Azerbaijan, Baku, August 5 /Trend, D.Khatinoglu/
The upcoming summit of presidents of Persian-speaking countries (Iran, Tajikistan and Afghanistan) in Tehran will address questions about the arrests and the rights of the citizens of Afghanistan, said an official representative of Afghanistan.
"Meetings of presidents of the three countries were conducted formerly as well, and these meetings covered the exchange of Afghan prisoners in Iran and Tajikistan," deputy press secretary of the Administration of President of Afghanistan, Ahmad Zia Siyamak Heravi, told Trend by telephone from Kabul on August 3.
According to him next two days, the meeting of the presidents of the three countries will be held in Tehran over the next ten days.
Heravi said that according to recent statistics, about 6,500-7,000 Afghan immigrants are in prison in Iran, but today the Iranian authorities have not provided concrete statistics to the Afghan side.
Currently the agreement signed between Afghanistan and Tajikistan to exchange prisoners is implemented, he said. "We are interested in the implementation of the signed agreement on exchange of prisoners with Iran as well," said Heravi.
Heravi also noted dissatisfaction of his country with the execution of some Afghans, who were arrested in Iran. "Discussions were conducted in this regard with the Embassy of Afghanistan in Iran and the Foreign Ministry of Iran. Iran has undertaken an obligation to fulfill the conditions of the agreement on exchange of prisoners, but so far this obligation has not been fulfilled," he said.
For the second time since May 6, protest actions were conducted in front of the Iranian embassy in Kabul with regards to the execution of Afghan citizens in Iran. The protests began after statements of Afghan parliamentarians, made in connection with the execution of 45 Afghan nationals who have committed crimes in Iran. However, the Foreign Ministry of Afghanistan has confirmed execution of six Afghan drug smugglers in Iran.
Heravi expressed dissatisfaction with the continuing violations of the rights of Afghan prisoners in Iran. "We want the Iranian government to protect the rights of Afghan prisoners, and particularly to provide the prisoners with lawyers, that to give us exact statistics and fulfill the terms of agreement on exchange of prisoners," he said.