Iran International
Backers of a petition to save an Iranian dissident and researcher in US immigration custody from deportation to Iran say he faces death if forced back to his homeland.
Erfan Qaneifard, a critic of Tehran's clerical establishment, has been in a US immigration and customs enforcement (ICE) detention center in Texas for over six months.
His strident rebukes of the Islamic Republic in books and editorials for Israel's Jerusalem Post newspaper may lead to a death sentence if US law enforcement carries through on plans to deport him, sponsors of a petition seeking his freedom told Iran International.
For them, Qaneifard’s case is a test of America’s moral commitment to protect those who speak out against tyranny.
Negar Karamati said Qaneifard told her in a phone call this week he is hopeful but exhausted.
“It’s not a pleasant place to be, especially when you haven’t done anything wrong,” she told Iran International. “He’s been there for over 200 days now — it’s an immigration issue, nothing more.”
Qaneifard has been held at the Prairieland Detention Center in Alvarado, Texas, since March 28, when he was detained after reporting to an ICE office in Dallas to update his address, according to his attorney, Masoud Peyma.
The center, which houses more than 700 detainees, has faced complaints of overcrowding and harsh conditions according to US media.
Peyma said Qaneifard, who was preparing to start a teaching position at a Dallas college, was instead detained and transferred to a facility for undocumented migrants.
"The risk is real. If he is sent back, his life will be in danger,” Peyma told Iran International. “There is no reason for him to remain in detention after six months.”
Karamati described Qaneifard as a demanding but deeply caring mentor who inspired her and other young Iranians to engage critically with politics and the media.
“He teaches in a way that you could sit for hours and learn,” she said. “Even in conversation, it feels like a lecture — he’s that informative and passionate.”
She said Qaneifard’s detention has devastated his friends and family. "Every voice counts in stopping this serious injustice,” she added.
Petition gains momentum
From California, grassroots activist Mojgan Mehdizadeh launched an online petition titled Free Erfan Qaneifard — Stop His Deportation to Danger that has gathered nearly 3,000 signatures, including Keramati's.
“I’ve followed his books and interviews for years,” Mehdizadeh said. “He’s an expert on Iran’s modern history and a critic of the regime. Sending him back would be a death sentence.”
The petition calls on the US President, Department of Homeland Security and State Department to release Qaneifard and halt any removal order.
It cites US and UN reports documenting torture, arbitrary detention and executions of political dissidents in Iran, urging Washington to uphold its obligations under the Convention Against Torture and the principle of non-refoulement.
'A test of America’s promise'
Qaneifard’s attorney, Masoud Peyma, told Iran International that ICE has contacted Iran’s Interests Section in Washington seeking travel documents, but Tehran has not responded.
He has filed motions in federal and immigration courts to secure his client’s release and reopen his asylum claim with new evidence of his political work.
Qaneifard’s earlier asylum request, filed in 2013, was rejected in 2018 for lack of evidence.
He reentered the United States in 2017 through the Mexico border, applied for asylum, and was previously detained at ICE facility in El Paso until 2020, during which time the US attempted to deport him through Azerbaijan, but he refused to board a Tehran-bound flight.
The case comes as the United States faces scrutiny for a series of deportations to Iran. A US-chartered flight recently carried dozens of Iranians to Tehran after stopping in Puerto Rico and Qatar, following months of talks between Washington and Tehran.
Immigration attorney Ali Herischi told Iran International that flight included political dissidents and Christian converts, some of whom were shackled and separated from their families before being handed over to Iranian authorities.
For Qaneifard’s supporters, that makes his situation even more urgent. “This man hasn’t done anything criminal,” one wrote in the petition. “If he is sent back to Iran, they will kill or torture him for speaking the truth.”
Between 2017 and 2024, Qaneifard wrote extensively about Iran’s security apparatus and regional militias, contributing commentary to Persian- and English-language outlets.
In one of his columns with the Jerusalem Post he wrote: “No one believes anymore that a bloodthirsty madman like Khamenei represents Allah or The Lord … The deceit of malicious and vile mullahs no longer finds buyers in Iranian society.”
