Threat to Lives of Iranian AROPL Members Deported by Turkey

M. and R. (names changed for protection), along with their children (11 and 9 years old), represent more than a refugee statistic. Their story shows a serious human rights crisis, where state violence, religious persecution, and failures in international law all come together. Fleeing from targeted repression of the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light (AROPL) in Iran, the family has now been sent back to the same dangers they tried to escape.

It was the hope for a life in safety, free from fear and oppression, that led the family to flee from Iran to Turkey. Their journey began with a basic, universally recognized right: the right to freely practice one’s religious beliefs.

On July 22, 2025, this family, instead of finding justice and safety, found themselves detained in a deportation center near the Turkish-Iranian border. What awaited them was not a fair asylum process, but the illegal return to the very country they fled due to religious persecution. Their situation is part of a long and painful history of religious persecution, particularly against members of AROPL in Iran and other predominantly Muslim countries.

The Human Rights Context: Systemic Persecution in Iran

Iran has increasingly turned away from its obligations under international human rights law, depriving religious minorities, and especially the AROPL community, of basic rights and protections. Firsthand reports show a disturbing pattern of arrests, torture, and intimidation. In a state where Shiite Islam is closely tied with political power, the regime ruthlessly opposes any interpretation that diverges from the state-sponsored narrative, especially AROPL, the followers of Aba Al-Sadiq.

This was also the case for M. and R., a married couple from Iran and parents of two children. When they first encountered the teachings of the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light ten months ago, their spiritual awakening became a reason to fear for their lives. 

Since 2019, Iranian authorities have carried out a systematic campaign of persecution against members of AROPL. Official propaganda, such as a state-produced documentary, labeling its followers as “heretical” and “terrorist,” laid the groundwork for waves of arrests, home raids, and torture. In 2021 alone, thirteen members were reportedly imprisoned in the notorious Evin Prison and forced to renounce their faith under threat of violence.

Persecution has only escalated since, with AROPL members Habibullah Ahmadi, Saeed Jarrahian and Abbas Jafari Najaf arrested for peacefully distributing religious flyers or disappearing without a trace and later found to be held in Evin Prison, without formal charges or trial.

As a result, most AROPL believers have been forced to live in extreme secrecy. As Hamidreza Saghari, the bishop responsible for Iran observes, “Members are so terrified that they won’t even share their identities with me.” 

Many members have already fled Iran and are seeking asylum in neighboring countries. All of this demonstrates that the Ahmadi Religion is not only marginalized in Iran, but is being deliberately and systematically erased. Such acts are clear violations of Iran’s obligations under international law, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which guarantees the right to freedom of thought, conscience, and religion.

Escape to Turkey: From Hope to Fear

Inspired by hope, M. and R. began expressing their faith at home, even as fears grew. When their religious enthusiasm was met with hostility from extended family and threats from authorities, the only safe path left was to flee. They entered Turkey legally on February 22, 2025, hoping for protection and respect for human rights.

Yet, even in Turkey, they have not found safety. Turkish authorities, instead of upholding the rights of religious refugees, have become increasingly repressive toward AROPL followers. In May 2023, 104 Ahmadi members were detained at the Turkish-Bulgarian border and denied due process. In January 2025, an Iranian member and his family faced home raids after peacefully distributing religious flyers. When police did not find the member, they arrested his wife and six-month-old baby. On February 3, 2025, three more members of the faith were arrested for nothing more than distributing peaceful flyers, a violation of their right to freedom of religion and expression as enshrined in international law.

In the case of M. and R., following Turkey's implementation of stricter measures, the family was detained by Turkish authorities two weeks ago and transferred to a deportation facility. The conditions they describe are inhumane, in direct contrast to Turkey’s commitments to protect basic human rights and to prevent torture, including the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights: no possibility to bathe, no place to sleep, only bread and water provided as food, and neglect so severe that their youngest child now suffers from a spreading rash.

“They treat us as if we’re criminals, as if we’re not human,” reports M. in a video message to the Iranian bishop of the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light, holding up his hands to the camera, unwashed and neglected, as even the most basic hygiene is denied to the family.

Despite having legal representation to prevent forced removal by Turkish authorities,, and despite international law’s absolute prohibition of refoulement (the return of refugees to places where they face serious danger), the family was forcibly deported in a covert night time operation. 

Deportation into Death?

In the early morning hours of July 22, at 3 a.m., the family was violently awakened by officers and forced onto a bus, heading back to where it all began: the Turkish-Iranian border, to await their deportation.

The illegal deportation of this family has exposed them to a life-threatening outcome: persecution, imprisonment, trauma, and, tragically, the risk of torture or worse. For the children, it means growing up in a country where their beliefs are branded terrorist and they are never safe. This is a serious breach of Turkey’s obligations under international law, as well as a moral failure.

The Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light is calling for international attention and urgent intervention. The Turkish government must be held accountable for its international human rights obligations. The practice of arbitrary detention and illegal deportation must cease. At an absolute minimum, others at risk of similar fates deserve access to a fair and transparent asylum process. Ultimately, these individuals have the inherent right to safety, dignity, and freedom.

Human rights are not optional. Turkey must recognize this, and the international community must demand accountability before more lives are destroyed for the “crime” of faith.