Court fails to satisfy complaint of Iranian activist, faces deportation

The Baku Administrative Court on Wednesday did not satisfy the complaint of ethnic Azeri activist Puya Purhemmeti, who fled Iran, against the refusal of the Azerbaijani Migration Service to grant him political asylum.

‘The court stated that I am not a political refugee and I am not a member of the Azerbaijan Democracy Party (active in Iranian Azerbaijan).

Then it was stated that Azerbaijanis living in Iran have nothing to do with the Republic of Azerbaijan.
Why, when we in Iran held actions in support of territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, we were one people, when we protested against the transport of Russian arms through Iran to Armenia, we were one people, and now we are not?

The judge could not object, but did not satisfy the complaint, Purhemmeti told Turan.

He intends to appeal and confirmed the continued threat of his deportation to Iran, where he faces execution.

‘Therefore, I appeal to countries committed to upholding the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights to save me from the threat of death,’ Purhemmeti said.

*In October 2023, Purhemmeti fled to Azerbaijan from Iran fearing criminal prosecution for supporting a movement to abolish the compulsory hijab for women.

In Azerbaijan, he was detained and subjected to pre-trial detention for 2 months. However, Purhemmeti was later released from detention and fined for illegal border crossing.