Turkey to deport Iranian journalist who wrote for Israeli site

Neda Amin, a female Iranian journalist who works for an Israeli news outlet and a UN refugee in Turkey, will soon be deported to Iran by Turkish authorities.

Amin covers Iran for the Persian service of The Times of Israel and blogs about her country on her personal website.

Amin, 32, had to leave Iran in 2014 after having been arrested several times due to her articles and books. One of her books, Zenjir (“The Chain”) has been banned in Iran.

“Zenjir is a feminist book about the oppression of women in Iran,” said Amin. “One of my arrests in the country was due to that book. The pressure from the government would not stop so I had to leave.”

Amin arrived in Turkey in the same year and, in May 2015, she became a refugee recognized by the office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

The document granted to Amin by the UNHCR states that “as a refugee, she should be protected from forcible return to a country where she would face threats to her life or freedom.”

However, Amin was sent a notice by Turkish immigration authorities on July 5, which stated that her application for international protection has been rejected. “If you do not apply for an authorized administrative court or do not inform our provincial directorate of your application to the court in 30 days, you will be deported. And if you do not want a re-entry ban to be imposed on you, leave Turkey within the stated period,” the notice added.

Amin said that she went to the UN office in Turkey but the UN authorities couldn't help her. “They told me if Turkey removes my status as a refugee, there is nothing that they can do about it.”

Now Amin fears that her life will be in danger in Iran for writing for the Israeli news media.