IABA Commends ACTION Challenging U.S. Deportation of Iranian Asylum Seekers

The Iranian American Bar Association expresses its strong support for the recent legal action filed against the government of Panama before the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights. This action, filed by a group of attorneys including IABA DC member and Principal Attorney At Herischi Human Rights Law Center, Ali Herischi, challenges the detention of 10 named Iranian Christian converts and 102 migrants detained at a camp in Panama following removal from the United States.

The Iranian individuals allege that they were prosecuted in Iran and seek protection under U.S. asylum laws. The lawsuit challenges their removal to Panama on the basis that these individuals were not afforded due process, proper legal review, or access to legal counsel. Petitioners argue that these actions violate both international human rights obligations and U.S. immigration and asylum laws. Through the action, petitioners seek urgent intervention from the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights to prevent their deportation to their countries of origin.