The Guardian: Iranian refugees being persecuted in Turkey, deported back to Iran

ANKARA — A new wave of arrests and deportations targeting Iranian asylum seekers in Turkey has caused concern among many Iranian refugees in the country who fear being accused of charges related to Turkish National Security, according to a report by The Guardian.

Thirty-one-year-old Iranian political activist Sohrabzadeh was arrested this month after a routine visit to the local police station in the Turkish city of Eskişehir to obtain travel papers. He was charged with threatening Turkish National Security and remains detained awaiting deportation.

Previously, Sohrabzadeh was subjected to torture and solitary confinement for seven years in Iran before he was able to escape during a visit to the hospital, travelling across the border to Turkey in 2016.

Last year, 33 Iranians were deported from Turkey back to Iran. Some of those deported were executed upon their return. According to the newspaper, there are 67,000 Iranians, including 39,000 refugees, living in Turkey.