PROCEDURE

The case originated in an application (no. 36370/08) against the Republic of Turkey lodged with the Court under Article 34 of the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (“the Convention”) by an Iranian national, Mr Mansour Keshmiri (“the applicant”), on 1 August 2008.

The applicant was represented by Mr A. Baba, a lawyer practising in Istanbul. The Turkish Government (“the Government”) were represented by their Agent.

On 1 August 2008 the President of the Chamber to which the case was allocated decided, in the interests of the parties and the proper conduct of the proceedings before the Court, to indicate to the Government of Turkey, under Rule 39 of the Rules of Court, that the applicant should not be deported to Iran until further notice.

On 6 October 2008 the President of the Second Section decided to give notice of the application to the Government. It was also decided to examine the merits of the application at the same time as its admissibility (Article 29 § 3) and that the case would be given priority (Rule 41).

THE FACTS

I. THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE CASE

The applicant was born in 1958 and is currently being held in the Kırklareli Foreigners' Admission and Accommodation Centre.

In 1985 the applicant joined the People's Mojahedin Organisation in Iran (“the PMOI”, also known as the “Mojahedin-e-Khalq Organization”).

In 1986 he arrived in Iraq. He lived in Al-Ashraf camp, where PMOI members were accommodated in Iraq, until he left the organisation in 2003, because he disagreed with the PMOI's goals and methods. After leaving the PMOI, he went to the Temporary Interview and Protection Facility (“TIPF”), a camp created by the United States forces in Iraq. This facility was subsequently named the Ashraf Refugee Camp (“ARC”).

On 5 May 2006, after being interviewed, the applicant was recognised as a refugee by the UNHCR Headquarters in Geneva during his stay in Iraq.

On an unspecified date the applicant arrived in Turkey with a false passport.

On 1 June 2008 the applicant was arrested by the Turkish security forces while attempting to leave for the island of Kos, in Greece, from the port of Bodrum, with a false passport.

In his statements to the Turkish police, the applicant stated that he had fled from the regime in Iran and arrived in Iraq, where he was recognised as a refugee by the UNHCR. He did not mention that he was a former member of the PMOI. He then described the circumstances in which he had arrived in Turkey and had attempted to leave for Greece. The applicant noted that he had contacted the UNHCR branch office in Ankara and that he had been told that he had to wait. He did not feel able to wait and attempted to leave Turkey illegally.

On 2 June 2008 the UNHCR branch office sent a letter to the Ministry of the Interior informing the latter that the applicant had been recognised as a refugee under their mandate.

On an unspecified date the UNHCR branch office asked the national authorities to grant the applicant access to the asylum procedure in Turkey. This request was rejected in view of the fact that the applicant's presence in Turkey constituted a threat to national security given his membership of the PMOI.

Following his detention in police custody, a detention order was made in respect of the applicant and he was transferred to Muğla prison as charges were brought against him for illegal entry into Turkey and falsifying identity documents.

On 1 August 2008 the applicant was transferred to the city of Van in eastern Turkey, apparently with a view to deporting him to Iran.

On invocation of the interim measure under Rule 39 of the Rules of Court, the applicant was transferred to the Kırklareli Foreigners' Admission and Accommodation Centre.

