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An Iranian boy who was sexually abused and harassed as a child would face physical and mental harm if forced to return and perform military service, an appeals court ruled.
Auckland Airport International Arrivals Terminal. Source: istock.com
The 15-year-old, who came to New Zealand when he was 12, received refugee status.
His mother, an opponent of the Iranian authorities, was recognized as a refugee last year.
They told the Immigration and Protection Court that he and his parents never practiced Islam like his classmates did, and that he was unfamiliar with the Quran other than what he remembered from school.
The court was told that the teachers had punished him, particularly for failures in religious instruction, and that he had suffered sexual abuse when he was four years old. He became hypervigilant and did not leave his home alone after learning of the scale of the kidnapping of children in his city.
“[He] he does not believe in Islam and opposes the ideas of the Islamic regime, “the court recorded. He believes that the Iranian government is a terrorist. The appellant does not wish to perform military service. He would be forced to pray five times a day. he would teach how to use a weapon and would not be allowed to choose how to treat other Iranians, he respects other people’s opinions and does not wish to do this.
“They would tell him to stand in front of the protesters and if he refused, they could kill him. The soldiers must do what they are ordered to do and he does not want to take anyone’s life for the sake of a terrorist or for any other reason. The military’s goal is to train an individual for a life full of violence while wanting to help others, live freely, and build a better world. “
His father remains in hiding in Iran after being detained, interrogated and tortured by the authorities.
The court ruled that the risk of psychological harm at the school exacerbated by her absence from Iran and her stay in New Zealand, and the possibility of further mental and physical harm during a two-year period of compulsory military service, constituted serious harm.
