London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Monday, Jun 30, 2025

Priti Patel accused of trying to deport former Iranian police officer to Rwanda

Priti Patel accused of trying to deport former Iranian police officer to Rwanda

Man reportedly fled to the UK after being sentenced to five years’ jail for refusing to fire at Iranian protesters
Priti Patel has been accused of trying to deport a former senior Iranian police officer who fled to the UK after giving first-hand testimony of potential human rights violations by the Iranian government.

Counsel for the Iran Atrocities Tribunal –also known as the Aban Tribunal – in London has written to the home secretary saying that a named former officer in the Iranian police has been detained in the UK and been told he will be sent 4,000 miles to Rwanda next week.

In a letter seen by the Guardian the counsel claims the former officer fled to the UK in May after being sentenced to five years in an Iranian prison for refusing orders in 2019 to fire indiscriminately upon crowds of protesters.

Patel announced last week that the first deportation flight to Rwanda would leave on 14 June. Lawyers believe the flight may be delayed because of legal challenges.

Hamid Sabi, counsel to the Iran Atrocities Tribunal, wrote that the former police officer arrived in the UK on a small boat on 14 May 2022 and is now detained in Brook House detention centre at Gatwick. On 31 May, he was served with notice that he would be sent to Rwanda, the letter claimed.

“[The former police officer] is a conscientious and brave citizen of the world, and he has a genuine and well-founded fear of persecution in Iran. Iranian agents were seeking his whereabouts while he was in Turkey by harassing his family members. Rwanda, having a close relation to the Islamic Republic of Iran is not a safe haven for [him]. Please reconsider your decision for his removal,” Sabi wrote in his letter to Patel.

The former officer told the tribunal he was in charge of dozens of officers in a provincial city when he was ordered by the authorities to shoot at peaceful demonstrators.

According to the letter, he was tried before a disciplinary court in Iran for disobeying the order to shoot and was sentenced to five years.

He fled from Iran to Turkey in the autumn of 2021 and testified by video link before the tribunal in November, the letter said.

On 15 November 2019, the Iranian government had announced that fuel prices had tripled, leading people to protest in the streets. The nationwide protests were peaceful and only consisted of motorists blocking roads with their cars and people shouting slogans.

Over the week that followed, protests in most cities, towns and provinces were repressed by police and military forces, who attacked protesters and bystanders with firearms. Hundreds of people were killed and thousands more injured, arrested or tortured.

The Iran Atrocities Tribunal was set up by three NGOs to examine evidence of human rights violations in Iran during late 2019.

The Home Office has also been accused of attempting to deport unaccompanied 16-year-olds to Rwanda in the first wave of asylum seekers.

One person who said they were under 18 was placed in detention awaiting potential deportation to Rwanda and only released at the end of May, after intervention from lawyers.

Another two asylum seekers identified by one charity as having been warned of imminent removal, and now held in immigration detention centres, say they are 16, but their age is contested by the Home Office.

Those currently detained to be sent offshore include Syrians, Sudanese, Afghans, Eritreans, Iranians and Iraqis, some of whose home countries are active conflict zones.

A group of asylum seekers facing being sent to Rwanda started a hunger strike last week, and on Friday dozens of people in Brook House detention centre near Gatwick airport started a protest in the exercise yard.

A Home Office spokesperson said people should not make dangerous and illegal journeys to the UK, adding: “We remain fully committed to working with Rwanda to offer safety to those seeking asylum.”
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
Trump Administration Considers Withdrawal of Funding for Hospitals Providing Gender Treatment to Minors
Texas Enacts Law Allowing Gold and Silver Transactions
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
OpenAI Secures Multimillion-Dollar AI Contracts with Pentagon, India, and Grab
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Germany Votes to Suspend Family Reunification for Asylum Seekers
Elon Musk Critiques Senate Budget Proposal Over Job Losses and Strategic Risks
Los Angeles Riots ended with Federal Investigations into Funding
Budapest Pride Parade Draws 200,000 Participants Amid Government Ban
Southern Europe Experiences Extreme Heat
Xiaomi's YU7 SUV Launch Garners Record Pre-Orders Amid Market Challenges
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez's Lavish Wedding in Venice
Russia Launches Largest Air Assault on Ukraine Since Invasion
Education Secretary Announces Overhaul of Complaints System Amid Rising Parental Grievances
Massive Anti-Government Protests Erupt in Belgrade
Trump Ends Trade Talks with Canada Over Digital Services Tax
UK Government Softens Welfare Reform Plans Amid Labour Party Rebellion
Labour Faces Rebellion Over Disability Benefit Reforms Ahead of Key Vote
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez Host Lavish Wedding in Venice Amid Protests
Trump Asserts Readiness for Further Strikes on Iran Amid Nuclear Tensions
North Korea to Open New Beach Resort to Boost Tourism Economy
UK Labour Party Faces Internal Tensions Over Welfare Reforms
Andrew Cuomo Hints at Potential November Comeback Amid Democratic Primary Results
Curtis Sliwa Champions His Vision for New York City Amid Rising Crime Concerns
Federal Reserve Proposes Changes to Capital Rule Affecting Major Banks
EU TO HUNGARY: LET THEM PRIDE OR PREP FOR SHADE. ORBÁN TO EU: STAY IN YOUR LANE AND FIX YOUR OWN MESS.
Trump Escalates Criticism of Media Over Iran Strike Coverage
Trump Announces Upcoming US-Iran Meeting Amid Controversial Airstrikes
Trump Moves to Reshape Middle East Following Israel-Iran Conflict
Big Four Accounting Firms Fined in Exam Cheating Scandal
NATO Members Agree to 5% Defense Spending Target by 2035
Australia's Star Casino Secures $195 Million Rescue Package Amid Challenges
UK to Enhance Nuclear Capabilities with Acquisition of F-35A Fighter Jets
Russian Shadow Payments via Cryptocurrency Reach $9 Billion
Explosions Rock Doha as Iranian Missiles Target Qatar
“You Have 12 Hours to Flee”: Israeli Threat Campaign Targets Surviving Iranian Officials
Macron and Merz: Europe must arm itself in an unstable world
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Airlines Evaluate Flight Cancellations Amid Escalating US-Iran Tensions
Starmer Invites Innovators to Join Government Talent Scheme
UK Economy’s Strong Opening Quarter Shows Signs of Cooling
Harrods Seeks Court Order to Secure Al Fayed Estate for Victims
BA and Singapore Airlines Cancel Dubai Flights Amid Middle East Tensions
Trump Faces Backlash from MAGA Base Over Iran Strikes
Meta Bets $14 B on Alexandr Wang to Drive AI Ambitions
WATCH: Israeli forces show the aftermath of a massive airstrike at Iran's Isfahan nuclear site
FedEx Founder Fred Smith, ‘Heart and Soul’ of the Company, Dies at 80
Chinese Factories Shift Away from U.S. Amid Trump‑Era Tariffs
Pimco Seizes Opportunity in Japan’s Dislocated Bond Market
×