Iranians clamor for Israel asylum in coronavirus crisis

Foreign Ministry receiving growing numbers of requests pleading for way to escape the ayatollahs' regime, with one person claiming two of his politically active uncles were executed and he and his father jailed

Itamar Eichner|
Requests by Iranians for political asylum in Israel have increased considerably since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic.
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  • Iran has been hard hit by the virus, which has claimed the lives of more than 7,000 of its citizens.
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    A doctor treats a coronavirus patient in Iran
    A doctor treats a coronavirus patient in Iran
    A doctor treats a coronavirus patient in Iran
    (Photo: AP)
    The Foreign Ministry said it had been receiving thousands of requests for asylum on its Farsi digital platforms.
    One man wrote that his family was politically active and two of his uncles had been put to death by the regime, while his father had spent eight years in prison.
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    "הדודים שלי הוצאו כאן להורג על ידי ההייאתולות"
    "הדודים שלי הוצאו כאן להורג על ידי ההייאתולות"
    An Iranian seeks asylum in Israel
    "I too am often put in jail for political reasons and I would like to escape this slow death. Israel is my dream," he added as he pleaded for help.
    Others asked how they could actually enter Israel in order to request asylum, saying they were trying to escape the ayatollahs' regime.
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    Iranian opposition activists demonstrate in London against the regime in Tehran
    Iranian opposition activists demonstrate in London against the regime in Tehran
    Iranian opposition activists demonstrate in London against the regime in Tehran
    (Photo: AP)
    Sharona Avginsaz, who runs the Farsi social media pages for the Foreign Ministry said there has been a constant increase in requests from Iranians wishing to migrate to Israel across all its digital platforms.
    "I had been answering each and every request personally but have not been able to keep up recently. We have no way of helping these people," she said.
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