Peaceful Iranians arrested in Turkey for publicly manifesting their religious beliefs

On 5 January 2025, police officers in Karaman (Turkey) raided the home of an Iranian couple looking for an opportunity to apply for asylum in an EU country and belonging to the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light in Iran, a Shia-derivative new religious movement founded in 1999.

As Pooria Lotfiillanou, the head of the family, was then absent, they only found his wife Ebtighaa and their six-month-old child. They arrested both and took them to the local police station, leaving them in detention under harsh conditions.

Later on, the authorities called Pooria to the police station, threatening the continued detention of his wife and child to pressure his compliance. Pooria was subsequently forced to sign a pledge prohibiting any further religious activities, effectively stripping him of his rights to freedom of religion and expression as guaranteed under international human rights law.

The reason of their arrest was that they had publicly distributed posters about their religion.

Authorities charged the couple under Article 216/3 of the Turkish Penal Code, accusing them of “Incitement to Hatred and Hostility (Insulting Religious Values Adopted by a Segment of the Public)” for peacefully distributing religious posters.

Authorities also cited Law No. 6458 on Foreigners and International Protection, claiming that Pooria and Ebtighaa pose a “Threat to Public Order and Security.” Using this as justification, officials began detention and deportation proceedings against the family.

The Directorate of Migration Management instructed that the couple and their baby be transferred to the Niğde Removal Center on 7 January 2025. These actions were taken without regard for the family’s vulnerable status.

Under threat of deportation to Iran

Their deportation would expose Pooria, Ebtighaa, and their infant to grave risks in Iran, where Pooria had already faced severe persecution, including physical assault, threats, and involuntary detention in a psychiatric hospital.

This is not the first time Turkish authorities have targeted members of the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light. Pooria was among 104 individuals arbitrarily detained in 2023 and held for five months without due process. Their release came only after significant international pressure, including intervention by the United Nations and various prominent human rights organizations.

The Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light has called for immediate international action to secure the family’s release and halt the deportation orders. Repatriating the Lotfiillanou family in Iran, where they face life-threatening risks, would violate Turkey’s obligations under international law, including the principle of non-refoulement. Without decisive intervention, this family’s plight risks becoming yet another tragic chapter in the ongoing persecution of their religious community.

Persecution of the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light in Iran

On 15 December 2022, 15 Iranian Ahmadis were arrested and taken to the notorious Evin Prison because of their religious beliefs.

During their detention, they were pressured to sign papers by which they would recant their faith and defame their religion.

Human Rights without Frontiers then campaigned for the release of the 15 members of this religious group labelled “heretics” and “infidels” in Iran.

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