Risk of Deportation for 20 Political Refugees from Turkey to Iran

The Kurdistan Human Rights Network has reported the potential deportation of 20 Iranian political refugees from Turkey back to Iran. According to this human rights organization, Shahla Chorkeh, the wife of Amir Kahrizi, one of the political refugees in the Edirne camp in Turkey, stated that 20 refugees have been taken to an 'unknown location,' with some reports suggesting they have been transferred to a camp in Agri city near the Iranian border. The Kurdistan Human Rights Network noted that there is currently no information available regarding the identity of 19 other political refugees. Amir Kahrizi, a political activist from Kermanshah and a member of the Komala Party, had been residing in the Kurdistan region of Iraq for ten years before being arrested by police in Greece on May 7 while attempting to seek asylum in Europe and was subsequently handed over to Turkey. Since then, he has been held in the Edirne camp along with several other Iranian political refugees in a state of uncertainty. Previously, Shahryar Baratinia, a former political prisoner from Yasuj, was handed over to Iran after being arrested in Istanbul in August, and his family learned of his transfer to Ward 209 of Evin Prison in Tehran after 20 days of being unaware of his situation. According to the Hengaw Human Rights Organization, Mr. Baratinia was transferred by Turkish police to the 'Dogubayazit' camp in eastern Turkey on August 1 and was handed over to Iranian government forces at the Bazargan border two days later. Baratinia had left Iran months prior to his deportation due to pressures from the judicial and security institutions of the Islamic Republic. The Kurdistan Human Rights Network previously reported in June that at least 30 other refugees had been returned to Iran and had faced 'beatings,' but no details about their identities or fates have been released. Human rights activists say that deportation from Turkey poses a 'life-threatening' risk for political and ideological refugees, as well as members of the LGBTQ community. Germany has halted the deportation of Iranian refugees following recent protests in Iran and the severe crackdown on protesters by government forces.