Swiss court rejects Iranian Behnam Vali’s asylum application — Jerusalem Post

Switzerland’s Federal Administrative Court has rejected the asylum application of Iranian national Behnam Vali Heydarian, also known as Ben Vali. The decision creates a risk of his deportation to Georgia and, according to him, potentially to Iran, The Jerusalem Post reports.

Asylum decision

Vali said that he arrived in Switzerland legally on a business visa. At the same time, according to him, during the consideration of his application, the Swiss side stated that he had entered the country illegally and had arrived from a “safe” country — Georgia.

The Iranian national said that he appealed the decision, insisting on an individual assessment of the risks and problems he claims to have faced in Georgia. According to Vali, the final response amounted to the position of Switzerland’s State Secretariat for Migration: Georgia is a safe country to which he can return.

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Claims of persecution

Vali previously told the publication that he had faced pressure in Georgia over pro-Israel activities after the October 7 attacks, as well as over his conversion to Christianity and the distribution of Bibles in Iran. He claims that he was attacked several times, threatened over his continued support for Israel, and that his bank accounts were repeatedly blocked without warning.

Vali also said that returning to Iran could put him at risk of execution because of his public support for Israel, religious conversion, and proselytism. Mikheil Grishashvili, a representative of the Peace Synagogue in Georgia, said that Vali has been an active member of the local Jewish community since 2023 and has become increasingly involved in Judaism.

According to Vali, a ban on re-entering Switzerland could prevent him from seeking asylum in European Union countries. He also appealed to the Israeli authorities for protection but received no response.