Life of Kurdish Activist in Serious Danger if Deported
UK– September 2025
The life of a Kurdish asylum seeker, currently held in a UK deportation center, is under serious threat if returned to Iraq, according to members of the Dakok Support Center.
Speaking with Kurdfile Media through Dakok Support Centre, Kurdish activist Dyar Ali stressed that the individual’s safety cannot be guaranteed if deported. When asked directly whether life would be secure back in Iraq, the asylum seeker firmly rejected the idea, saying there would be no protection for him under the authorities there.
Mr. Ali pointed out that both ruling parties in the Kurdistan Region the KDP and PUK act as gatekeepers of political repression. “Sending him back into their hands would place his life in grave danger,” he said, emphasizing that the individual had participated in several demonstrations against both parties.
Investigations by Kurdfile Media confirm that the activist’s profile is publicly available, documenting numerous protest activities and critical viewpoints. One of the most significant moments was his participation in a recent demonstration outside the Iraqi Consulate in Manchester, where consulate staff were caught on video secretly observing and recording Kurdish protesters from the windows.Dyar was part of the footage.
According to Diyar Harki, a Kurdish journalist, activist, and member of the Dakok Organization as well as the UK National Union of Journalists, the case should be treated with the utmost seriousness by the British authorities:
“Kurdish activists who take bold stances against corruption and injustice face real threats in Iraq. Deportation in such cases is not only unsafe but enables the ruling powers in Kurdistan and Iraq to violate their rights even further.”
For over a decade, Kurdish activists inside and outside Iraq have faced harassment, imprisonment, and threats for demanding reform. Rights groups warn that returning outspoken critics to the control of Iraqi or Kurdish authorities often results in arrest, torture, or assassination.
Dyar Ali himself, alongside many Kurdish demonstrators across Europe, has consistently attempted to spread peaceful messages. But the question remains: Will the KRG authorities respect peaceful activism? Or will the UK government turn a blind eye and allow another dissident to fall victim to repression?