For some Iranians abroad, pressure from the Islamic Republic can follow them through passports, consular services, threats to relatives, and the fear of being forced back to Iran.
In Italy, an Iranian couple says the embassy stopped responding after they submitted their passports for renewal, even after their lawyer formally intervened. In Georgia and Turkey, activists facing insecure residency or deportation can find themselves trapped between a host country that may not protect them and an embassy that may not provide the documents they need.
When state pressure crosses borders to intimidate, silence or restrict people abroad, it becomes a human-rights issue known as transnational repression.
A passport should never become punishment for peaceful political activity.
And when returning someone could expose them to persecution or torture, host countries have responsibilities too.
Swipe through to see how something that looks like a consular problem can become a question of freedom, safety and human rights.
Sources and evidence limitations are included in the carousel.
Quitter l’Iran ne signifie pas toujours abandonner la répression.
