Turkish Authorities Arrest Father, Mother, and Baby Over Posters

UPDATE 10/01/2021 - New developments have revealed the specific charges and legal framework underpinning their detention and impending deportation. According to Turkish authorities, the couple has been accused under Article 216/3 of the Turkish Penal Code for the alleged crime of "Incitement to Hatred and Hostility (Insulting Religious Values Adopted by a Segment of the Public)." This charge stems from their involvement in distributing religious posters on January 5, 2025. Additionally, officials cited Law No. 6458 on Foreigners and International Protection to justify the decision, claiming that Pooria and Ebtighaa pose a "Threat to Public Order and Security."

Following the charges, an irregular migration process was initiated against the couple, and administrative detention and deportation orders were issued. The Directorate of Migration Management has instructed that the couple and their baby be transferred to the Niğde Removal Center on January 7, 2025.

These charges were brought solely because the couple peacefully distributed posters promoting their religion, a clear expression of their faith and beliefs. AROPL maintains that such actions fall within the bounds of freedom of religion and expression, fundamental rights guaranteed under international law.

Turkey 06/01/2024 - The Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light is gravely concerned about the recent actions taken against Pooria Lotfiillanou, an Iranian refugee and member of the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light, in Turkey. On 5 January 2025, Turkish authorities targeted Pooria by sending two police officers to his home in Karaman, Turkey. They found only his wife and their six-month-old baby, both of whom were arrested and taken to the police station despite having done nothing wrong.

The officers then called Pooria to inform him of his wife and child’s detention, pressuring him to come to the station. Until now, his wife and infant remain held at the police station with him under harsh conditions, as the family faces the looming threat of deportation—a potential death sentence considering the persecution Pooria fled in Iran.

Additionally, Pooria was questioned and coerced into signing a document pledging not to repeat his religious activities in Turkey. This effectively bars him from public missionary work, severely undermining his rights to freedom of religion and expression, guaranteed under international human rights law.

The families arrest is part of a broader crackdown on members of the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light in Turkey. Pooria was previously one of 104 members who were arbitrarily detained in 2023 for five months. Their eventual release came only after significant international pressure, including intervention by the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief.

Before fleeing Iran in 2022, Pooria faced grave risks to his life and safety due to his faith. He endured repeated assaults, threats, and harassment by Iranian security forces, who pressured him to abandon his beliefs. Pooria was also forcibly detained in a psychiatric hospital, where he was subjected to involuntary treatment and further intimidation.

The detention of Pooria Lotfiillanou’s wife and six-month-old baby highlights the increasingly hostile environment for members of the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light in Turkey. This act of targeting an innocent mother and child to pressure their husband and father represents a grave violation of fundamental human rights, including the rights to freedom of religion and expression. The Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light calls for the immediate release of Pooria’s family and an end to the threats of deportation that place this vulnerable family in grave danger.