Turkey arrests exiled Iranian journalist Kaveh Taheri sparking deportations fears

New York, January 30, 2026—Turkish authorities must immediately release exiled Iranian journalist Kaveh Taheri and halt all efforts to deport him to Iran, where he faces serious risks, including but not limited to imprisonment.

Taheri, an independent and freelance journalist and human rights advocate recognized as a refugee by the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), was detained on January 26 in the northwestern city of Sakarya while traveling by bus to Istanbul for a visa appointment at the French Consulate, his lawyer, Salih Efe, told CPJ. He is currently held at the Kocaeli Removal Center.

“Deporting Kaveh Taheri to Iran could put his life at grave risk,” said CPJ Regional Director Sara Qudah. “Turkish authorities must honor their international obligations, immediately halt all deportation proceedings, and allow Taheri to seek safety in a third country without further harassment.”

Taheri’s sister, Laleh, expressed the family’s deep distress following a brief WhatsApp message he sent during his arrest. “He sent me a short message saying he was arrested,” she told CPJ. “We are really worried about his safety. He is about to be deported to Iran, which would be life-threatening.”

His lawyer said that the journalist was “unlawfully and arbitrarily” detained despite possessing a valid travel permit for a consulate visit. 

“Although a colleague was able to visit him in person and review his file on January 28, we have seen no intelligence reports to justify these accusations, nor has there been any hearing or further explanation provided for his sudden arrest,” Efe said, adding that no date has been set for a hearing.

He said authorities issued a deportation order on January 28, citing “national security” grounds, which she said was a “standard justification often used against journalists and those the authorities disfavor.”

Efe noted that previous court rulings had blocked past deportation attempts, and that Taheri remains “trapped in a cycle of administrative harassment.”

If returned to Iran, Taheri could face severe retribution for his reporting on government corruption and human rights abuses. He was arrested by Iranian intelligence in 2012 and spent nearly a year in Shiraz’s Adel Abad Prison, where he reported being tortured and forced into a false confession.

Taheri is the founder of the ICBPS YouTube channel , which focuses on news and geopolitical analysis, and has contributed to several international outlets, including The HuffPost and The Times of Israel. Most recently, his writing has focused on Iranian and international affairs and has been published on his Substack account.

Neither the Turkish Directorate General of Migration Management nor the French Consulate in Istanbul responded to CPJ’s requests for comment regarding Taheri’s detention and visa appointment.