Serkan Eren, founder of German aid organization STELP, sentenced to 10 years in prison in Iran

Serkan Eren, founder and general manager of the Stuttgart-based aid organization STELP, went to Iran on June 23, 2025, to support civilians affected by Israeli attacks.

Eren, who carried out humanitarian aid works especially for women and children through the collaborations he established, was detained and arrested by the police while trying to leave the country on June 28, 2025.

Eren, who was detained and tried, was sentenced to 10 years in prison by the Iranian court for "establishing connections with a country considered an enemy".

Serkan Eren's Italian wife, Giulia Cardascia, requested help from Türkiye for the release of her husband.

Guiulia Cardascia, who runs a restaurant in Stuttgart, made a statement after her meetings at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Ankara.

Cardascia said that they were going through a difficult process due to the detention and punishment of his wife, who carried out aid activities in 24 countries on 3 continents, and who was awarded the Order of Merit by German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier in 2023.

Cardascia said, "In June 2025, my husband, Serkan Eren, went to Iran as part of humanitarian aid efforts to help women and children, especially after the war in Iran. He was arrested by the police while trying to go abroad from Iran on June 28, 2025. He has been detained in Iran since then. We received terrible news 2 weeks ago. My wife was sentenced to 10 years in prison. She is accused of contacting a country that seems hostile to Iran. This situation is shocking for us. "It happened," he said.

Cardascia said that her husband also carried out aid activities in Türkiye after the earthquakes on February 6, establishing a container city and a nursery, and said, “I would like to thank the State of the Republic of Turkey for their support and assistance.

I request the government and authorities of the Republic of Türkiye to provide their assistance for the safe release of my wife.

My wife is a person who engages in activities to help all people. He carried out humanitarian aid work all over the world. "However, he is currently in a difficult situation and we want to do what is necessary to help him get out of this situation," he said.

Asking for his wife's release, Cardascia said, "My wife is truly a wonderful person. She is someone who empathizes, shares the pain of others, helps them and thinks of herself last."

That's why I want both him and us to be helped. We expect support from the government of the Republic of Türkiye, especially in this regard. "We want him to return to our home again," he said.

Cardascia also stated that Serkan Eren suffered from heart disease after a traffic accident in the past years and said that his wife should undergo regular health checks and be under the supervision of a doctor.

Cardascia expressed his concern about his wife's health condition under the conditions of detention in Iran.