II. RELEVANT DOMESTIC LAW AND PRACTICE AND INTERNATIONAL MATERIAL

A description of the relevant domestic law and practice as well as the international material can be found in Abdolkhani and Karimnia v. Turkey (no. 30471/08, §§ 29-50, ECHR2009‑... (extracts)).
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-98261_a6_e1
001-98261_a6_em1
CODE
DIRECT
36370/08
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
insert
001-98261_a6_e2
001-98261_a6_em2
ORG
NO_MASK
Republic of Turkey
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-98261_a6_e3
001-98261_a6_em3
DEM
QUASI
Iranian
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
insert
001-98261_a6_e4
001-98261_a6_em4
PERSON
QUASI
Mr Mansour Keshmiri
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-98261_a6_e5
001-98261_a6_em5
DATETIME
QUASI
1 August 2008
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-98261_a6_e6
001-98261_a6_em6
PERSON
QUASI
Mr A. Baba
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-98261_a6_e7
001-98261_a6_em7
LOC
QUASI
Istanbul
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-98261_a6_e2
001-98261_a6_em8
ORG
NO_MASK
001-98261_a6_em2
Turkish Government
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-98261_a6_e5
001-98261_a6_em9
DATETIME
QUASI
1 August 2008
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-98261_a6_e2
001-98261_a6_em10
ORG
NO_MASK
001-98261_a6_em2
Turkey
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
correct
001-98261_a6_e8
001-98261_a6_em11
LOC
QUASI
Iran
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-98261_a6_e9
001-98261_a6_em12
DATETIME
QUASI
6 October 2008
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-98261_a6_e10
001-98261_a6_em13
DATETIME
QUASI
1958
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
insert
001-98261_a6_e11
001-98261_a6_em14
ORG
QUASI
Kırklareli Foreigners' Admission and Accommodation Centre.
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-98261_a6_e12
001-98261_a6_em15
DATETIME
QUASI
1985
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-98261_a6_e13
001-98261_a6_em16
ORG
NO_MASK
People's Mojahedin Organisation
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-98261_a6_e8
001-98261_a6_em17
LOC
QUASI
Iran
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-98261_a6_e13
001-98261_a6_em18
ORG
QUASI
001-98261_a6_em16
PMOI
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
insert
001-98261_a6_e13
001-98261_a6_em19
ORG
QUASI
001-98261_a6_em16
“Mojahedin-e-Khalq Organization”
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-98261_a6_e14
001-98261_a6_em20
DATETIME
QUASI
1986
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-98261_a6_e15
001-98261_a6_em21
LOC
QUASI
Iraq
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-98261_a6_e16
001-98261_a6_em22
LOC
QUASI
Al-Ashraf camp
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-98261_a6_e13
001-98261_a6_em23
ORG
QUASI
PMOI
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-98261_a6_e15
001-98261_a6_em24
LOC
QUASI
Iraq
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-98261_a6_e17
001-98261_a6_em25
DATETIME
QUASI
2003
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-98261_a6_e13
001-98261_a6_em26
ORG
QUASI
PMOI
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-98261_a6_e13
001-98261_a6_em27
ORG
QUASI
PMOI
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
insert
001-98261_a6_e18
001-98261_a6_em28
ORG
QUASI
Temporary Interview and Protection Facility (“TIPF”)
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-98261_a6_e19
001-98261_a6_em29
ORG
QUASI
United States
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-98261_a6_e15
001-98261_a6_em30
LOC
QUASI
Iraq
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
correct
001-98261_a6_e20
001-98261_a6_em31
ORG
QUASI
Ashraf Refugee Camp
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
correct
001-98261_a6_e21
001-98261_a6_em32
ORG
QUASI
ARC
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-98261_a6_e22
001-98261_a6_em33
DATETIME
QUASI
5 May 2006
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-98261_a6_e23
001-98261_a6_em34
ORG
NO_MASK
UNHCR Headquarters
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-98261_a6_e24
001-98261_a6_em35
LOC
QUASI
Geneva
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-98261_a6_e15
001-98261_a6_em36
LOC
QUASI
Iraq
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-98261_a6_e2
001-98261_a6_em37
LOC
QUASI
Turkey
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-98261_a6_e25
001-98261_a6_em38
DATETIME
QUASI
1 June 2008
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
insert
001-98261_a6_e26
001-98261_a6_em39
ORG
QUASI
Turkish security
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-98261_a6_e27
001-98261_a6_em40
LOC
QUASI
Kos
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-98261_a6_e28
001-98261_a6_em41
LOC
QUASI
Greece
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-98261_a6_e29
001-98261_a6_em42
LOC
QUASI
Bodrum
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
insert
001-98261_a6_e30
001-98261_a6_em43
ORG
QUASI
Turkish police
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-98261_a6_e8
001-98261_a6_em44
LOC
QUASI
Iran
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-98261_a6_e15
001-98261_a6_em45
LOC
QUASI
Iraq
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-98261_a6_e31
001-98261_a6_em46
ORG
QUASI
UNHCR
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-98261_a6_e13
001-98261_a6_em47
ORG
QUASI
PMOI
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-98261_a6_e2
001-98261_a6_em48
LOC
NO_MASK
Turkey
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
correct
001-98261_a6_e28
001-98261_a6_em49
LOC
QUASI
Greece
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-98261_a6_e31
001-98261_a6_em50
ORG
NO_MASK
UNHCR
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-98261_a6_e32
001-98261_a6_em51
LOC
QUASI
Ankara
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-98261_a6_e2
001-98261_a6_em52
LOC
NO_MASK
Turkey
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-98261_a6_e33
001-98261_a6_em53
DATETIME
QUASI
2 June 2008
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-98261_a6_e31
001-98261_a6_em54
ORG
NO_MASK
UNHCR
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-98261_a6_e34
001-98261_a6_em55
ORG
NO_MASK
Ministry of the Interior
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-98261_a6_e31
001-98261_a6_em56
ORG
NO_MASK
UNHCR
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-98261_a6_e2
001-98261_a6_em57
LOC
NO_MASK
Turkey
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-98261_a6_e2
001-98261_a6_em58
LOC
NO_MASK
Turkey
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-98261_a6_e13
001-98261_a6_em59
ORG
QUASI
PMOI
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
insert
001-98261_a6_e35
001-98261_a6_em60
ORG
QUASI
Muğla prison
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
correct
001-98261_a6_e2
001-98261_a6_em61
LOC
QUASI
Turkey
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-98261_a6_e5
001-98261_a6_em62
DATETIME
QUASI
1 August 2008
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-98261_a6_e36
001-98261_a6_em63
LOC
QUASI
Van
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-98261_a6_e2
001-98261_a6_em64
LOC
NO_MASK
Turkey
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-98261_a6_e8
001-98261_a6_em65
LOC
QUASI
Iran
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-98261_a6_e11
001-98261_a6_em66
ORG
QUASI
Kırklareli Foreigners' Admission and Accommodation Centre.
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
insert
001-98261_a6_e37
001-98261_a6_em67
PERSON
NO_MASK
Abdolkhani
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-98261_a6_e38
001-98261_a6_em68
PERSON
NO_MASK
Karimnia
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-98261_a6_e2
001-98261_a6_em69
LOC
NO_MASK
Turkey
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-98261_a6_e39
001-98261_a6_em70
CODE
NO_MASK
30471/08
Mansour Keshmiri
TUR
CHAMBER
Task: Annotate the document to anonymise the following person: Mansour Keshmiri