A heavy crimes court in Van, Turkey, sentenced two Iranians to six years and eight months in prison for attempting to kidnap an Iranian pilot who had recently sought asylum in Turkey. The official Turkish news agency, Anadolu, reported on Thursday, April 1, that the two individuals, named Abdolsalam Tatari and Mohammad Mohammadian, tried to abduct an Iranian pilot opposed to the Islamic Republic from the city of Van and return him to Iran. Reports indicate that this pilot, referred to as 'IRK', has sought asylum in Turkey. The report states that Mohammad Mohammadian has denied any attempt to kidnap this Iranian refugee. However, Abdolsalam Tatari testified in court that he was tasked by an Iranian named 'Haji' to locate this individual. According to Mr. Tatari, he did not know this person, and was only told to find him in exchange for money in Van, but after unsuccessful attempts, he became discouraged and abandoned the project. In this context, the Turkish network 'Haber 7' reported last December 2015 that these individuals were arrested in July on charges of attempting to kidnap a senior Iranian refugee pilot in Turkey, with the Van prosecutor's office requesting a 12-year prison sentence for them. According to this report, Tatari stated during his arrest that he received ten million tomans from 'Haji' to find this individual in Van. He mentioned that he accepted this offer and searched several hotels in Van over a few weeks but did not achieve any results. Mr. Tatari stated that a person named 'Rahman' sent him pictures of this individual via mobile and claimed that 'Haji' was demanding money from this person. The report quotes Mr. Mohammadian as saying that he was a simple taxi driver in Iran and became acquainted with Tatari after arriving in Van. The network 'Haber 7' further reported that this pilot stated in the prosecutor's office that 'Iranian security agents are pursuing me... several months ago when I left Iran, my family was not allowed to leave the country, and after my interview with an American media outlet, Iranian security agents warned my family that they would return me to Iran.'
Prison Sentences Issued for Two Iranians Accused of Kidnapping in Turkey
Two Iranians were sentenced in Turkey for attempting to kidnap an Iranian pilot who had sought asylum. The case highlights the risks faced by Iranian dissidents abroad and the lengths to which the Iranian government may go to silence opposition. It underscores ongoing tensions between Iran and its dissidents, especially in the context of asylum seekers.
👥 Key Players
⚡ Actions
📰 What Happened
Two Iranians sentenced for kidnapping an asylum-seeking pilot in Turkey.
- Turkish authorities arrest Abdolsalam Tatari, Mohammad Mohammadian
- Turkish court sentence Abdolsalam Tatari, Mohammad Mohammadian
- Abdolsalam Tatari testify Iranian pilot, Haji
💡 Why It Matters
📚 Background
The case illustrates the Iranian regime's efforts to silence opposition even outside its borders.
📝 Key Evidence
🏷️ Entities Mentioned
Translated from the original and edited for English readers. View original source →
Translation confidence: 85%