Turkish authorities deport Iranian activist to Lebanon
| Publisher | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |
| Publication Date | 23 December 2016 |
| Cite as | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Turkish authorities deport Iranian activist to Lebanon, 23 December 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5975a3a43.html [accessed 5 June 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
December 23, 2016
Iranian polotical activist Peyman Aref
Iranian political activist Peyman Aref has been deported from Turkey to Lebanon after being detained by Turkish security forces, his lawyer told RFE/RL.
The reason for the December 21 expulsion was not clear.
Lawyer Sahand Azarturk told RFE/RL that Aref was detained on December 10 in Ankara for criticizing Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and the Turkish government.
Aref's wife, Sara Jamshidi, said Turkish authorities ordered him to choose between Georgia and Lebanon as a destination.
She wrote on Facebook on December 21 that Aref is now in the care of the UN in Beirut.
Aref was among students barred from studying in Iran over their activism and criticism of the Iranian establishment.
Aref was jailed in Iran in 2010 and later whipped after being convicted of charges that included spreading propaganda against the Iranian establishment and insulting Iran's president at the time, Mahmud Ahmadinejad.
Aref had been residing in Turkey since 2014 as an asylum seeker.
Link to original story on RFE/RL website
