In its documentary, BBC introduces Abouzar Soltani and his ten-year-old son Armin who have been living in a transit zone on the Hungarian-Serbian border for over a year now.
Abouzar Soltani made his documentary called Fish on his own mobile phone about his time in the transit zone which premiered at Verzió, an international human rights documentary film festival in Budapest. Hungarian authorities did not let the creator out of the closed-off zone for this occasion either, reports Index.
Abouzar Soltani had a stellar job in Iran. He worked in PR and as a decorator at a healthcare provider. Three and a half years ago, he decided to leave his country with his son since he wanted to live in a place where those who have different opinions have nothing to be afraid of.
They arrived in Bulgaria first where they were locked up for 3 months, and then they had waited in Serbia for two and a half years to step into Hungary through the transit zone in Röszke. Hungarian authorities are unwilling to accept their application for asylum because they arrived through Serbia, which is deemed a safe country.
Soltani and his son were deported, but Serbian authorities would not take them back. So, the new destination of deportation is Iran; however, Soltani had converted to Christianity years ago, for which he could be sentenced to death in Iran. The Soltanis have sued the Hungarian state 3 times already.
At the end of the video, the text states that, according to UNHCR data, 178 children were in the Hungarian transit zone in October 2019.
Hungarian authorities claim that the transit zone surrounded by barbed wire is not a prison. For instance, a playground has been set up, and the area is open on one side; everyone is welcome to go back to Serbia at any time.
- Sharpen your perspective – The 16th Verzio Film Festival is coming soon
- Over 80 people held a protest in Röszke
Featured image: https://twitter.com/zoranmedia
Source: Index.hu, bbc.com/news
1 comment
If BBC is so interested in this case, take them to England !