Iranian civil activist faces deportation to Iran after fleeing to Georgia and attempting illegal border crossing

“Mohammad Hosseinzadeh,” a civil activist who was temporarily released from Evin Prison in November of last year upon posting a 200 million toman bail pending the completion of legal proceedings, is now at risk of deportation to Iran after fleeing to Georgia following his release.

The Campaign to Free Political and Civil Prisoners reported on Wednesday, April 24, that Mohammad Hosseinzadeh, following his release due to continuous harassment and pressure from security agencies on him and his family, and after learning of an 8.5-year prison sentence issued for his co-defendant Arsham Rezaei, had legally made his way to Georgia in late March 2019. On Monday, April 22, while attempting to leave the country for a European destination (Germany), he was arrested at Tbilisi Airport by Georgian police for illegal departure.

Negar Hosseinzadeh, the sister of this civil activist, told the campaign: “A translator from Georgia contacted our family and while confirming news of his arrest, announced that he will be deported to Iran. Of course, given my brother’s situation in Iran and the threats made against him, returning him to Iran poses a mortal danger and will result in his arrest and imprisonment.”

Mohammad Hosseinzadeh, a civil activist and children’s labor rights activist, was arrested on December 8 on charges of “propaganda against the system, assembly and conspiracy against national security and insulting the leadership” on Tehran’s Revolution Street by security forces and transferred to Evin Prison. This civil activist was released on February 2, 2019, upon posting bail pending the completion of legal proceedings.

According to Amnesty International’s report, in 2018 over 7,000 people, including protest participants, students, journalists, women’s rights activists, environmental activists, labor activists, and ethnic and religious minority rights activists, were arrested in Iran, and hundreds were sentenced to imprisonment.

Source: Voice of America