No Safe Place: An Iranian Woman’s Escape from Persecution

We have received another shocking report about the religious persecution of Iranian members of The Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light. Marzieh Gorbanpur was a housewife whose life was drastically changed after her own family members found out about her and her son’s conversion and began threatening to report them to the police or even kill them.

The intense harassment of her family forced her to escape from Iran to Turkey, where she became one of the 104 AROPL Members unlawfully detained after trying to legally cross the Turkish-Bulgarian border.

Today, the plight of sister Marzieh has not ended, as she finds herself unable to leave Turkey, where our members are also facing religious persecution.

Sister Marzieh (left) along with sister Zahra (left), another Iranian persecuted member of AROPL currently in Turkey

“My name is Marzieh Gorbanpur Gobadlu, born in 1972 in the city of Tabriz, Iran. My mother’s name is Almnaz and my father’s name is Eltefat. I have been a housewife, and my residence was in Tehran. I embraced the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light and I am a believer. I have been subjected to harassment and persecution by both the government and my family because of my faith in the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light. In Iran, there is no freedom of belief, and in the Islamic Republic, anyone who changes their religion is considered an apostate. Public expression of this belief may result in imprisonment and, in some cases, execution.

Therefore, I could not freely practice my faith, as I was persecuted by the Iranian government. Later, following reports submitted by my family and my ex-husband to the security police, I was monitored by the security forces. Moreover, wearing the hijab is mandatory in the Islamic Republic of Iran, and I oppose compulsory hijab. My family also opposed my belief. My husband threatened that if I continued on this path, he would report me to the police and security authorities, have me arrested, and even threatened to kill me. Within my family, I was accused of immorality, and they intended to falsely charge me with unethical behavior. They repeatedly claimed that the family’s honor and my son’s life were at risk. The pressure, harassment, and threats became so intense that I could no longer live freely among them or even breathe; the situation was terrifying for me. Ultimately, I decided to flee Iran to preserve my faith.

At the airport, my husband demanded me to return and threatened me saying that if I did not, he would prevent me from leaving the country. By God’s grace, I was able to depart on a holiday (Thursday and Friday), and he could not prevent me from leaving, so I successfully exited the country.  

Sister Marzieh’s son, Reza, who is also a victim of religious persecution in Iran

Within my family, only my son Reza shared this belief with me, and he too was subjected to persecution by the Iranian government because he embraced the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light at the same time as I did. When he attempted to leave Iran, he was arrested by the highway police and imprisoned. He is now released on bail but remains under government supervision, awaiting a court ruling that could impose the death penalty. They have even attempted to execute him extrajudicially.

On 03/12/2022, I entered Turkey and settled there alongside several members of my religion who had gathered from different countries. We lived together, though in secrecy and under very difficult conditions, as Turkey did not welcome us. I was still being persecuted by Iran, and my family made great efforts to have me returned. They told me that Reza was in prison and that I had to return to provide the house deed as collateral; otherwise, he would be executed. Considering that I myself was also at risk of execution, returning was impossible, and this situation caused me severe psychological pressure, as both my son and I were in danger.

Life in Turkey under these conditions was unbearable for us, and we wanted a place where we could live freely, be safe, and freely practice our religion. Therefore, together with my fellow believers and brothers, whom I lived with, we decided to leave Turkey. We were 104 people. We intended to cross from the Turkish border into Bulgaria because Bulgaria, and even the European Union, welcomed us, recognized our religion and beliefs, and we were under international protection. For this reason, we headed toward the Bulgaria-Turkey border, carrying with us the necessary documents and papers.

At the border, we told the Turkish officers that our lives were in danger and that we did not want to remain in this country, but they paid no attention and did not allow us to pass. They then began firing warning shots, while we peacefully insisted on crossing the border, as the Bulgarian government had coordinated with us and was waiting. The border officers interlocked their hands and tried to push us back. I shielded several children to protect them from harm, but I myself was injured under the officers’ feet. One officer pressed his elbow against my throat, choking me. They struck me with batons, pushed me, and when I held onto the fence to keep my balance, they hit my hand with a baton as well. They then threw me to the ground, dragged me, and pushed me into a bus. All my personal belongings, including my phone, handbag, and suitcase, were taken from me.

On the bus, they intimidated us with shouting and threats, and anyone who spoke was severely beaten. Then they transferred me to a place for interrogation. There, they even removed my clothes and took my personal belongings, including my earrings. Later that same day, on 24/05/2023, they moved me to a tent-like place that was very cold and filthy, with no facilities for sleeping. There was only a bench where other detainees slept, and I was forced to sleep on the cold ground. There were no sanitary facilities, hot water, showers, or proper toilets. For three days, we were given only low-quality cake and juice. After that, I was transferred to the Edirne camp.

Conditions in the Edirne camp were also very poor. I had no possibility to change clothes, and no sanitary or medical services were provided. The poor-quality food caused serious damage to my stomach, and to this day I suffer from severe digestive problems, including loss of appetite and stomach bleeding. Due to the unhygienic conditions, my body developed severe itching and even bleeding. I was not allowed to access fresh air and was constantly confined to a room. During this period, I was under intense pressure to sign papers that would facilitate my deportation to Iran. During the few months in this camp, I developed severe depression.

After that, almost four months later, I was transferred to Gaziantep. Conditions there were even worse than in Edirne; there were no sanitary, food, medical, or security facilities, and communication with family was completely cut off. Throughout this time, our lawyers in Turkey, Europe, and the United States worked tirelessly to prevent our deportation, as the Turkish government intended to send us back to our home countries. Eventually, our lawyers succeeded in obtaining a court order for our release, and I was freed on 06/10/2023, almost five months later, and transferred to Istanbul. However, life continued in fear and secrecy.

After that, I went to Edirne with my fellow believers, but the Turkish police identified us and exiled us to different cities. I, a housewife without the ability to work, was exiled alone to the city of Kütahya. There, I am wandering without a home or shelter. I went to the immigration office and explained my difficult situation, but my request to be transferred to Sparta was denied. They required having an immediate family member or providing a valid medical certificate, but even though my illness was confirmed by the hospital, my request was rejected. As a result, I was forced to continue living alone.

I have developed fear, eye pain, nightmares, hallucinations, and severe depression. I have been living alone in Kütahya for about two years. I suffer from cataracts, but I am not allowed to travel for treatment. Every month I must go to the immigration office and register my presence, despite having committed no crime.

In general, there is no security for me in Turkey. I live in very difficult financial conditions and need treatment and surgery, but I cannot access medical services or even move freely. At any moment, I may be arrested, sent to a camp, or face other dangers.

Sister Marzieh along with the Ansar in Sparta, Turkey

A few days ago, when I went to visit my friends’ house in Sparta, the immigration police suddenly entered and arrested almost everyone present without any crime. They were taken to the immigration office, and we were nearly sent back to a camp, but ultimately we were released. However, the danger continues to threaten us constantly.”

Denying the Human Right to Freedom of Belief in Iran, Turkey and all across the Middle East means that the lives of innocent people who have committed no crime can be systematically destroyed by the state, which faces little to no accountability for these actions. The Divine Just State Magazine will continue to highlight the persecution of the members of the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light and support the Human Right of Freedom of Religion and Belief for all the people regardless of their faith.