8/6/2019 May17,2011Brelgium Demonstrations inSupport of Iranian Refugees in Cyprus

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MembersoftheInternationalCoalitionfortheRightsofIranianRefugeesincludeActionforDemocracy

andHumanRightsintheMiddleEast,InternationalFederationforIranianRefugees,IranianRefugees

A ti N t k I i R f A t N t k d Mi i F I

 

International Coalition for the Rights of Iranian Refugees

May23,2011

ICRIR:ActivistsProtestOutsideCyprusEmbassyinBelgium,DemandRightsofIranianRefugeesBeUpheld

ActivistsinBrussels,BelgiumhavegonetotheEmbassyofCyprustodemandthattherightsof

IranianrefugeesbeupheldbytheCypriotgovernment.OrganizedbyNadiaBorremansand

MortezaMollazeinal,thetwo-dayprotestactionincludedameetingwithAmbassador

Mavronicola–Droushiotison16May2011andgroupdemonstrationoutsidetheEmbassyof

Cypruson17May2011.

Cyprushasarefugeerecognitionrateofapproximatelyonepercent-amongthelowestinthe

EuropeanUnion-aclearindicationthatrightsofasylum-seekersaregrievouslyviolatedin

Cyprus.Numerousreportshaveemergedovertheyearsaboutthearbitraryandillegal

detentionofIranianrefugeesinCyprus,sometimesforyears.Thisrealitywasreflectedinthe

signscarriedbydemonstratorswhodemandedthereleaseofillegallydetainedrefugees.These

includeMansourZahabi,anillegaly-detainedasylum-seekerwhofledthebrutalityofthe

IslamicRepublicinIran,onlytobedeniedhisrighttoasyluminCyprus.DuringtheCypriot

government'sillegaldetentionofMr.Zahabi,hehasbeendeniedmedicalcare,includingcare

foraHepatitisCinfectionthatheacquiredinsidetheprisonasaresultoftheexecrable

conditionsinsidethefacility.

Otherprevalentviolationsoftherightsofasylum-seekersinCyprusincludethelackofaccessto

medicalcarewhenneeded.Protestersrepresentedthecaseofdeniedasylum-seekerElahe

Rahimi,whoselowerlimbs,duetocomplicationsofdiabetes,arebeingprogressivelyconsumed

bygangrene.DuetotheCypriotgovernment'srefusaltoprovideappropriatemedicalcare,the

gangrenehasprogressedtothedegreethatherlifeisatimminentrisk.Thisisinviolationof

numerousUnitedNationsandEuropeancovenantsandagreementsregardingfundamental

humanrights.

8/6/2019 May17,2011Brelgium Demonstrations inSupport of Iranian Refugees in Cyprus

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MembersoftheInternationalCoalitionfortheRightsofIranianRefugeesincludeActionforDemocracy

andHumanRightsintheMiddleEast,InternationalFederationforIranianRefugees,IranianRefugees

A ti N t k I i R f A t N t k d Mi i F I

 

International Coalition for the Rights of Iranian Refugees

Thedemandsoftheactionwereasfollows:

1.IMMEDIATERELEASEoflong-termdetainees–providingthemwithalegalstatus

2.REOPENtheasylumfilesforthosefromcountriesathighrisk3.PROVIDEdetaineeswithIMMEDIATEACCESStolegalandmedicalhelp

4.IMPLEMENTtheEuropeandirectivesconcerningasylumanddetentionpolicy

5.IMPLEMENTtheEuropeandirectivesconcerningfamilyreunificationandlongtermresidence

Oneverycount,theGovernmentofCyprusrefusestoupholdtherightsofIranianandother

refugees.YettheAmbassador,duringthemeeting,isreportedtohavedeniedallaccusations

leveledattheCypriotgovernment.Nevertheless,thosedemonstratingoutsideoftheembassy

managedtogettheattentionoftheembassystaffthemselves,whoappearedconcernedthat

therewasademonstration"againstthem."

DemonstrationshavebeenheldoutsidetheembassiesofthegovernmentofCyprusin

WashingtonDC(8May2011-http://missionfreeiran.org/2011/05/08/protest-support-

refugees-cyprus/)andBrussels(17May2011-http://missionfreeiran.org/2011/05/14/belgium-

stands-for-cyprus/);protestsareexpectedtoexpandtoadditionalcountries.

MembersoftheICRIRincludeActionforDemocracyandHumanRightsintheMiddleEast,

InternationalFederationforIranianRefugees,IranianRefugeesActionNetwork,Iranian

RefugeeAmnestyNetwork,andMissionFreeIran.

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