Azerbaijan, Baku, October 31 / Trend T. Jafarov /
Azerbaijani laser specialist arrested in Iran is accused of espionage, head of Iranian firm Sazan Elektronics Industry, Abbas Eftekhari, told Trend over phone on October 31.
"Arrest of Rashid Aliyev has no relation to the contract signed between our firm and Baku State University. He was arrested due to national security. He was arrested for espionage," Eftekhari said.
Leading engineer-physicist of the biological laboratory of the institute for physical problems of the Baku State University Rashid Aliyev worked in this company in 2006-2008 at the invitation of Iranian company Sazan Elektronics Industry.
Head of the company has repeatedly suggested the scientist to move to Iran for permanent living. But Aliyev did not accept this proposal, and returned to his homeland soon, the Committee for the Protection of Aliyev's Rights said.
Mammadov said that the corresponding organizations in Iran got letters with a request to investigate the reasons of the scholar's arrest and release. The Iranian Embassy in Azerbaijan was also informed. However, Aliyev's family has not got any official information on the reasons for the scholar's arrest.
The committee and the scholar's family call on the appropriate organizations to assist in Aliyev's release and return to his homeland.
After persistent requests of the director Abbas Eftekhari, Aliyev returned to Iran for a short perod on October 5. On October 6 he was arrested under the pretext of problems with visa.
Eftekhari said that he does not know for whom Aliyev dealt with espionage and a core of the problem.
"I was told that this person was accused of espionage. They did not say for which country he worked," Eftekhari said.
Eftekhari said that Aliyev worked over a joint project in the company. He was arrested by employees of the Interior Ministry and the Ministry of National Security of Iran.
Eftekhari also said about objections during the arrest. "But it is impossible to object to employees of the Interior Ministry and the Ministry of National Security of Iran," director of the company said.
The permission to meet with Aliyev was not given. But conditions for telephone conversation were created two days ago, Eftekhari said.
Eftekhari stressed that the company hired a lawyer to protect rights of Azerbaijani scholar. But the police do not allow him to work.
"Arrested person does not have rights to hire a lawyer and deal with protection till the case is submitted to the court upon the Iranian laws. We have hired a lawyer for Aliyev but the police said that he does not need a lawyer's services till the trial is conducted. After the case is submitted to the court, we will hire a lawyer and protect Aliyev's rights," head of the company said.
He said that Aliyev is in the fifth corpus of Evin jail.
Aliyev has suspended his scientific activity. He voluntarily went to serve in the army when he was 38.
He installed communication systems in N unit of the special purpose till 1999. He participated in organizing and conducting tests in military units of laser technology for special purposes.
He was also involved in overhaul of some vessels of Border Troops, the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources.
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