Mosaed’s Arrest or Deportation Is Not Imminent, Says His Lawyer

Canan Pehlivan, the lawyer for journalist Mohammad Mosaed, said in a statement that no decision had yet been taken on whether her client was to be deported or placed under administrative detention.

Mosaed was detained on January 17 by Turkish border guards after illegally crossing the border from Iran. He was first taken to hospital due to prolonged exposure to extreme cold. Mosaed was later transferred from the border to Van City Detention Center where his lawyer met with him and at which point an asylum claim was lodged with the authorities.

Mosaed’s meeting with the lawyer Pehlivan took place earlier today, 19 January, at the detention center. The authorities informed Mosaed that he would have to be quarantined for some time, according to the health protocols of the Turkish Ministry of Health, to control the spread of the coronavirus.

Pehlivan said in a statement provided to IranWire and other media outlets that news relating to Mosaed’s case would now be issued through legal representatives. She added that no decision to deport Mohammad Mosaed or to keep him under administrative detention had yet been taken.

Full text of the announcement:

My client, Mohammad Mosaed Moghaddam Abatari, a journalist, asked Turkish police for help because of extreme weather conditions after he crossed into Turkey. The border guards first examined his physical condition and then transferred him to a hospital for treatment. As of January 19, 2021, no decision has been issued or notified regarding my client's [possible] expulsion or deportation.

No administrative detention order has been issued against my client. My client has submitted his asylum application to the relevant authorities. My client is in quarantine due to the conditions related to the outbreak of the coronavirus and in accordance with the health protocol of the Ministry of Health. His case is being pursued.

From now on, all information regarding the condition of Mohammad Mosaed will be provided only through my announcements, as his lawyer.

Canan Pehlivan