An Iranian activist based mostly in Turkey is at risk of imminent deportation to Iran, the place she may face torture, interrogation, a prolonged sentence, and even capital punishment.
Just over two weeks after the Iranian activist Narges Mohammadi was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, the outspoken Iranian human rights and political activist Shilan Mirzaee was arrested by three Turkish officers on Tuesday in her dwelling in Turkey.
Her husband, Vahid Salim Danae, says she was dragged out in entrance of their crying six-year-old son.
Ms Mirzaee’s lawyer remains to be ready for official paperwork detailing the explanation for her arrest, however her husband, who was current on the time of the arrest, claims she was instructed verbally by the Turkish police that “Iran wants you and we are going to hand you over to them”.
In a rushed video that Ms Mirzaee managed to file on her smartphone earlier than being taken away, she stated: “The police are waiting outside my house to take me away. I don’t know why, but whatever the reason for the arrest and any danger I’m faced with as a result, is a violation of my rights. I’m recording this video so that you can be my voice.”
Ms Mirzaee was taken to the Bandirma deportation centre, the place she refused to signal a deportation doc after being questioned about her activism.
Authorities knowledgeable her that her presence in Turkey poses a “national security” danger and he or she ought to go away Turkey. If Ms Mirzaee returns to Iran, she may face extreme prices, probably resulting in the loss of life penalty.
As an exiled Iranian activist and outspoken critic of human rights violations by the federal government of Iran, the 40-year-old mother-of-two has sought asylum in Turkey since 2016, dedicating her time to advocating for Iranian political refugees and supporting marginalised teams inside Iran, together with political prisoners, LGBTQ communities, and ethnic and spiritual minorities.
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Ms Mirzaee has devoted the previous 12 months to aiding victims of Iran’s Woman, Life, Freedom motion, stemming from the tragic loss of life of Mahsa Amini and leading to intensive casualties and mass imprisonments.
In response, in an intensifying marketing campaign of intimidation and harassment, the Iranian safety forces have detained numerous dissidents, together with human rights campaigners, activists, and lecturers. However, the crackdown on protests extends past Iran, with Ms Mirzaee dealing with steady threats and harassment from Iranian authorities throughout the Turkish border.
“The constant pressure that me, my children and my husband have been under from the Iranian authorities has been unimaginable,” Ms Mirzaee told Sky News in an emotional interview last month.
“They wish to make me return to Iran as a result of they wish to silence me.”
She additionally stated that she had been contacted by the Iranian embassy in Turkey, warning her to cease her activism and to show herself in on the consulate.
Ms Mirzaee refused as she believed that as quickly as she set foot in Iran, a hefty jail sentence and even execution may await her. “I told them, I’m not coming, do your worst,” she stated, and now her husband believes that they’ve completed simply that.
Sky News has contacted the Turkish Interior Ministry and the Office of Immigration for remark.
Source: information.sky.com”