Radio Liberty: Türkiye issued Iran of an opposition journalist, despite his status of a political officer

Journalist, Mohammed Bager Moidi, was deported from Turkey to Iran, despite his status of a political officer. This was reported by the Persian Radio Liberty Service with reference to sources familiar with his business.

Moradi disappeared in Ankara in May 2022. He left the house to the store and did not return. The next day, his car was found abandoned near his house. The journalist's family filed an application for a criminal case. Lawyer Salikh Efa, representing her, said that all this time Moradi was illegally detained in Turkey. He also said that the journalist was tortured.

In November, Ankara issued Moradi to the Corps of the Guardians of the Islamic Revolution (Ksir). At the beginning of the month, he called his family and said that Iran was in custody of the “intelligence authorities”, the sources of Radio Liberty say. According to them, Moradi said that he was transported to Iran a few days before the call. The KSIR unit, which holds the journalist, is known to his arrests of journalists, activists and persons with dual citizenship.

According to the sources of Radio Liberty, at the end of November, the members of the KSIR questioned Moradi's father. They said that he should advise his son to make a recognition live on Iranian television.

Moradi received a refugee status in Turkey in 2014, after he was sentenced to five years in Iran on charges of conspiracy against the state. The lawyer of his family said that Moradi’s secret deportation to Iran is an egregious violation of Turkish and international law, including the UN Convention on 1951 refugees.