Washington, D.C. — The Herischi Human Rights Law Center, in collaboration with the Cornell Law School Transnational Disputes Clinic and the Global Strategic Litigation Council for Refugee Rights, has filed an emergency petition with the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) on behalf of Artemis Ghasemzadeh and nine other asylum-seekers detained incommunicado in Panama’s Darién region. The petition seeks urgent precautionary measures to prevent their imminent expulsion to countries where they face persecution and to ensure their access to legal counsel.
The case arises amid mass expulsions of asylum-seekers from the United States via military flights, with reports indicating that Panama intends to deport migrants within ten days of arrival. For Ghasemzadeh and other Iranian Christian converts, including children as young as nine, that deadline expires tomorrow, March 1, 2025.
“The Panamanian government is unlawfully detaining asylum-seekers, denying them legal access, and violating international human rights law,” said Ali Herischi, attorney for the petitioners. “We urge the Commission to intervene before these individuals are forcibly returned to life-threatening persecution.”
The IACHR has the authority to issue emergency relief to prevent imminent rights violations. If granted, the case could ultimately be referred to the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, which has the power to issue binding legal rulings.
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