Azerbaijani authorities have reported the arrest of 19 of its citizens accused of having been trained and financed by Iran to spy on Azeri authorities and jeopardize national security.
Azerbaijan’s State Security Service has detailed that these individuals were trained in Syria and are mainly accused of being part of an illegal armed group called ‘Muslim Unity Movement’.
«They participated in military exercises in which they were taught the rules of using different firearms and combat tactics in Syria, and were given different amounts of money,» says the statement which also recounts how these individuals were instilled with «radical-extremist religious ideas.»
These arrests come at a time when Iran is facing major protests demanding greater openness and a relaxation of religious orthodoxy from the Islamic republic’s government.
At the same time, the United States and Saudi Arabia have denounced that Iran is orchestrating a possible attack on the Sunni absolutist monarchy or other surrounding countries with which it disputes the hegemony of the region.
Relations between Azerbaijan and Iran are not at their best, after Teheran has criticized the war it is waging with Armenia, as well as its ties with Israel for allegedly allowing its intelligence officers to operate freely near the Iranian border.
