Iranian beauty queen begs the Philippines for asylum over fears for her life after Tehran demanded her extradition for an ‘assault’ as she dismisses the claims as a ‘big lie’
- Bahareh Zare Bahari, 31, has been detained at Ninoy Aquino airport for six days
- Iran issued an Interpol Red Notice for her on an assault and battery charge
- Ms Bahari says it is fabricated and claims ‘they will kill me’ if she is extradited
- She believes she has been targeted for her anti-regime and feminist views
An Iranian beauty queen is begging the Philippines for asylum, fearing that she will be killed if she is deported after Tehran demanded her extradition for assault.
Bahareh Zare Bahari, a dental student who represented Iran at the 2018 Miss Intercontinental pageant in Manila, has been detained at Ninoy Aquino airport for six days after Iran put out an Interpol Red Notice.
The 31-year-old says the assault charge is ‘a big lie,’ believing she has been targeted for her political views on the Islamic Republic and support of women’s rights.
If sent back to her homeland, ‘They will kill me,’ she told The Telegraph, ‘There is no updating, no information about the reason why [they] keep me here so long.’
Bahareh Zare Bahari, a dental student who represented Iran at the 2018 Miss Intercontinental pageant in Manila, has been detained at Ninoy Aquino airport for six days after Iran put out an Interpol Red Notice
In January she appeared at a pageant in Manila carrying a picture of Reza Pahlavi, the last heir apparent to the Imperial State of Iran, while draped in the pre-revolutionary flag
The Philippine authorities said she had been ‘restrained’ from entering their territory because of the Red Notice.
The 31-year-old beauty queen says the allegation against her is a ‘big lie’
The charge against Ms Bahari is one of assault and battery and relates to an alleged incident with an Iranian national in the Philippines.
However, Markk Perete of the Philippine department of justice, told The Telegraph: ‘We don’t have any cause for refusing her entry for violation of our laws.’
Her asylum bid is now under review and she is receiving legal counsel.
In January she appeared at a pageant carrying a picture of Reza Pahlavi, the last heir apparent to the Imperial State of Iran, while draped in the pre-revolutionary flag.
Mr Pahlavi, who lives in exile, is seen as a champion of democracy and someone who could one day help bring a post-clerical state.
‘I used his photo on stage to be [the] voice of my people because all news and media are ignoring my people,’ Ms Bahari told the paper.
She is confined to Terminal 3 as she fears for her life or a minimum of 25 year in an Iranian jail.
She denies committing any crimes in either the Philippines or Iran, where she has studied dentistry since 2014 (pictured representing Iran at a beauty pageant)
She denies committing any crimes in either the Philippines or Iran, where she has studied dentistry since 2014.
On Tuesday, Human Rights Watch asked for the Philippines to give Ms Bahari adequate support while she seeks asylum and reiterated that an Interpol Red Notice is null and void if the person charged is a refugee.
Mr Perete told Arab News reports she would be deported imminently were false, saying that she ‘could not be sent back to Iran because she has filed an application for asylum.’