Israel Grants Asylum to Iranian Blogger Facing Deportation from Turkey

The Israeli Ministry of Interior is granting asylum to an Iranian blogger based in Turkey who is on the verge of being deported from the country. Neda Amin, an Iranian blogger who writes in Persian for the Times of Israel, has been residing in Turkey for three years and has recently been threatened by the Turkish government with deportation back to Iran. In this context, the Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported that Ms. Amin has been informed that she will be returned to Iran in the coming days. This action poses dangers for her due to her collaboration with an Israeli media outlet. According to Reuters, citing the Times of Israel, Ms. Amin is currently engaged in legal proceedings to prevent her return to Iran while simultaneously seeking asylum in other countries. Given the enmity between the Iranian and Israeli governments, citizens of both countries are not allowed to travel to each other's countries, and entry for Iranian citizens into Israel is only possible after a special event is issued. However, following a request from the Israeli Journalists' Union and the Jerusalem Federation of Journalists, the Israeli Ministry of Interior has decided to grant this 32-year-old blogger a special event for entry into Israel. Aryeh Deri, the Israeli Minister of Interior, emphasized in a statement that this journalist's life is 'in real danger' due to her collaboration with an Israeli newspaper, and based on humanitarian considerations, he has issued an immediate entry permit for Ms. Amin into Israel. Ms. Amin has previously told some international media that she has been interrogated multiple times by the Turkish police due to her writing for an Israeli site, and she was ultimately asked to cease her collaboration with the Times of Israel and cooperate with the Turkish police. This request was met with a negative response from Ms. Amin.