May17,2011Brelgium Demonstrations inSupport of Iranian Refugees in Cyprus
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MembersoftheInternationalCoalitionfortheRightsofIranianRefugeesincludeActionforDemocracy andHumanRightsintheMiddleEast,InternationalFederationforIranianRefugees,IranianRefugees ActionNetwork,IranianRefugeeAmnestyNetwork,andMissionFreeIran. http://icrir.org International Coalition for the Rights of Iranian Refugees May23,2011 ICRIR:ActivistsP rotestOutsid eCyprusEmb assyinBelgium, DemandRightso fIranian RefugeesBeUpheld ActivistsinBrussels,B elgiumhavegonetotheE mbassyofCyprusto demandthatther ightsof IranianrefugeesbeupheldbytheCypriotgovernmen t.OrganizedbyNad iaBorremansand MortezaMollazeinal,thetwo-dayprotestactionin cludedameetingwithA mbassador Mavronicola–Droushiotison16May2011andgroupdemonstration outsidetheEmbass yof Cypruson17May2011. Cyprushasarefugeerecognitionrateofapproximatelyonepercent-amongthelowestinthe EuropeanUnion-a clearindicationthatr ightsofasylum-seekersar egrievouslyviolatedin Cyprus.Numerousreportshaveemergedo vertheyearsaboutthea rbitraryandillegal detentionofIranianrefu geesinCyprus,sometimesfor years.Thisrealitywasreflected inthe signscarriedbydemonstratorswhodemandedthereleaseofillegallydetained refugees.These includeMansourZa habi,anillegaly-detainedas ylum-seekerwhofledthebru talityofthe IslamicRepublicinIran,onlytob edeniedhisrighttoasyluminCyprus.Duringth eCypriot government'sillegaldetention ofMr.Zahabi,hehasbeendeniedmedicalcare,includingcare foraHepatitisCinfec tionthatheacquired insidetheprisonasares ultoftheexecrable conditionsinsidethefacility. Otherprevalentviolationso ftherightsofasylum-seek ersinCyprusincludethela ckofaccessto medicalcarewhenneeded.Protestersrepresen tedthecaseofdeniedas ylum-seekerElahe Rahimi,whoselowerlimbs,du etocomplicationsofdia betes,arebeingprogressivelyco nsumed bygangrene.Dueto theCypriotgovernment' srefusaltoprovideapp ropriatemedicalcare,the gangrenehasprog ressedtothedegreetha therlifeisatimminentrisk.Thisisin violationof numerousUnitedNa tionsandEurop eancovenantsand agreementsregardingfu ndamental humanrights.
Transcript of May17,2011Brelgium Demonstrations inSupport of Iranian Refugees in Cyprus
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.
8/6/2019 May17,2011Brelgium Demonstrations inSupport of Iranian Refugees in Cyprus
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