Iranian beauty queen Bahareh Zare Bahari has spent almost two weeks in Manila's international airport. Photo / Instagram
Iranian beauty queen Bahareh Zare Bahari has spent almost two weeks in Manila's international airport. Photo / Instagram
An Iranian beauty queen has been holed up inside Manila's international airport for 13 days, begging for asylum over fears she could be killed if she returns to Tehran.
Bahareh Zare Bahari, who represented Iran at the 2018 Miss Intercontinental pageant in Manila, was detained at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport on October 17 after Interpol issued a worldwide request for her arrest, known as a red notice.
A statement from the Philippines Immigration Department described Zare Bahari as a "fugitive" and said she was wanted for an "assault and battery case" in Dagupan, a city about 220 kilometres northwest of Manila.
But Ms Zare Bahari, who said she moved to the Philippines five years ago to study dentistry, believes the Iranian Government requested the red notice and is trying to silence her over her political views.
Bahareh Zare Bahari says she made the statement on behalf of her people. Photo / Facebook
At the 2018 Miss Intercontinental pageant, the beauty queen stood on stage holding a photo of Iran's former crown prince Reza Pahlavi, whose family was overthrown in the 1979 Iranian Revolution, as well as the flag of the former Iranian monarchy.
Iran became an Islamic republic following the revolution and Pahlavi now lives in exile in the United States, where he advocates for a regime change.
'I WILL FACE RAPE AND BE BEATEN'
Zare Bahari said she made the statement to try to "be the voice" of her people and denies committing any crime in either Iran or the Philippines.
"I didn't have any crime in Iran or here. I am six years living here without any problem or crime," she said in a live video on Facebook.
In another video, she said: "If they deport me I will face long prison sentences, at least for 25 years. I will face rape and be beaten in Iran jail – that's very common in Iran jail".
Bahareh Zare Bahari says she fears for life in Iran. Photo / Facebook
Zare Bahari said she was "mentally sick" after spending almost two weeks confined inside a small white room at the airport.
"Still I am here in Manila airport terminal three … 13 days … I need a safe place to live without constantly fearing for my life. I think Philippines is not a safe place for me anymore," she said on Tuesday.
"I would like other countries to help me move there because I cannot feel safe here in Philippines anymore," she added.
Human Rights Watch deputy director Phil Robertson said on Twitter he was "worried" for Zare Bahari's safety.
"There have been repeated incidents where rights repressing states in the Middle East have abused the Interpol process to try to force the return of dissidents overseas," he said.
The statement from the Philippines Immigration Department did not say which country had issued the red notice.
According to one official, she "made a scene" at the airport and screamed "Jesus kill you all Filipinos!"
"Foreign nationals should respect our laws when they are in our country. Improper behaviour and derogatory remarks gave the officer further reason to deny Zare Bahari's entry," Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente said.
