To the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and the Government of the Republic of Turkey,
October 17, 2023
We address you with grave concern regarding the recent deportation of Shahriar Baratinia, a respected political activist and former political prisoner from Yasouj City, Iran. Having resided in Turkey without a formal residence permit, Mr. Baratinia was deported to Iran. Iranwire reports that he was taken from the Doghobayzid camp in eastern Turkey to the Iranian border and handed over to Iranian officials at the Bazargan border on Thursday, August 3, 2023, around noon local time.
Furthermore, on June 25, Elias Torabi Eskandari, an Iranian asylum seeker, was relocated to a deportation camp in Şanlıurfa province after his arrest during the Istanbul pride parade.
The Islamic Republic of Iran is known internationally for its pervasive human rights abuses, targeting religious minorities, political dissidents, women, and gender minorities. Returning Iranian refugees to such conditions exposes them to the severe risks of torture, imprisonment, and potential execution.
We, the undersigned, express our profound dismay over your recent actions that led to the deportation of Iranian refugees back to Iran. Such decisions contravene international human rights standards and international law. The Turkish government bears an essential duty to safeguard asylum seekers rather than expel them to nations where they face persecution. We earnestly implore you to reconsider your stance and ensure the safety of Iranian asylum seekers within Turkey’s borders.
پناهندگان یک کشور میبایست تحت حمایت کشوری باشند که به دلایل اقتصادی و سیاسی به خاک آن کشور پناه بردند