Azerbaijan, Baku, May 1 / Trend, I. Isabalaeva /
Deputy Director of the Institute of Literature of the National Academy of Sciences (ANAS) Muharram Gasymly confirmed reports of the detention of the Institute's Junior Research Fellow Khalida Khalid in Iran on Wednesday.
Khalid left on April 26 without a permit. She neither consulted with the leadership of the Institute about her departure, nor arranged a business trip, he said.
"After that, we received no word from her. The department chief thought she was sick. However, later it became known that she had left for Iran without authorization," Gasymly said.
Khalida Khalid is a junior research assistant in the department of literature of foreign countries and foreign literary relations of the Institute of Literature with no academic degree, Gasymly said.
"Who said she was a major specialist in the study of Shahriyar's works? I believe she is not involved in such serious scientific activities", Gasymly said.
The Deputy Director expressed doubt that Khalida Khalid's activities could possibly be the subject of suspicions to the Ministry of Information, Security and Intelligence of Iran.
"This issue will be clarified. She was a regular employee of the Institute. She left for Iran without informing anyone," Gasymly said.
He expressed the hope that the incident will be examined by the Foreign Ministry.