For his friends, those words emblematize both his courage and the danger he faces. “America’s promise is to protect people who speak out against tyranny," Mehdizadeh's told Iran International. “Erfan’s case is a test of that promise.”
According to the official Mizan news agency, the pair—described in court documents as French intelligence employees—were convicted of espionage, collusion against national security, and cooperation with Israeli intelligence.
One received six years for espionage, five for collusion, and 20 years in internal exile; the other was sentenced to 10 years for espionage, five for collusion, and 17 years for aiding Israeli intelligence.
Iranian authorities did not name the two, but the case immediately drew comparisons with Cécile Kohler and Jacques Paris, a French teacher and her partner detained in May 2022 and accused of spying for Israel’s Mossad.
The judiciary said the defendants were arrested in March 2023 and had access to lawyers and contact with family during the proceedings.
They now have 20 days to appeal.
Ongoing dispute over detainees
Earlier Tuesday, judiciary spokesman Asghar Jahangir said Tehran continued to seek the release of Iranian citizen Mahdieh Esfandiari, detained in France on charges of promoting terrorism.
“The Human Rights Headquarters, in coordination with the Foreign Ministry, is making every effort for the unconditional release of our compatriot,” Jahangir said. He described the accusations against Esfandiari as “baseless,” adding that “support for the people of Palestine and opposition to genocide in Gaza cannot be considered a crime.”
In September, France withdrew its case against Iran at the International Court of Justice over the detention of Kohler and Paris. The move followed a meeting between French President Emmanuel Macron and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian in New York and was seen as a possible gesture toward reviving prisoner-exchange talks.
Iran maintains that all espionage cases are handled through “legal and transparent” procedures and denies using foreign detainees for political leverage. France, meanwhile, continues to demand the “immediate and unconditional” release of its nationals.
“Diplomacy will never be suspended, but we did not take part in a summit chaired by a party that takes pride in an illegal attack against our country,” Baghaei said, referring to the Monday meeting in Egypt that was led by US President Donald Trump.
The Sharm el-Sheikh summit, attended by leaders from the United States, Egypt, Turkey, Qatar, France, Germany and the United Kingdom, followed the signing of a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas that ended two years of war in Gaza. The deal included the release of 20 Israeli hostages in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners.
Baghaei said the meeting “had no international credibility” because it was not held under the supervision of the United Nations and several major countries, including China and Russia, were not invited. “A gathering of limited participants cannot claim to represent the global community,” he said, according to state radio.
He added that Iran viewed the conference as politically one-sided, given that it was chaired by “a party that not only supported but also celebrated illegal strikes against Iran earlier this year.”
In June, the United States joined Israel in a series of attacks on Iranian nuclear sites after indirect talks between Tehran and Washington stalled over enrichment and inspection terms. The strikes destroyed parts of Iran’s nuclear infrastructure and killed scientists and soldiers, according to Iranian officials.
Baghaei said Iran’s position on Gaza remained unchanged. “Our clear priority is ending the genocide in Gaza, ensuring the return of displaced residents and securing the withdrawal of the occupiers,” he said. “As long as the Palestinian right to self-determination is not recognized, no plan will lead to real peace.”
Iran rejects Trump’s remarks on peace
His remarks came after the Iranian Foreign Ministry rejected Trump’s comments about a possible peace deal with Tehran, calling them contradictory to US behavior. Trump said during the summit in Egypt that “it would be great if we made a peace deal with them,” and later told reporters that Iran “has been battered and bruised” by sanctions but would “come along” to negotiations.
Tehran said such comments could not be taken seriously in light of US sanctions and the June attacks. “How can one speak of peace while attacking residential areas and peaceful nuclear facilities and killing innocent people?” the ministry said on Monday.
Baghaei said Iran continued to rely on diplomacy “to safeguard national interests and promote peace,” emphasizing that participation in international affairs “is not limited to physical presence at summits.”
“The Islamic Republic has always used diplomacy as a tool to protect its sovereignty and to pursue peace and stability,” he said. “This approach will continue, but it will not come at the cost of our national dignity.”
