ICRIR PRESS RELEASE, 21 December 2010: Detained Iranian Refugees Released by Turkish Authorities, Returned Safely to Satellite Cities

All 12 Iranian refugees arrested in Ankara while protesting against the UN Refugee Agency’s violations of the rights of asylum-seekers in Turkey have been released by the Turkish authorities. As result of this successful and well-planned and executed protest action, the protest representatives met with UNHCR staff; the Refugee Agency’s response to the demands of the asylum seekers is expected within a week.

Washington DC, 21 December 2010 — All 12 Iranian refugees arrested in Ankara while protesting against the UN Refugee Agency’s violations of the rights of asylum-seekers in Turkey have been released by the Turkish authorities.

The asylum-seekers were sent back to the satellite cities of Kayseri and Nigde on buses with a police escort. The International Coalition for the Rights of Iranian Refugees (ICRIR) had as precaution arranged for supporters to meet them at their destinations to ensure their safe return. The asylum-seekers reported that international attention to their demands and protest action was a key factor in their relatively careful handling by the Turkish authorities.

As result of this successful and well-planned and executed protest action, the protest representatives were met by UNHCR staff during their time in Ankara. We are looking forward to hearing from the UNHCR regarding our demands of prima facie status for all Iranian refugees, as well as for a systemic redress of the inefficiencies, abuse, and lack of professionalism characteristic of UNHCR in Turkey. We expect the response from UNHCR to come within the promised time frame of one week.

We congratulate the Iranian asylum-seekers for having effectively made their demands heard by using their right to protest. Their campaign to ensure that their rights as refugees are upheld by UNHCR continues, as does ICRIR’s support for their just demands. We will closely monitor the progress of the cases of those arrested throughout the process of obtaining refugee status, to ensure that their applications do not suffer as a result of exercising their fundamental human rights.

The ICRIR would like to thank TDCAU for their hard work in coordinating and supporting the action of the asylum-seekers in Turkey, and we will support TDCAU in their continued efforts to defend refugee rights.

Contact:
Soheila Nikpour
Maria Rohaly
International Coalition for the Rights of Iranian Refugees
email: icri.refugees@gmail.com
phone: +1.202.630.0385

Members of the ICRIR include the International Federation for Iranian Refugees, the Iranian Refugee Action Network, the Iranian Refugee Amnesty Network, and Mission Free Iran.

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