Amnesty International: Iranian in Belarus at risk of imminent deportation, faces death penalty in home country
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- Mehrdad Jamshidian. Photo: TUT.by
Iranian citizen Mehrdad Jamshidian, who suffers from acute ill-health, was detained on 14 June in Belarus. He is at imminent risk of deportation to Iran, where he may be subjected to torture and the death penalty for ‘apostasy’ and murder accusations, Amnesty International said.
On 14 June, Iranian citizen Mehrdad Jamshidian was detained at the Temporary Detention Centre in Minsk for residing in Belarus without appropriate documents. He is at imminent risk of deportation to Iran where he could be subject to torture, ill-treatment and the death penalty, due to ‘apostasy’ and murder accusations.
Mehrdad Jamshidian has lived in Belarus since 1993 with his wife and three children, but since 2016 has been without legal status as his Iranian passport has expired. He has not applied for a new one due to well-founded fears of persecution in Iran – he was not able therefore to apply for residency status in Belarus. Since 2013 he has made numerous requests for asylum and protection in Belarus, all of which have been rejected.
In 2012, at the request of the Iranian authorities, Mehrdad Jamshidian was put on Interpol’s wanted list for allegedly murdering his mother and brother during a visit to Iran; although he had been in Belarus at the time of their deaths. The daughter of the deceased brother (his niece) and another brother submitted a written notarised statement to the Iranian police stating that they did not suspect him of murder. Mehrdad Jamshidian was arrested for extradition in December 2012 and again in May 2013, and each time he was released by Belarusian authorities who claimed that the Iranian authorities’ documentation was insufficient justification for his extradition. Simultaneously, however, the Belarusian authorities began the process to deport him. On 8 December 2013, the Department for Citizenship and Migration of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Belarus ordered Mehrdad Jamshidian’s deportation. Following this order, between 2013 and 2016 Mehrdad Jamshidian was twice detained on deportation grounds and held for extended periods before being released due to extenuating circumstances.
On 8 July, Mehrdad Jamshidian suffered a heart attack and was transferred to a civilian hospital for three days before being returned to the detention centre. Amnesty International is concerned about the standard of health care provided at Temporary Detention Centre, which is not equipped to provide the essential health care that Mehrdad Jamshidian needs.
Please write immediately in Belarusian, Russian or your own language urging the Belarusian authorities to:
- Immediately release Mehrdad Jamshidian and halt his deportation to Iran – where he would be at grave risk of torture and other ill-treatment, the death penalty, and other serious human rights violations – in accordance with the principle of non-refoulement;
- Ensure that Mehrdad Jamshidian receives appropriate and timely medical treatment following his heart attack on 8 July.
PLEASE SEND APPEALS BEFORE 31 AUGUST 2018 TO:
Minister of Internal Affairs
Igor Shunevich
Ul. Gorodskoi Val. 4
220030 Minsk
Republic of Belarus
Fax: +375 17 226 02 26
Email: ums@mia.by
Salutation: Dear Minister
Chief of the Department of Citizenship and Migration
Mr. Aleksey Begun
Ul. Gorodskoi Val. 4
220030 Minsk
Republic of Belarus
Fax: +375 17 226 02 26
Email: dcm@mia.by
Salutation: Dear Mr. Begun
