Iranian Embassy calls on Azeri press not to spoil inter-country relations

The Embassy of Iran in Baku has issued a statement, blaming "certain media structures of Azerbaijan for unwillingness to expand bilateral relations." Azerbaijani civil activists believe that the statement referred to the publications that had caused the inquiry into the activities of the ReAl.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on January 27 the spokesman of General Prosecutor’s Office (GPO) of Azerbaijan announced the start of the inquiry into the facts presented in the article by Einulla Fatullaev "Ilgar Mamedov’s Soldiers Pass to Iran", reading that ReAl received "financial support from Iran." On January 28, the GPO questioned Azer Gasymly, a board member of the ReAl movement; on January 30 – Natig Jafarli, the executive secretary of the ReAl; and on January 31 – Azer Gasymly (repeatedly) and Erkin Gadirli, another board member.

"This time, totally unreasonably, the target was the meeting with an employee of the Iranian Embassy in Baku, which was held openly and within the scope of diplomatic activities. It is interesting that before this meeting and after it, officials of other embassies held similar meetings, which caused no even slightest reaction of these media," the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent quotes the statement, posted today on the website of the Iranian Embassy.

The statement also notes that the Embassy has "the legal right to hold a legal inquiry in connection with the accusing and false articles" against the diplomatic mission.

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.