A Kurdish political refugee couple in Turkey faces imminent extradition to Iran, prompting urgent calls for international intervention by human rights groups.
Reshad Mohammadi, a 34-year-old Kurdish activist from Kamyaran, and his wife, Azhin Fahmideh Hosseini, 30, from the Sarvabad district of the city of Marivan, have been detained by Turkish authorities, according to the Hengaw Human Rights Organisation.
Their current whereabouts remain unknown, although eyewitnesses saw the couple taken to a camp near the northwestern province of Çanakkale.
Mohammadi and Hosseini had been active in Kurdish political circles in the Kurdistan region of Iraq for several years. Fleeing relentless pressure from Iranian security forces, they sought refuge in Turkey with the hope of eventually reaching Europe.
Hengaw expressed grave concern about the couple’s vulnerability to possible deportation to Iran, a country known for its harsh treatment of political dissidents, where they could face torture and other forms of inhuman treatment at the hands of the authorities. The security forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran have a documented history of subjecting political prisoners to torture and other forms of cruel treatment.
The organisation has issued a call for urgent action from human rights bodies and international organisations specialising in refugee assistance, underlining the urgency of the situation.
The escalating trend of deporting asylum seekers, refugees and political and civil activists from Turkey to Iran has become a growing source of concern. Despite previous pledges, United Nations refugee officials have significantly scaled back their operations, deferring responsibility for refugees to the Turkish government.
This latest incident echoes previous deportations, such as that of political activist Shahryar Baratinya, who was returned to Iran by Turkish authorities and subsequently imprisoned in Evin Prison since August 2023.
Also in November 2023, at least 11 Iranian nationals held in Turkish prisons were extradited to Iran, according to the human rights organisation Hana.
