UN Orders Turkey to Halt Deportation of AROPL Members

The United Nations Human Rights Committee has issued a decision ordering Turkey to halt the deportation of two Iranian members of the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light, amid mounting concerns for the group’s safety and reports of severe religious persecution in their home country. 

The Committee’s intervention comes after the two men, Ali Lakzaeian Teimour and Jafari Sajjad, were detained by Turkish authorities and faced imminent deportation for distributing religious leaflets. The pair, who had fled Iran to escape state-led persecution, were arrested and issued deportation orders, despite no criminal charges having been brought against them for their peaceful religious activities.

In its decision, the UN Human Rights Committee cited Turkey’s obligations under international law, emphasizing that the state must not deport Teimour and Sajjad to Iran while their cases are under review. A third Iranian believer, Mansour Dehgan, is also being held with the two men. His deportation case is currently under review by Turkey’s constitutional court.

The UN decision follows a broader pattern of concern over the treatment of Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light members in Turkey. In May 2023, more than 100 members of the group, including women and children, were detained at the Turkish-Bulgarian border while seeking asylum in Bulgaria. Turkish police used excessive force to prevent the group from crossing, resulting in injuries to at least 30 people. Detainees were subjected to beatings, sexual harassment, and sleep deprivation while in custody. 

The Turkish Ministry of Internal Affairs subsequently issued deportation orders for 101 members of the group. The UN has warned that returning these individuals to their countries of origin could expose them to serious human rights violations, including imprisonment, torture, and even execution, particularly in countries such as Iran. 

AROPL members face severe persecution in several Muslim-majority countries. They are often labeled as heretics and infidels, facing threats, violence, and arbitrary detention. Many have fled to Turkey from countries such as Algeria, Morocco, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, and Malaysia to escape religious persecution and blasphemy laws that criminalize their beliefs. 

The UN has reiterated its call for Turkey to conduct fair and independent assessments of each asylum seeker’s protection needs and to refrain from deporting individuals who may face grave danger in their countries of origin. 

The Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light welcomes the decision of the UN Human Rights Committee and expresses its gratitude to the Rule 39 Pro Bono Initiative and AsyLex for their dedicated efforts in achieving this outcome. AROPL calls for continued vigilance to protect the rights of its members and other vulnerable asylum seekers in Turkey.