reported that Farid Gusein and Shahriyar Gajizade were officially invited to a presentation of an album of poems by a local poet in Tehran and on their way back, May, 2, arrested in Tabriz. The authorities of Iran confirmed their arrest on June, 21, but produced no official explanation on the reasons of the arrest.

During the discussion held in Baku writer Chingiz Abdullaev reported the details of these poets' invitation to the presentation of the book in Iran and their subsequent unexpected arrest. He estimated the incident as lawlessness and gross violation of human rights. Abdullaev suggested to create a committee for protection of the arrested poets and appeal to human rights centers for support.

"Although several Iranian mass media state that the Azerbaijanis who disappeared in Tabriz allegedly smuggled out drugs and were involved in espionage for Israel, bodies of authority of that country have not specified their position concerning five notes of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan and a lot of appeals from the Azerbaijani party as of the present moment", Abdullaev declared.

Other speakers supported this suggestion and criticized local human rights activists and mass media for ignoring the issue, Contact online news reports.

The participants of the meeting also discussed a suggestion to ignore all the invitations of Azerbaijani literary men to Iran after the incident, ann.az reports.

According to Nazim Ibragimov, Chairman of State Committee for work with the diaspora, great attention is paid by the Committee to the question of Azerbaijani poets arrested in Iran.

"Maybe the major portion of work carried out is not covered by mass media. But that does not mean that we took no notice of the issue. I consider that the Azerbaijani poets Farid Gusein and Shahriyar Gajizade are guiltless and will soon be released", 1news.az quotes the official.

Ali Gasanov, Head of social and political section of the President's Administration, declared that Azerbaijani bodies of authority were negotiating with Iran and studying the question of the poets' arrest and reasons for detention, "Trend" reports.

It should be reminded that international non-governmental organization "Reporters without Borders" expressed its concern about the fate of the two poets, Farid Gusein and Shahriyar Gajizade, who disappeared in Iran on May, 2. The organization called for the authorities to make clear their fate as soon as possible.