Jalil
On the morning of 7th January 2009, Jalil, an Iranian national who had arrived at Istanbul Ataturk Airport from Tehran was intercepted while allegedly attempting to board a plane to the UK with a forged passport.
After being detained, he managed to call the UNHCR from a public phone at the "transit zone" detention facility, expressing a realistic fear of persecution if returned to Iran. Although he submitted a self-drafted asylum request to the airport police in writing, he was told that he would be sent back to Iran that same evening.
Since neither UNHCR nor NGOs are allowed any kind of physical access to the detention facility, Jalil phoned a representative of the Helsinki Citizens' Assembly to talk about his reasons for fleeing. As they spoke, Jalil became extremely distressed and scared, frequently breaking into tears and begging for help: "If they send me back, that is the end of everything."
The Helsinki Citizens' Assembly filled an urgent application before the European Court on Human Rights, requesting the adoption of an interim measure to stop the deportation. The Court granted this request, determining that it was unacceptable that an individual apprehended in the transit zone be denied access to the Turkish asylum procedure and that physical access of UNHCR and legal assistance providers should not be obstructed. The interim measure was issued around 8pm and swiftly communicated to the authorities.
Despite the Court's binding intervention, the government chose to go through with the deportation. Jalil was sent back to Tehran, probably on a plane that took off from Istanbul Ataturk Airport at 11pm that same day. He was detained upon arrival at Tehran airport.
(Source: Helsinki Citizens' Assembly)