UN Refugee Agency Appeals for Release of Three Ahwazi Jailed In Syria
Voicing "deep concern" about the fate of three Iranian Arabs being held in Syria, the United Nations refugee agency urged their release.
Voicing "deep concern" about the fate of three Iranian Arabs being held in “We have been in regular contact with Syrian authorities in
"Our staff have been promised several times that they be able to meet with the three detainees, but so far we have had no access despite numerous requests," he said.
Appealing for the immediate release of the three Ahwazi,
He added that the agency is “all the more concerned about these three detained refugees following
That individual had been recognized under UNHCR's mandate at the end of 2005 and had been accepted for resettlement to a third country but was arrested in March and detained by the Syrian authorities until his extradition to
Ahwazi refugees arrived from
Deportation of recognized refugees represents a violation of the principle of non-refoulement or forced return, the agency pointed out. This principle of customary international law prohibits states from returning a refugee or asylum seeker to territories where there is a risk that his or her life or freedom would be threatened on account of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group, or political opinion.