Press Release

Iranian Asylum Seeker in Holland Hangs Himself

December 19, 2000

In December 2000, Rasoul Mavali, an Iranian asylum seeker who had taken refuge in Holland 6 and half years ago, committed suicide after receiving a deportation order. Mavali ended his life by hanging himself rather than return to Iran. He was the thirty-eighth Iranian asylum seeker in Holland who has committed suicide.

The Dutch government’s policy of deterrence, dehumanisation and degradation pushes traumatised victims of persecution and violence to despair. The International Federation of Iranian Refugees (IFIR) condemns the Dutch government’s anti-refugee policy and holds it accountable for Mavali’s death.