Foreign Minister Støre pleased that Mostafaei is safe

“I am very pleased that human rights lawyer Mohammad Mostafaei is now safe in Norway,” said Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Støre.  

“Ever since the Norwegian authorities learned that Mr Mostafaei had fled to Turkey, Norway has, like a number of other countries, been concerned that he should be given protection and not returned to Iran. I would like to commend Turkey and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees for the part they played in bringing Mr Mostafaei to safety,” said Mr Støre.   

Norway has repeatedly expressed concern about the human rights situation in Iran, and has in particular taken up specific cases involving juveniles facing the death penalty and the use of inhumane means of punishment. Mr Mostafaei has fearlessly served as defence lawyer in a number of these cases. 

“It is regrettable that the pressure on courageous defence lawyers such as Mr Mostafaei is so great that they are compelled to flee. They are doing an extremely important job in Iran. Norway is committed to supporting human rights defenders in Iran and will continue to do so. We call on Iran to respect human rights and fulfil its international obligations,” said Mr Støre.