Leila Bayat’s case heard by the Norwegian embassy

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The Norwegian Embassy in Tehran have held a meeting with Leila Bayat, the woman who was expelled from Norway in March, and punished with whipping on Tuesday.

 

According to TV 2, the meeting lasted for five hours. The theme of the meeting was the production of documents to prove she was whipped for drinking alcohol.

In addition to her Iranian lawyer, her Norwegian lawyer, Preben Kløvfjell, also participated by Skype from Oslo.

‘After sending a request to the Immigration Commission for a change off decision, the Immigration Appeals Board (UNE) and the embassy have addressed the case and we have today had a meeting with the embassy and client,’ he said.

Kløvfjell is pleased that the Norwegian authorities have acted so quickly. He has sent a request to UNE to reverse the expulsion decision as soon as possible.

Bayat came to Norway in 2009, and brought with her the judgment of 80 strikes with a whip for drinking alcohol.

Nevertheless, her asylum application was rejected because UNE believed she had fabricated the verdict and the stated punishment. It was therefore considered safe for the 36 year old woman to be returned to Iran.

On Tuesday, information revealed that the Iranian authorities had carried out their verdict, and whipped her 80 times. This was fully documented with pictures, and videos, of Leila Bayat’s back.

Both her own lawyer, and several Iranian and Norwegian human rights attorneys, fear that the disclosure of the images could cause her to be sentenced to imprisonment, and yet more whipping, for the charge of propaganda against the regime.

 

 

© NTB Scanpix / Norway Today