Iranian beauty queen barred from entering PH

MANILA, Philippines — An Iranian beauty queen was prevented from entering the country due to an Interpol red notice issued against her, the Department of Justice (DOJ) said Sunday.

Citing information from the Bureau of Immigration (BI), Justice Undersecretary Markk Perete said beauty queen Bahare Zare Bahari has a pending red notice against her based on a criminal case for assault filed against her in Iran by a fellow Iranian.

The said assault incident allegedly happened in the Philippines, Perete said.

Perete explained that Bahare’s case is not of deportation, but rather exclusion.

“Deportation pertains to the removal of an alien already in the country for cause, while exclusion pertain to the state’s refusal to allow an alien to enter its territory,” Perete said.

“While the exclusionary proceedings against her has been terminated, Bahare remains in BI custody and could not be sent back to Iran as she has filed an application for asylum,” Perete said.

Perete said they are still waiting for the immigration bureau regarding the said application for asylum but he assured that the justice department will resolve the application “in due time.”

“I am not sure if Iran follows the territoriality principle in determining criminal jurisdiction. There are a number of states which base criminal jurisdiction on extra territoriality, on the basis of nationality, etc,” Perete said.

BI Port Operations Division Chief Grifton Medina earlier said that the beauty queen arrived at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia) from Dubai last October 17.

BI Naia Terminal 3 Head Bradford Allen So said Bahare and her Iranian friend, Minbashi Moeini Morteza, “caused a scene,” with Morteza entering restricted areas at the airport.

“Morteza was unruly. He was able to enter restricted areas at the airport, collect the luggage of Bahari, and sneak into the immigration arrival area to personally fetch his compatriot, surprisingly without an airport pass,” So was quoted as saying in a statement released by the immigration bureau.

“Morteza and Bahari were already causing a scene, and had to be forced apart by airport authorities, as Zare Bahari was screaming ‘Jesus kill you all Filipinos!’” So added.

In a video she shared on Facebook last Friday, Bahari said she did not commit any crime in Iran or in the Philippines. /je