Tehran welcomes Baku’s cooperation on prisoner welfare

The Iranian Embassy in Azerbaijan has expressed appreciation for recent remarks made by Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry spokesperson Aykhan Hajizada regarding the conditions under which Iranian nationals are held in Azerbaijani prisons.

Responding to an inquiry from local media, the Iranian diplomatic mission in Baku emphasised that bilateral matters, including those involving detained citizens, can and should be addressed through appropriate channels.

"In this context, we positively view the suggestions put forward by the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry’s official representative on enhancing cooperation to ensure favourable detention conditions," the Embassy noted. These proposals include attending to prisoners’ medical needs, facilitating video communication with families, and enabling convicts to serve the remainder of their sentences in their home country. "We declare our readiness to engage in cooperation on this issue," the Embassy added.

The statement came amid media reports raising concerns over the treatment of Iranian prisoners in Azerbaijani correctional facilities.

In response, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Aykhan Hajizada stated that the Azerbaijani government guarantees the legal rights, safety, and welfare of all detainees, including Iranian citizens, held in the country’s Justice Ministry-run penitentiaries. He emphasised that these individuals are provided with the necessary material support and living conditions.

Hajizada also clarified that prisoners are allowed regular communication with family members, including phone calls, visits, and parcels. In some facilities, Iranian inmates have been given access to video calls to maintain contact with their families.

He further noted that foreign detainees, including those from Iran, receive routine medical check-ups, and that medications delivered by Iranian Embassy staff are transferred to inmates in accordance with Azerbaijani regulations.

Highlighting continued cooperation, Hajizada reported that in 2025 alone, 37 Iranian prisoners had consular meetings with Iranian diplomatic staff. The latest of these meetings took place on July 31 and involved two inmates.

Moreover, the Iranian authorities were informed that five Iranian citizens were among those pardoned under President Ilham Aliyev’s May 26, 2025, decree on the clemency of several convicted individuals.

By Tamilla Hasanova