Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07LONDON140
2007-01-12 15:54:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy London
Cable title:
IRANIAN HUMAN RIGHTS ADVOCATES CLAIM OFFICIAL
how-toVZCZCXRO7041 PP RUEHDE DE RUEHLO #0140 0121554 ZNY CCCCC ZZH P 121554Z JAN 07 FM AMEMBASSY LONDON TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1248 INFO RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA PRIORITY 0648 RUEHAH/AMEMBASSY ASHGABAT PRIORITY 0108 RUEHGB/AMEMBASSY BAGHDAD PRIORITY 0346 RUEHKB/AMEMBASSY BAKU PRIORITY 0126 RUEHRL/AMEMBASSY BERLIN PRIORITY 2373 RUEHBUL/AMEMBASSY KABUL PRIORITY 0407 RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS PRIORITY 2766 RUEHDE/AMCONSUL DUBAI PRIORITY 0113 RUEHIT/AMCONSUL ISTANBUL PRIORITY 0113 RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA PRIORITY 1106 RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 0866
C O N F I D E N T I A L LONDON 000140
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/12/2017
TAGS: PREF PHUM IR TU UK
SUBJECT: IRANIAN HUMAN RIGHTS ADVOCATES CLAIM OFFICIAL
ABUSE OF IRANIAN REFUGEES IN TURKEY
REF: A. 06 LONDON 7749 (NOTAL)
B. LONDON-NEA-ANKARA EMAILS JAN 5 AND PREVIOUS
C. LONDON-NEA E-MAIL JAN 10
Classified By: Political Minister-Counselor Maura Connelly for reasons
1.4(b) and (d)
C O N F I D E N T I A L LONDON 000140
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/12/2017
TAGS: PREF PHUM IR TU UK
SUBJECT: IRANIAN HUMAN RIGHTS ADVOCATES CLAIM OFFICIAL
ABUSE OF IRANIAN REFUGEES IN TURKEY
REF: A. 06 LONDON 7749 (NOTAL)
B. LONDON-NEA-ANKARA EMAILS JAN 5 AND PREVIOUS
C. LONDON-NEA E-MAIL JAN 10
Classified By: Political Minister-Counselor Maura Connelly for reasons
1.4(b) and (d)
1. (C) Poloff has received, via London contacts, e-mails
from several Iranian human rights activists who allege
(citing evidence of film which Poloff has not seen) a pattern
of beatings, extortion, and sexual assault by officials in
Van, Turkey, against Kurdish Iranian refugees seeking
protected status from the UN and from Turkey. Those making
the charges do not indicate any prior attempt to contact or
inform the USG. Embassy London is unable independently to
assess the merits of these allegations. In light of the
allegations' seriousness, as well as the past veracity of the
contacts who relayed them, Embassy has forwarded all
information received to Department for consideration and
possible action (ref c). End Summary.
2. (C) Since January 5, Poloff has received, via two
established UK contacts, verbal information and e-mails
(forwarded to NEA/IR January 10) on the treatment of refugees
at the Van camps from Pezhman (aka Pejman) Piran, an Iranian
human rights activist cited in the Department's 2006 Human
Rights Report (ref a) and from Ms. Monireh Mohammadi, an
Iranian expatriate from Canada, reportedly a documentary
filmmaker and an accredited independent journalist for an
Iranian community newspaper in Toronto (ref b).
3. (C) Canadian journalist Mohammadi claims in these e-mails
to have filmed interviews in Van with many Iranian Kurds who
allege they are victims, at the hands of Turkish police and
intelligence officials, of widespread extortion, beatings,
and sexual abuse, as well as of other abuses of authority.
Mohammadi and Pezhman's e-mails outline 20 of these
interviews, and provide contact information in both Canada
and Van.
4. (C) Pezhman, Mohammadi and their colleagues also complain
of allegedly flawed UNHCR rulings; the UNHCR reportedly found
the refugees Mohammadi interviewed not to be at risk of
political persecution if deported to Iran, despite allegedly
significant previous persecution by Iranian authorities. As
examples, Mohamadi's emails include two case histories of
Iranian Kurds disapproved by the UNHCR in Van who allegedly
had been brutalized and persecuted repeatedly by Iranian
authorities, in various eras, for their political beliefs and
activities before arriving in Turkey.
5. (C) Comment: Although Embassy London is unable
independently to assess the merits of either set of
complaints, Embassy sources who forwarded this information,
although not disinterested parties, have in the past been
scrupulously factual. Embassy notes the possibility that the
alleged film interviews may be publicly aired at some point,
but has no information on whether or when this may occur.
Visit London's Classified Website:
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/london/index. cfm
Johnson
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/12/2017
TAGS: PREF PHUM IR TU UK
SUBJECT: IRANIAN HUMAN RIGHTS ADVOCATES CLAIM OFFICIAL
ABUSE OF IRANIAN REFUGEES IN TURKEY
REF: A. 06 LONDON 7749 (NOTAL)
B. LONDON-NEA-ANKARA EMAILS JAN 5 AND PREVIOUS
C. LONDON-NEA E-MAIL JAN 10
Classified By: Political Minister-Counselor Maura Connelly for reasons
1.4(b) and (d)
1. (C) Poloff has received, via London contacts, e-mails
from several Iranian human rights activists who allege
(citing evidence of film which Poloff has not seen) a pattern
of beatings, extortion, and sexual assault by officials in
Van, Turkey, against Kurdish Iranian refugees seeking
protected status from the UN and from Turkey. Those making
the charges do not indicate any prior attempt to contact or
inform the USG. Embassy London is unable independently to
assess the merits of these allegations. In light of the
allegations' seriousness, as well as the past veracity of the
contacts who relayed them, Embassy has forwarded all
information received to Department for consideration and
possible action (ref c). End Summary.
2. (C) Since January 5, Poloff has received, via two
established UK contacts, verbal information and e-mails
(forwarded to NEA/IR January 10) on the treatment of refugees
at the Van camps from Pezhman (aka Pejman) Piran, an Iranian
human rights activist cited in the Department's 2006 Human
Rights Report (ref a) and from Ms. Monireh Mohammadi, an
Iranian expatriate from Canada, reportedly a documentary
filmmaker and an accredited independent journalist for an
Iranian community newspaper in Toronto (ref b).
3. (C) Canadian journalist Mohammadi claims in these e-mails
to have filmed interviews in Van with many Iranian Kurds who
allege they are victims, at the hands of Turkish police and
intelligence officials, of widespread extortion, beatings,
and sexual abuse, as well as of other abuses of authority.
Mohammadi and Pezhman's e-mails outline 20 of these
interviews, and provide contact information in both Canada
and Van.
4. (C) Pezhman, Mohammadi and their colleagues also complain
of allegedly flawed UNHCR rulings; the UNHCR reportedly found
the refugees Mohammadi interviewed not to be at risk of
political persecution if deported to Iran, despite allegedly
significant previous persecution by Iranian authorities. As
examples, Mohamadi's emails include two case histories of
Iranian Kurds disapproved by the UNHCR in Van who allegedly
had been brutalized and persecuted repeatedly by Iranian
authorities, in various eras, for their political beliefs and
activities before arriving in Turkey.
5. (C) Comment: Although Embassy London is unable
independently to assess the merits of either set of
complaints, Embassy sources who forwarded this information,
although not disinterested parties, have in the past been
scrupulously factual. Embassy notes the possibility that the
alleged film interviews may be publicly aired at some point,
but has no information on whether or when this may occur.
Visit London's Classified Website:
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/london/index. cfm
Johnson