“Mojtaba Keshavarzi” Christian Citizen in Danger of Deportation from Turkey to Iran
“Mojtaba Keshavarzi,” a Christian citizen and former prisoner of conscience, is in danger of being deported from Turkey to Iran.
Mojtaba Keshavarzi, a Christian citizen, fled to Turkey in 2013 to avoid serving three years in prison on charges of “propaganda against the system.” The Iranian government imprisons Christian citizens, particularly those who have converted to Christianity, due to their Christian beliefs and peaceful religious activities, charging them with crimes such as “actions against national security” and “propaganda against the system” without presenting any evidence or documentation.
Mojtaba Keshavarzi was arrested in Arak in September 2010 and was imprisoned and tortured for 170 days. His father was a clergyman and Quran teacher, which is why this Christian citizen was subjected to intense pressure during interrogations to return to Islam. His lungs became infected while in prison, and he continues to suffer from this condition.
In a previous interview with Article 18, he stated: “The interrogators told me that even if I wanted to deny being Christian, it would be useless and that I was condemned. Because your friends confessed that you led them from Islam to Christianity and your crime is very serious, you are an apostate and will soon be executed.”
Mr. Keshavarzi had claimed asylum in Turkey over the past ten years and has not violated the laws of the host country. To date, no interview has been conducted by the United Nations office, and he has been living in legal limbo for more than a decade. As a former prisoner of conscience, he has been detained in the Turkish city of Düzce since November 9th and is on the verge of deportation to Iran. Returning him to Iran would result in the imprisonment of this Christian citizen.
According to published reports, the reason for Mojtaba Keshavarzi’s arrest and the authorities’ decision to deport him to Iran was due to leaving his residence. According to public reports, Turkish police and government officials make surprise visits to asylum seekers’ residences to check whether they are present at their place of residence. If any asylum seeker is absent for any reason, such as going to a shop or to a doctor, or does not open the door, this can mean to Turkish authorities that the asylum seeker has left the city without police permission.
Police can arrest and even deport asylum seekers in response to their absence from their place of residence. Mr. Mojtaba Keshavarzi was also a victim of this method of treatment by Turkish authorities. Hossein Ahmadi Niyaz, a lawyer based in Europe who has represented many civil activists and prisoners of conscience in Iran, told Article 18 regarding the danger of Keshavarzi’s deportation: “Keep in mind that the judicial system of the Islamic Republic regime is not independent and is not committed to any legal or lawful standards, and easily violates even its own minimal legal standards. Furthermore, in this regime, there is no right to access an independent legal representative. Torture is practiced extensively, and trials are not fair or equitable. Therefore, this extradition will seriously endanger his life.”
