DEMARCHE: CONDEMN DEPORTATION OF IRANIAN REFUGEES

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 STATE 129031 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PHUM PREL PGOV PREF KDEM IR TU IZ SUBJECT: DEMARCHE: CONDEMN DEPORTATION OF IRANIAN REFUGEES ¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: The Department asks that post strongly protest the deportation of five UNHCR-recognized refugees from Turkey in August 2007 and seek clarification of the circumstances surrounding this possible case of refoulement. The Department appreciates post,s action to date and seeks a formal demarche protesting Turkish action, including denying the travel of one refugee to Istanbul on multiple occasions for an interview United States immigration officials. END SUMMARY. -------------- OBJECTIVES -------------- ¶2. (SBU) Begin Objectives. -- Request that host government officials explain the circumstances surrounding the deportation of Pejman Piran, Mostaba Vantanpur Naderani, Abolfazl Ajourlu, Ali Alemzadeh, and Ali Reza Ranjbar, including when and to what location they were sent, and what process the GOT used to determine Piran and the others did not qualify for refugee status. -- Stress the Turkish Government's obligation to cooperate with UNHCR and urge them to protect individuals recognized as refugees by UNHCR. -- Deplore the GOT,s actions to prevent Piran on three occasions from traveling from Van, Turkey to Istanbul to attend his resettlement interview with U.S. Department of Homeland Security officials. -- Protest the deportation and possible refoulement of Piran and the others. -- Emphasize the USG interest in these cases, particularly that of Piran. End Objectives. -------------- BACKGROUND -------------- ¶3. Begin Background. (SBU) Pejman Piran, who arrived in Turkey in April 2005, was formally recognized as a refugee by UNHCR in October 2006 based on well-founded fears of persecution due to his and his family,s political activities. His brother, Peyman Piran, is a prominent Iranian student activist currently detained in Evin Prison who has been mentioned by name in the 2006, 2005, and 2004 Human Rights Report. Their father Mostafa Piran, a prominent labor activist, has received refugee status in Sweden. Pejman Piran,s refugee case was submitted to the United States for review, but Turkish authorities three times denied him permission to travel from Van to Istanbul for his resettlement interview with DHS officials. UNHCR reports Piran and four other UNHCR-recognized refugees were detained and deported from Turkey on August 22, 2007. The GOT refused to confirm their detention, denied them access to Amnesty International lawyers, and reportedly deported them from Turkey to either Iran or Iraq. The GOT has argued it does not consider Piran to be a refugee, since he had previously left Iran and returned safely. (SBU) States party to the UN Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees and its 1967 Protocol, such as Turkey, have the right to make their own determination of which individuals qualify as refugees; they are not obligated to recognize UNHCR refugee designations. However, the GOT should be able to explain the legal process by which it determined Piran was not a refugee and that his life or freedom would not be threatened on account of a protected category (race, religion, nationality, social group membership or political opinion) in the territory to which they deported him. End Background. -------------- POINT OF CONTACT -------------- STATE 00129031 002 OF 002 ¶4. (SBU) The POC for these cases is Kate Lurie, DRL/NESCA, 202-647-4753, lurieka@state.gov. RICE