In response to a series of accusations by Azerbaijan’s security services and prosecutor’s office, the Iranian Foreign Ministry has vehemently denied any involvement in an alleged coup plot in Azerbaijan. The disputed claims implicate Tehran in conspiring with nine recently-arrested Azeri nationals, who stand accused of collaborating with Iranian secret services to orchestrate a coup and assassination attempts in the Caucasus Republic.
Nasser Kanaani, the Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman, lamented the Azerbaijani government’s ongoing detention of its citizens based on “false accusations and claims of connection with Iranian institutions.” Speaking on Thursday, Kanaani unequivocally dismissed any official or unofficial ties between Iran and the accused individuals.
He emphasized the profound emotional, historical, religious, and familial connections between the citizens of the two nations, cautioning the Azerbaijani government against securitizing these deep-rooted ties and attributing them to neighboring countries. Kanaani acknowledged the inherent right of governments to address citizens’ transgressions and violations of the law, but deemed the mass arrest and imprisonment of individuals under the pretext of Iranian affiliations as “unacceptable.”
