Sina Saraeefard Shirazi, Iranian Gay Blogger and Asylum Seeker, Faces Imminent Risk of Deportation from Turkey to Iran
Hengaw: Monday, October 21, 2024
Sina Saraeefard Shirazi, a 27-year-old gay Iranian blogger residing in Denizli, Turkey, is at imminent risk of deportation to Iran. Given the criminalization of homosexuality in Iran, deportation would place him in severe danger, potentially exposing him to imprisonment, torture, or even execution.
According to reports received by Hengaw Organization for Human Rights, Sina, who has been seeking asylum in Turkey, was served a final deportation order on September 26, 2024. This order was issued by a Turkish court citing the pretext of “disrupting public order.”
Sina, an outspoken member of the queer community and a blogger active on Instagram, began his advocacy following the Jin, Jiyan, Azadi movement, aiming to raise awareness about LGBTQIA+ rights in both Iran and Turkey. Tragically, 14 months ago, he was sexually assaulted by an Islamist in Turkey, resulting in severe physical and psychological trauma. Hengaw has verified the hospital records documenting Sina’s treatment following the assault.
Sina and his partner, also a gay Iranian man, have been living in precarious conditions in Turkey. Speaking to Hengaw, Sina explained, “My partner and I face extreme hardships here. As a Bahá’í and a gay man, my partner is constantly at risk of persecution. I, too, have been repeatedly threatened—both directly and through threats to my family—by agents of the Islamic Republic. After the sexual assault I endured, I was again targeted, along with someone who sheltered me when I fled from the police. Many Iranian asylum seekers, particularly queer individuals, are living in fear, and the police here often cooperate with Islamist factions or Iranian agents in harassing us. I am in constant fear for my life, and now, with the looming threat of deportation, the danger has escalated even further.”
Conditions for Iranian asylum seekers, especially those from marginalized communities such as the LGBTQIA+ community, have worsened in Turkey. Although homosexuality is not criminalized in Turkey, LGBTQIA+ individuals frequently face harassment and violence. Public queer gatherings are often disrupted by state authorities, and the Turkish government has empowered traditionalist and Islamist groups to act against sexual and gender minorities. In recent months, Turkish authorities have tightened residency requirements for Iranian asylum seekers and increasingly initiated deportations, including for those at risk of persecution or execution in Iran.
The Islamic Republic of Iran is one of the few countries that criminalizes same-sex relations, with penalties as extreme as the death sentence. LGBTQIA+ individuals in Iran face systemic oppression, with punishments ranging from flogging to execution for charges related to “sodomy,” “corruption on earth,” and “promoting homosexuality.” These laws function as tools of state-sanctioned violence against gender and sexual minorities.
Hengaw expresses grave concern over the potential deportation of Sina Saraeefard Shirazi and underscores that the laws and punishments targeting sexual and gender minorities in Iran amount to clear violations of human rights and constitute what can only be described as gender and sexual apartheid. Hengaw calls on the international community to intervene to prevent the deportation of Sina and his partner, as well as to protect the rights of LGBTQIA+ asylum seekers globally.
