The Ireland Refugee Documentation Centre, part of the Legal Aid Board, is an independent library and research service. The Centre provides a research and query service for all organisations involved in the asylum process, and builds and maintains a collection of objective and up to date country of origin , asylum, immigration and human rights information. It also provides training on country of origin information research and aims to cooperate with similar agencies elsewhere to enhance knowledge of the country of origin research area.
The centre has just published a very useful compilation of recent reports on the risks to refused asylum seekers if they were to returned to Iran.
The main findings of the research are can be found below, or you can download the full compilation here.
In May 2011 Amnesty International notes:
“In February 2011, Rahim Rostami, a 19-year-old member of Iran’s Kurdish minority who had arrived in Norway as an unaccompanied minor, and whose asylum claim had been rejected by the Norwegian authorities, was forcibly returned by Norway to Iran where he was reportedly arrested. He is believed to still be detained, with bail reportedly having been denied. On 17 February 2011, an article written by a former Supreme Court judge appeared in Iran newspaper, a daily paper published by the Iranian government. Referring to existing laws that enable Iran’s judiciary to bring charges against Iranians for alleged violations of Iranian law committed while outside Iran, the article stated that failed asylum-seekers could be prosecuted for making up accounts of alleged persecution. On 26 April 2011, Kayhan newspaper, which is controlled by the Office of the Supreme Leader, also reported that Iranians are seeking asylum ‘on the pretext of supporting the opposition’. “ (Amnesty International (6 May 2011) Student Activists Held In Iran)
A document in March 2011 released by Iran Human Rights states:
“According to reports that reliable sources have given to Iran Human Rights (IHR), a Kurdish asylum seeker who was extradited from Norway to Iran on February 9th 2011, is in danger of torture and ill-treatment at Tehran’s Evin prison.” (Iran Human Rights (23 March 2011) A Kurdish asylum seeker extradited from Norway to Iran is in danger of torture and ill-treatment at Tehran’s Evin prison)
In May 2011 an article in The Guardian states:
“Six Iranians who have been on hunger strike for 32 days in protest at plans to send them back to Tehran have held a demonstration outside the Home Office amid growing concern over their health.” (The Guardian (6 May 2011) Iranians on hunger strike protest against deportation)
This article also notes:
“The group’s new lawyer, Hani Zubeidi, said their plight had been reported in several countries since the Guardian ran the story - including Iran. ‘They would be in very real danger if they were return now simply because they have been featured criticising the regime even without the fact that they were involved in the anti-regime protests and were tortured.’ “ (ibid)
A report issued in August 2011 by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty notes that:
“The number of Iranians seeking asylum in European countries has risen steadily over the past two years, RFE/RL’s Radio Farda reports.” (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (18 August 2011) Number Of Iranians Applying For Asylum In Europe Rises)
No further information on this issue could be found among sources consulted by the RDC within time constraints.