Justice Ministry: 16 Iranian Inmates Extradited from Thailand, Azerbaijan

Abbasi broke the news on Friday adding that the extradited inmates are to serve the rest of their prison terms in Iran following negotiations made by Iranian Ministries of Justice and Foreign Affairs with the Azeri and Thai sides.

He said that the extraditions were made over the past two days simultaneous with the beginning of the New Iranian Year.

Most of these people were convicted of drug trafficking, the official said.

He warned the Iranian people travelling to Central and East Asian countries about tough regulations for drug trafficking in these countries. “There are heavy penalties even for (carrying) a few illegal drugs, freedom from which is impossible.”

Last year, Iran extradited some 700 foreign imprisoners, mostly Afghan nationals, to serve the rest of their prison sentences in their home countries and some 400 Iranians being held in foreign countries, a large number of them in Turkmenistan, were extradited to Iran.

Last March, Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Qassemi announced that tens of Iranian prisoners were extradited from Turkmenistan to Iran in a bid to serve their prison terms in their home country.

Qassemi said that the extradition of 283 Iranian inmates was taking place following a visit to Turkmenistan by Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and in line with the implementation of an agreement signed between the two countries.

Iran also extradited some Turkmen inmates jailed in Iran in exchange for its extradited prisoners.

"Two crew members of an Iranian boat recently seized in Turkmenistan will be also among the Iranian prisoners due to be extradited to Iran," the spokesman said.

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