The Mehralibeyli family, living in the city of Julfa in Iranian Azerbaijan, has been unable to obtain an ID card for their child, despite the fact that three years have passed since the child's birth. The Iranian Civil Registration Office has refused to issue an ID card to their child, named Huntay.
In an interview with Voice of America, Taymaz Mehralibeyli, the father of the child named Huntay, shared the efforts he has made to obtain an ID card for his child and discussed the attitude of officials regarding this matter.
In recent years, it has become more common, particularly in Iranian Azerbaijan, for families to choose Turkish names for their children, only to face resistance from the Civil Registration Office, which refuses to issue ID cards for those names.
"Over the years, many Turkish names, which were part of the tradition of naming children in a nationalistic context, have been accepted by the Civil Registration Office, but many Turkish names are still opposed," Taymaz Mehralibeyli stated.
In Iran, families can only choose names from a list of approved names by the Civil Registration Office. Families wishing to obtain an ID card for their child with a name not on the list often face bureaucratic and legal procedures for months or even years.
Taymaz Mehralibeyli explained that the Civil Registration Office justifies its opposition to the name Huntay by claiming that it is not an Iranian name.
"While Turkish names are rejected because they are said to lack Iranian identity, there are many names from Greek or other countries and cultures that are included in Iran's list of approved child names. This is a discriminatory practice," he said.
Mehralibeyli also pointed out that due to the lack of an ID card for Huntay, the child is not eligible for medical insurance registration, and the family has to pay all medical expenses out of pocket for medications and treatments.
Despite all the difficulties, Mehralibeyli said he will continue trying to obtain an ID card for his child under that name and remains hopeful. He also mentioned that he has taken the case to court, but the court ruled in favor of the Civil Registration Office.
The right to freely choose a child's name is enshrined in Article 7 of the 1989 Convention on the Rights of the Child.
In Iran, a citizen without an ID card is unable to benefit from social services, and the refusal to issue ID cards to children in such situations violates human rights and exposes the children to serious problems.
Link to the original interview in Turkish on the Azerbaijani section of Voice of America:
İran Azərbaycanında Huntay adlı uşağa 3 ildir şəxsiyyət vəsiqəsi verilmir