ICC Note:
Human rights groups have condemned Sweden for authorizing the deportation of Iranian Christian converts back to their home country where imminent persecution, including possible imprisonment, awaits them, Mohabat News reports.
4/11/2012 Iran (Mohabat News) – After the immigration office of Sweden decided to deport Iranian asylum seekers, among whom are some Iranian Christians, a number of Human Rights and political activists made numerous efforts to prevent this from happening. Among these efforts we can mention the Federation of Iranian refugees held a demonstration in Sweden (Feb. 13) to protest the deportation verdict of one asylum seeker and the arrest of another refugee, as well as the presentation of a statement by four Human Rights activists to the Swedish immigration office.
In this statement it was written that “we are four Iranian Human Rights activists who object to the racist politics of the Swedish government towards the asylum seeker’s community and strongly condemn the deportation of Mohammad-Reza Hamedi on February 15, 2012. We call on the immigration office of this country to immediately release asylum seekers including Mohammad-Ali Hodaei and Yasin Elyasi. They pleaded with this office to show a more humanitarian behavior towards these people.
Fate of Mohammad-Ali Hodaei
On February 8, the «Världen Idag» daily reported that Mohammad-Ali Hodaei, an Iranian citizen who converted to Christianity is in danger of deportation. The daily’s reporter had visited him in person before his arrest by police. During this visit he said, “If it is Jesus’ will for me to return to Iran, I’ll submit to his will and he will protect me himself.” The immigration office of Sweden does not doubt Mr. Hodaei’s conversion, but it seems that they’re not fully aware of the consequences of his return to Iran. Mr. Hodaei’s evangelical activities could cause great risk for his future. He has been writing and posting daily evangelical messages on social media such as Facebook and through these media carries out evangelical activities. Sometime after this visit he was arrested and jailed and a few days after this interview the Swedish police decided to implement his deportation.
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