Additional Name(s): سیاوش کلیایی
Gender: Unspecified
Perpetrator: Iran
Religion or Belief: Yarsani
Reports of Torture: No
Reports of Medical Neglect: No
Date of Detainment: November/18/2022
Current Status: Released
Religious Leader: No
Most Recent Type of Abuse: Detainment
Reason for Persecution: Attending a Religious Gathering or Meeting Religious Activity Religious Belief
Nature of Charges: Illegal Assembly Insulting Public Officials & Institutions Public Disorder Spreading Propaganda & False or Misleading Ideas, Information, or Materials
Siavash Kaliani was detained for their religious activity.
On November 18, 2022, authorities in Sahneh county, Kermanshah province, arrested at least 30 Yarsanis, including Kaliani, as they were commemorating the death of Yarsani religious figure Khalil Alinejhad, who was killed in 2001.
In July 2023, it was reported that the government had suspended prosecution against dozens of Yarsanis, including Kaliani, detained in November 2022. Kaliani is likely to have been released prior to or around the time of this decision.
"آئین یارسان؛ همزمان با صدور قرار موقوفی تعقیب و منع تعقیب برای ۵۷ تن، علیه دو شهروند قرار جلب به دادرسی صادر شد" Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA)
"At Least 30 Yarsani Followers Arrested" Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA)
"سالگرد جان باختن خلیل عالی نژاد؛ افزایش شمار شهروندان بازداشتی یارسان به ۳۰ تن" Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA)
Additional Name(s): کاکی سعید الماسی
Gender: Unspecified
Perpetrator: Iran
Religion or Belief: Yarsani
Reports of Torture: No
Reports of Medical Neglect: No
Date of Detainment: November/18/2022
Current Status: Released
Religious Leader: No
Most Recent Type of Abuse: Detainment
Reason for Persecution: Attending a Religious Gathering or Meeting Religious Activity Religious Belief
Nature of Charges: Illegal Assembly Insulting Public Officials & Institutions Public Disorder Spreading Propaganda & False or Misleading Ideas, Information, or Materials
Kaki Saeed Almasi was detained for their religious activity.
On November 18, 2022, authorities in Sahneh county, Kermanshah province, arrested at least 30 Yarsanis, including Almasi, as they were commemorating the death of Yarsani religious figure Khalil Alinejhad, who was killed in 2001.
In July 2023, it was reported that the government had suspended prosecution against dozens of Yarsanis detained alongside Almasi in November 2022. Almasi is likely to have been released prior to or around the time of this decision.
"آئین یارسان؛ همزمان با صدور قرار موقوفی تعقیب و منع تعقیب برای ۵۷ تن، علیه دو شهروند قرار جلب به دادرسی صادر شد" Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA)
"At Least 30 Yarsani Followers Arrested" Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA)
"سالگرد جان باختن خلیل عالی نژاد؛ افزایش شمار شهروندان بازداشتی یارسان به ۳۰ تن" Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA)
Nov 25, 2022
Alevis constitute the largest religious minority in Turkey and have faced persistent obstacles to the exercise of their religious freedom. In October 2022, the Turkish government announced its plan to create a new state-run Alevi institution—the Alevi Bektashi Culture and Cemevi Directorate—which officials say will oversee and address issues faced by Turkey’s Alevi community. The decision, however, has sparked controversy as the government itself has long refused to grant Alevis the recognition and rights that it has granted to other communities. Many observers view the decision as a politically motivated move intended to win over voters ahead of 2023 elections.
In its 2022 Annual Report, USCIRF recommended that the State Department place Turkey on its Special Watch List for the Turkish government’s severe violations of religious freedom. In March 2022, USCIRF staff visited Turkey and met with several religious and nonbelief communities, including Alevis, to learn more about ongoing challenges for religious freedom.
Aykan Erdemir, the Anti-Defamation League’s Director for International Affairs Research and a former member of the Turkish parliament, joins us today to discuss the Turkish government’s creation of an official Alevi agency, the range of issues Alevis continue to face, and broader challenges for religious minorities throughout the country.