An Iranian activist based in Turkey is in danger of imminent deportation to Iran, where she could face torture, interrogation, a lengthy sentence, and even capital punishment.
Just over two weeks after the Iranian activist Narges Mohammadi was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, the outspoken Iranian human rights and political activist Shilan Mirzaee was arrested by three Turkish officers on Tuesday in her home in Turkey.
Her husband, Vahid Salim Danae, said she was dragged out in front of their crying six-year-old son.
Ms Mirzaee’s lawyer is still waiting for official documents detailing the reason for her arrest, but her husband, who was present at the time of the arrest, claimed she was told verbally by the Turkish police that “Iran wants you and we are going to hand you over to them”.
Image: The 40-year-old activist and her husband
In a rushed video that Ms Mirzaee managed to record on her smartphone before being taken away, she said: “The police are waiting outside my house to take me away.
“I don’t know why, but whatever the reason for the arrest and any danger I’m faced with as a result, is a violation of my rights. I’m recording this video so that you can be my voice.”
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Shilan Mirzaee managed to record this video before being taken away
Ms Mirzaee was taken to the Bandirma deportation centre, where she refused to sign a deportation document after being questioned about her activism.
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Authorities informed her that her presence in Turkey poses a “national security” risk and she should leave Turkey. If Ms Mirzaee returns to Iran, she could face severe charges, potentially leading to the death penalty.
As an exiled Iranian activist and outspoken critic of human rights violations by the government of Iran, the 40-year-old mother-of-two has sought asylum in Turkey since 2016, dedicating her time to advocating for Iranian political refugees and supporting marginalised groups within Iran, including political prisoners, LGBTQ communities, and ethnic and religious minorities.
Ms Mirzaee has dedicated the past year to aiding victims of Iran’s Woman, Life, Freedom movement, stemming from the tragic death of Mahsa Amini and resulting in extensive casualties and mass imprisonments.
In response, in an intensifying campaign of intimidation and harassment, the Iranian security forces have detained various dissidents, including human rights campaigners, activists, and academics.
However, the crackdown on protests extends beyond Iran, with Ms Mirzaee facing continuous threats and harassment from Iranian authorities across the Turkish border.
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“The constant pressure that me, my children and my husband have been under from the Iranian authorities has been unimaginable,” Ms Mirzaee told Sky News in an emotional interview last month.
“They want to make me return to Iran because they want to silence me.”
Image: Supporters of women’s rights in Iran raise signs with Mahsa Amini’s picture on the anniversary of her death
She also said that she had been contacted by the Iranian embassy in Turkey, warning her to stop her activism and to turn herself in at the consulate.
Ms Mirzaee refused as she believed that as soon as she set foot in Iran, a hefty prison sentence and even execution could await her. “I told them, I’m not coming, do your worst,” she said, and now her husband believes that they have done just that.
Sky News has contacted the Turkish Interior Ministry and the Office of Immigration for comment.
Passengers have been evacuated from Dublin Airport’s Terminal 2 as a “precautionary measure”.
Flights could be “temporarily impacted”, the airport said in a statement.
It did not give any details about the reason for the evacuation but said “the safety and security of our passengers and staff is our absolute priority”.
“We advise passengers to check with their airline for the latest updates,” the airport added, saying further information would be provided as soon as it is available.
This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly.
At least 70 people have been killed after a paramilitary drone attack on a mosque in Sudan.
The Sudanese army and aid workers said the paramilitary group Rapid Support Forces (RSF) carried out the attack during Friday prayers in the North Darfur region.
The attack took place in the besieged city of Al Fasher and was said to have completely destroyed the mosque.
With bodies still buried under the rubble, the number of deaths is likely to rise, a worker with the local aid group Emergency Response Rooms said.
The worker spoke anonymously, fearing retaliation from the RSF.
Further details of the attack were difficult to ascertain because it took place in an area where many international and charitable organisations have already pulled out because of the violence.
In a statement, Sudan’s army said it was mourning the victims of the attack.
It said: “Targeting civilians unjustly is the motto of this rebel militia, and it continues to do so in full view of the entire world.”
