An Iranian refugee family has been imprisoned in the Russian capital for 18 months. Zahra Kamalfar is an Iranian citizen made a refugee claim, together with her two minor children, Ana (DOB 1367-11-02) and Davood (DOB 1373-3-25) through UNHCR in Russia on or about May 3, 2005.
Originally, Zahra and the children were being kept at a hotel at the airport. However, several months ago, they were evicted from the hotel and forced to sleep in the open terminal. They have not had access to shower facilities and are restricted to public toilets.
Zahra and her husband were involved in demonstrations in Iran in the year 2000. In July 8 2004, Zahra was arrested and held in jail. Zahra was in jail for 8 months. Then she was released on a 48 hour pass to visit her family. She immediately fled Iran with her two children on April 6 2005. She and her two children went to Turkey on a false Bulgarian passport arranged by a smuggler. Zahra and her children then traveled from Turkey, transiting through Russia on their way to Germany. When they arrived in Germany, the authenticity of their passports was questioned. Zahra made asylum claims but their asylum claims were refused by German immigration authorities and then they were sent back to Russia. When they returned to Russia, they were detained by the Russian authorities. The Russian authorities then assaulted her and her daughter. The Russian authorities want to send Zahra and her children back to Iran. Zahra is afraid to return to Iran as she believes she will be sent to jail and run the risk of rape, torture and possibly death. She also fears her daughter will be at risk of being sexually assaulted and raped.
The Russian authorities now want to deport the family to Iran; something that the family is convinced will be devastating to their lives and safety. The Russian authorities are imposing pressure on the family by having them stranded in the transit hall of the Moscow International Airport for months, denying them all access to the most basic needs, including shower, proper food, etc. Regardless of the legalities of their case, this is a clear breach of all human rights principles.
Russia acceded to the 1951 Refugee Convention in 1993. As a signatory to the 1951 Refugee Convention, Russia is responsible for carrying out the refugee status determination procedure and granting asylum to those people who are entitled to it.
We strongly urge the Russian immigration authorities and UNHCR in Russia to review Miss Zahra Kamalfar's case and grant her and her children refugee recognition based on her well-founded fear of future persecution and execution.
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