Amnesty International Kenya has released a statement condemning the abduction of seven Turkish asylum seekers (refugees) on October 18, 2024, in Nairobi.
The Turks namely Mustafa Genç, his son Abdullah Genç, Hüseyin Yeşilsu, Necdet Seyitoğlu, Öztürk Uzun, Alparslan Taşçı, and his wife Saadet Taşçı were reportedly kidnapped by unknown individuals.
While Abdullah Genç, Necdet Seyitoğlu, and Saadet Taşçı have been reportedly released, Öztürk Uzun, Alparslan Taşçı, and Hüseyin Yeşilsu remain missing and are at grave risk of refoulement – a serious violation of international law.
Amnesty Executive Director Irungu Houghton in a statement on Saturday, October 19, stated that the incident constitutes a breach of both Kenya and international refugee law.
“These individuals are refugees who have sought the protection of the Kenyan government. Their abductions underscore the growing concerns about the safety of all refugees and asylum seekers in Kenya, Amnesty stated,” he stated.
“Amnesty International Kenya is further concerned that they may be facing an imminent forceful and unlawful return to Turkey. Should this happen, they face considerable risk of serious human rights violations.”
Amnesty Director Condemns Turkish Abduction, Issues Demands
Irungu emphasized that abduction and forced return to countries that they have fled directly violates the principle of non-refoulement enshrined in Kenyan law, the 1951 Refugee Convention and the African Union Convention governing specific aspects of refugee problems in Africa.
He went on to call on the government to take immediate action to locate the missing individuals and ensure their safety and return to their families.
“We remind the Interior and Foreign Affairs Ministries, Judiciary of Kenya, Directorate of Criminal Investigations, Anti-Terrorism Police Unit, Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, Independent Policing Oversight Authority and the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights that transnational repression is an international crime,” Irungu said.
“We demand their swift and transparent investigation into the circumstances surrounding this abduction, and that those responsible be held accountable.”
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Furthermore, he called on the United Nations (UN) and the international community to remain seized of the implications of this development.
“That this is happening in the month that Kenya has successfully applied to become a member of the United Nations Human Rights Council is deeply concerning,” he added.
“The Kenyan government is required to ensure that all asylum seekers and refugees are protected from criminal abduction and unlawful return to countries where their lives and freedoms are in danger.”
He added, “It must uphold its legal obligations under the Kenyan Constitution, refugee laws, and international human rights treaties.”
Lawyers to Refugees Warns Airlines
Mukele & Kakai law firm, said in a statement that it was acting on behalf of four Turkish men who were registered refugees and warned airlines against accepting them as passengers from Nairobi to Turkey and through connecting flights.
“Our clients were abducted in Kenya with the aim of being deported back to Turkey where they are victims of political victimization,” the lawyers’ letter read.
“The Kenya airports authority and the Kenya civil aviation authority are also hereby notified to take cognizance of private airlines from Turkey within Kenyan airspace that may be used to refoul our clients to turkey where they will certainly face persecution.”
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Turkish Recounts Life in Hands of Abductors
Earlier, Necdet Seyitoğlu, who lived in the UK for 18 years before moving to Kenya two years ago, told BBC that he was released after eight hours when he showed his alleged abductors a copy of his British passport.
Seyitoğlu recounted a harrowing experience where a white SUV intercepted his vehicle as he left for work with a friend at 07:30 local time.
Four armed men blindfolded and handcuffed them, offering no explanation as they were driven to an unknown location.
Despite repeated pleas for identification or information, they received no response.
Eventually, Seyitoğlu convinced his abductors that he was a British citizen by showing them a digital copy of his passport.
After the abductors took a photo of passport, they received a call and subsequently released him.
The masked men, who Seyitoğlu said spoke Swahili, then dropped him off at a place he did not recognize and gave him Ksh1,000 for transport back home but refused to return his phone and laptop.
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