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The Sudan war started in April 2023, when long-simmering tensions between the Sudanese army and the RSF broke out in Khartoum.
The US special envoy to Sudan estimates that 150,000 people have been killed, but the exact figure is unknown. Close to 12 million people have been displaced.
Several mediation attempts have failed to secure a humanitarian access mechanism or any lulls in fighting.
The Resistance Committees in El Fasher, a group of local activists who track abuses, posted a video on Friday claiming to show parts of the mosque reduced to rubble with several scattered bodies.
The Darfur Victims Support Organisation, which monitors abuses against civilians, said the attack happened at a mosque on the Daraga al Oula street at around 5am local time, citing witnesses.
The attack is the latest in a series of heavy clashes in the past week of between the two sides in Al Fasher.
Banned from Eurovision after its invasion of Ukraine, Russia will hold a rival international song contest on Saturday, with an emphasis on “traditional values”.
Instead of camp, think conservative – patriotic pop with a PG-rating.
“Intervision” was launched under the order of Vladimir Putin, with the hope it would serve as an expression of Moscow’s international pulling power.
Image: Intervision decorations in Red Square, Moscow, ahead of the contest
There are contestants from 23 countries, which are a mixture of Russia’s allies old and new, including Belarus, Cuba and Tajikistan as well as China, India and Saudi Arabia.
The odd one out is the United States, who’ll be represented by an artist called “Vassy”. She’s not part of an official delegation, but an American voice is still a coup for the Kremlin, which will seek to use this contest as proof of the West’s failure to isolate Russia on the global stage.
‘War whitewash’
Intervision is not entirely new. It was originally launched in the 1960s as an instrument of Soviet soft power, before largely fading from view in the 1980s.
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According to Moscow, its revival has nothing to do with politics. But Ukraine has condemned it as propaganda, and an attempt to whitewash Russia’s war.
It was a point I put to some contestants after their final press conferences, but it didn’t go down well.
“We don’t think like that, we are here to spread peace,” India’s Rauhan Malik told me, when I asked if his participation was a show of support for Russia’s invasion.
Image: Malik, one of the contestants
“Are you not turning a blind eye to Russia’s aggression?” I countered.
“I have no idea about it,” he said. “I have no idea about the current situation that’s happening. I don’t want to speak about that as well.”
Image: Eurovision legends Abba would almost certainly not make the Russian contest guest list. Pic: AP
Really? He had no idea? But before I could go on, I felt a forceful hand on my shoulder and a minder stepped in.
The intervention was even quicker when it came to speaking to Brazil’s act. As soon as I mentioned the word Ukraine, I was drowned out by shouts of “no, no, no, no” and the duo were ushered away.
Image: Brazilian contestants, duo Luciano Calazans and Thais Nader
Where’s the glitter?
Intervision is not just a reaction to Russia’s recent exclusion from Eurosivion, however, it’s also a reaction to the contest’s values and what it’s come to represent.
Its celebration of sexual diversity and LGBTQ+ rights are seen as a symbol of what the Kremlin calls the West’s moral decline. In contrast, Intervision organisers say their contest will promote “traditional, family values.”
Judging by the costumes on show ahead of last week’s draw, that translates to less glitter, more embroidery, with a thematic emphasis on national heritage.
So what do Russians think of Intervision’s resurrection? Can it replace Eurovision?
“We don’t miss Eurovision,” Galina and Tatiana say, underneath a collection of purple and pink ‘Intervision’ flags near Red Square.
“It was so horrible, especially lately. We didn’t like watching it at all.”
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Why are countries boycotting Eurovision?
Polina agrees, believing Russia’s version will be “more interesting”.
“Many countries that participated in Eurovision want to boycott it, so it’s interesting to see a more peaceful event now,” she says.
Igor is more circumspect. “I’d like to believe that this isn’t a political event,” he says, “but rather an event that unites nations and people.”
Intervision will succeed in uniting some nations. But at the same time, it may only deepen divisions with others – further evidence that Russia and the West are singing very different tunes.