Protecting Afghan refugees: who is responsible?

Recently, Turkish officials have confirmed that 1,456 undocumented migrants have been detained at Turkey’s border with Iran since 10 July 2021, the majority of which have made their journey from Afghanistan. Turkey is the largest host of refugees in the world with approximately 3.7million, according to the UNHCR. Turkey currently houses approximately 200,000 Afghan refugees, who form the country’s second largest refugee cohort after Syrian refugees. The growing number of … Read more →

Turkish government “contributes to creating and sustaining the repressive atmosphere.” finds new report on freedom of expression

27 July 2021, a new report looking into the state of freedom of expression in Turkey has been jointly released by Expression Interrupted and the Platform for Independent Journalism (P24). The report, titled Turkey’s journalists “cannot breathe”, is the second periodic report in their Freedom of Expression and the Press Agenda series and covers the months of May and June 2021. The report provides an in depth review of freedom … Read more →

REPORT: Hate speech and anti-Semitism sponsored by Iran

In collaboration with Arseh Sevom, the International Observatory of Human Rights has made a submission to the Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerances for her report to the UN General Assembly on combatting glorification of Nazism, neo-Nazism and other practices that contribute to fuelling contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance. … Read more →

Iran faces water bankruptcy; climate change or mismanagement?

Extreme water shortages in Iran have led to protests that started in the southwest Khuzestan province and spread to Aligoodarz in the western Lorestan province. For over a week, Iranian protesters have been demonstrating in some of the country’s hottest regions to call attention to the drought that has been affecting agriculture, livestock, households and has led to regular power blackouts. Despite the peaceful nature of the protests, Iranian security … Read more →