The Tragic Odyssey of Two Iranian Jewish Brothers

Two Iranian Jewish brothers were back in the custody of U.S. authorities today after a federal judge issued a temporary order late yesterday restraining the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) from continuing its attempts to deport the twins to a country which refuses to admit them. Judge Leo Glasser of the U.S. Federal Court for the Eastern District, acted after the Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) of New York, working in coordination with the U.S. Catholic Conference, intervened to end the “tragic odyssey” of Faramaz and Behrooz Sedgh, 23, who escaped from Iran in October, 1982.

The young men were flown from New York to Spain and back four times since last Thursday when INS officials first placed them aboard a TWA flight in execution of a deportation order issued earlier this month. Spain was their last country of departure before they reached the U.S. on January 22, 1983. But the Spanish authorities had informed the INS beforehand that the brothers would not be admitted to Spain.

BASIS FOR THE RESTRAINING ORDER

According to David Pollock, assistant director of the JCRC, Judge Glasser’s order was based on charges of mental and physical abuse of the deportees caused by the INS action. The restraint order expires at 4:30 p.m. tomorrow.

Pollock told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency that a writ of habeas corpus is expected to be issued today to force the INS to set bond and release the brothers in custody of relatives who live in New York. Peggy Tishman, president of the JCRC, announced yesterday that an appeal on behalf of the Sedgh brothers has been sent to President Reagan.

SHUTTLED BACK AND FORTH

The brothers were arrested when they first arrived in the U.S. 10 months ago for entering the country with false passports, their only means of escape from Iran. Various appeals for political asylum failed. Pollock told the JTA that the INS put them on a TWA flight to Spain at Kennedy International Airport last Thursday evening. They were back at JFK at 1 p.m. Saturday, the Spanish authorities having placed them on the first TWA flight to New York.

The INS persisted and at 8 p.m. Saturday, the Sedgh brothers were again airborne enroute to Spain. Again they were denied admission and landed at JFK at 2 p.m. yesterday for the second time in 24 hours.

They were about to be placed on an 8 p.m. flight back to Spain when Judge Glasser issued his restraining order. The brothers are presently in custody in the INS detention center at the old Brooklyn Navy Yard.

Pollock said it was hoped that the court’s action will prevent further deportation attempts at least until such time as the INS finds a country willing to admit the brothers. He said they have expressed no preference, their desire being to remain in the U.S.

REAGAN ASKED TO INTERVENE

JCRC president Tishman said in a statement yesterday: “The merry-go-round treatment of the Sedgh brothers is incomprehensible. We urge the INS to take steps immediately to put an end to this tragic odyssey in keeping with the humanitarian principles and compassion which the U.S. has long espoused. The JCRC has contacted President Reagan to ask his personal intervention in this matter.”

Until their trans-Atlantic shuttles began this weekend, the Sedgh brothers were held at an INS detention center where they were allegedly subjected to anti-Semitic assaults by other Iranian detainees. Jewish or- ganizations and the U.S. Catholic Conference tried repeatedly in vain to have them paroled on bond to relatives living in Queens.

Two weeks ago the Anti-Defamation League of B’nai B’rith entered such a plea, supported by Rep. Gary Ackerman (D. NY) who has taken a personal interest in the case. Ackerman was joined by 31 other Congressmen in urging that the brothers be “immediately” released to family members pending final decision on their request for political asylum.

Until this week, the names of the brothers were withheld to protect family members still living in Iran. Pollock said that it was decided, with the brothers’ concurrence, that their names could be released now without possible harm to their family in Iran.