Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath has requested Azerbaijani authorities to consider providing relief and facilitating the release of three Sri Lankans serving 15-year prison sentences in Azerbaijan after reportedly falling victim to a fraudulent employment agent.
The matter was raised during a meeting between Minister Herath and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev while the Sri Lankan minister was in Azerbaijan to attend the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA).
According to inquiries into the incident, a married couple and another individual, posing as employment agents, had collected a substantial sum of money from a Sri Lankan living in Azerbaijan. The victims travelled to the country after being promised employment, but the alleged fraudulent agent subsequently disappeared.
A confrontation followed a dispute involving the individuals, which escalated into an assault. The three Sri Lankans were arrested and imprisoned in 2022, while the alleged fraudulent employment agent later disappeared.
After learning of their situation, Minister Herath requested the Azerbaijani authorities to consider their case and facilitate their release.
In response, the Azerbaijani authorities have pledged to review the case.
