TEL AVIV – Israel on Sunday offered asylum to a Turkey-based Iranian blogger who is said to be facing deportation to Iran.
Neda Amin, who writes for the Times of Israel‘s Persian-language blogs, left Iran for Turkey in 2014. According to the news site, Amin sought out countries that would take her in as a refugee.
Israel’s journalist federations pushed Interior Minister Aryeh Deri to agree to issue the 32-year-old a special visa.
“This is a journalist whose life is in real danger,” Deri said in a statement. “Given the clear humanitarian circumstances, I authorized her entry without delay.”
The NGO UN Watch circulated a petition on Amin’s behalf, saying that she “is in grave danger should she be deported back to Iran.”
On Monday, reports emerged that Amin was arrested trying to leave the airport in Istanbul en route to Tel Aviv. David Horovitz, editor-in-chief of the Times of Israel, however, denied the reports, saying they were untrue.
Deputy Foreign Minister Tzipi Hotovely told Israel’s Reshet Bet radio station that Amin’s arrival in Israel was delayed due to “personal reasons,” but she would be arriving in “the coming days.”
She added that Amin was in touch with the Israeli consulate.
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.