In a joint effort Reporters Without Borders, Human Rights Watch and Turkish Human Rights assisted the wife and two children of imprisoned journalist Rauf Mirkadirov to find shelter in Europe.
Prior to his deportation from Turkey on April 18, Rauf Mirkadirov was denied his press accreditation and his wife her work permit. After that the government of Turkey refused to prolong his wife’s visa and demanded her to leave the country. The deadline was set to June 16 and the family was able to leave the same day, despite missing the flight after being temporarily held at the passport control at the Istanbul airport.
According to Turan Information Agency, Ms. Mirkadirov and her two children were under constant surveillance by the Turkish police ever since the arrest of her husband. Their apartment was searched. She was interrogated a number of times, including by investigators from Baku. The investigators asked questions in regards with Mr. Mirkadirov’s alleged cooperation with Armenians and confiscated family photos, documents and their copies, CDs and his daughter’s planchet.
The moral pressure and financial difficulties due to Ms. Mirkadirova’s denied work permit, forced the family to seek political asylum in Europe.
