Family Protests in Iran Over Denial of ID for Child Named Huntay Due to Turkish Name

Hamid Melikoglu, Voice of America, November 16, 2023

The family of Huntay, deprived of an ID card

Taymaz Mehrelibeyli, along with several family members, held a protest in front of the Civil Registry Office in the city of Julfa, East Azerbaijan Province.

Taymaz Mehrelibeyli, the father of Huntay, has been trying for several years to obtain an ID card for his son, but all his efforts have been in vain so far.

The protest by the Mehrelibeyli family took place on Huntay's sixth birthday, in front of the Civil Registry Office, as they still couldn't obtain the ID card.

During the protest, Taymaz Mehrelibeyli stated that he had been deprived of the most basic right to choose his child’s name, saying, “We insist on choosing this name for our child.”

The Mehrelibeyli family held signs during the protest with slogans like "My name is Huntay" and "Choosing a child's name is one of the fundamental rights of citizenship." They also celebrated Huntay's sixth birthday by bringing a birthday cake as a sign of protest.

In an interview with Voice of America, Taymaz Mehrelibeyli claimed that the reason his son has not been issued an ID card is because the name they chose is completely Turkish.

He stated that the Civil Registry Office opposed the name, arguing that it was not an Iranian name, but Mehrelibeyli pointed out that many non-Iranian names, including Greek ones, are on Iran's approved name list, suggesting that the Registry’s justification was not based on reality.

Additionally, Taymaz Mehrelibeyli, the brother of southern political activist Yürüş Mehrelibeyli, who was arrested by security forces last week, called for the immediate release of his brother.

Link to the original text in Turkish on the Azerbaijani section of Voice of America:
6 yaşlı Huntayın ailəsi Qeydiyyat İdarəsinin qarşısında piket keçirib

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