The ECtHR ordered Ankara to pay a refugee amount of 12,250 euros to Syros.
Collapse decision of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) against Turkey for the illegal repatriation of a Syrian refugee, at a time when Ankara is pretending to be cut off for the rights of refugees…
The ECtHR on Tuesday condemned Turkey for illegally repatriating Syrian refugee Muhammad Fawzi Akad, despite having a legal residence permit. Turkish authorities forced him to sign a document stating that he was returning voluntarily, ignoring the risk that Syros would be ill-treated after his repatriation. The ECtHR ordered Ankara to pay a refugee amount of 12,250 euros to Syros.
Akad fled to Turkey in 2014, while in 2018 he was arrested by the Turkish authorities while trying to cross the Greek border.
He was taken to the province of Hatay, near the border with Syria, and was forced to sign a document he did not understand, which turned out to be spoke of “his voluntary return”. He was forcibly sent back to Syria two days later, without being able to appeal, while he had a residence permit in Turkey and a “temporary protection status”.
Akad complained that he had been arrested and beaten by gunmen in Syria, but was later released. He returned to Turkey in July 2018 and later managed to travel to Germany.
According to the ECtHR statement, Akad was subjected to inhuman and degrading treatment, while his other rights were violated, and there was a real risk that the applicant would be treated in Syria contrary to Article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights, and that the Turkish authorities exposed the latter, having full knowledge of the facts, to the risk of being treated contrary to the Convention.
So far, there has been no reaction from Turkish authorities, who have in the past denied sending Akad back to Syria against his will.
