Sudden Deportation of Iranian Questioned
Immigration Insist Letter of Law Followed
By Bryan Kay and Lee Tae-hoon
Staff Reporters
An Iranian man who was involved in a recent high-profile demonstration during a World Cup qualifier between South Korea and his home country in Seoul has been deported.
Known locally as Peter Talebi, he was kicked out of the country last week after an apparent breach of his student visa status.
Talebi had been close to completing a degree at Seoul Theological University, but was snared by immigration in an apparent sting at a coffee shop in Itaewon as he was about to conduct an English lesson with a Korean woman ― something his visa status does not allow him to do.
But his friends say his activities as an activist may land him in trouble when he returns to his homeland.
They also claim the manner in which his case was handled was discriminatory since he was detained and processed immediately without being afforded the opportunity to collect his possessions.
However, immigration investigator Lee Sung-yong disputed that assertion, and said Talebi - whose real name is not being disclosed by The Korea Times due to persecution fears he has expressed about returning to Iran ― has committed a number of immigration violations since first entering the country in 2001.
Some of his friends allege that nationals of countries such as the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom are granted the privilege of collecting their belongings, with some claiming several days of grace have been granted in the past.
They also questioned the fact he was detained shortly after being involved in a high-profile demonstration at Seoul World Cup Stadium in June during Korea's World Cup qualifying match with Iran.
But investigator Lee said Talebi was offered the opportunity to pick up his possessions, and the offer was refused. He added that his deportation had no connection to his involvement in the protest.
Lee insisted that there is no discriminatory rule against people from any particular country or group of countries.
Talebi had been fearful about returning to the Middle Eastern nation due to his activities in denouncing the circumstances surrounding the recent elections in his homeland, according to one friend.
He was pictured during the game brandishing a sign saying, "Where is my vote?" Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was re-elected in June amid claims of vote-rigging.
It is understood Talebi had planned to seek refuge at the United Nations in Dubai, but it is now believed he is in the process of returning to Iran.
The Korea Times this week made attempts to reach Talebi ― who says he has featured in acting roles on Arirang TV, MBC and KBS ― in order to investigate the circumstances surrounding his case, but he had not responded by press time.
When quizzed on the case Monday, the Korean Immigration Service said he had been deported and banned from the country in the past, and also committed a number of other breaches of the terms attached to his visa status in the country at various points in time.
Joseph Shim, a senior official at Seoul Theological University, said Talebi had been a good student, but seemed to accept the charges leveled against him by immigration. He said that he had expressed fears in the past about returning to Iran due to his participation in the protest during the World Cup qualifying match, and because, as a Muslim, he had studied theology at a Christian university. But Sim added that he believed Talebi was not a serious activist.
Immigration officials suspect Talebi will make an attempt to re-enter the country.