Locked Up Abroad

Currently, 3,131 Iranians are locked up in prisons abroad, mostly in Turkey, Turkmenistan, the UAE, Malaysia, and Thailand, according to the latest report released by the Foreign Ministry. Most of them are held for drug-related offenses. There are strict laws on illegal drugs trade in most countries. Under Malaysian law, death penalty is mandatory for any person caught with 5 grams of illegal drugs, as it constitutes drug trafficking. In the past few years, the number of Iranians facing prison terms abroad has however reduced by 25%, the ministry said, ISNA reported. Meanwhile, there are 5,000 foreign prisoners (mostly Afghans) in Iranian jails. Most of them were involved in drug-related offenses.