A network of individuals, independent and alternative media activists and organisations, offering grassroots, non-corporate, non-commercial coverage of important social and political issues.

Stop the deportation of Farhad Shams

Unity | 24.03.2010 18:49 | Anti-racism

Emergency appeal - stop the deportation of Farhad Shams, friend of Benjamin
After the deportation of Benjamin Karimyon was prevented upon judicial review, we in Glasgow are now faced with the possibility that good friend of Benjamin, and other Calais Migrant Solidarity / No Borders activists from Calais, could be deported to Italy this Friday 26th March.

Farhad Shams HO Reference number S1433525
Farhad arrived in the UK after facing inhumane conditions in Italy and is worried for his safety if he is deported back there. We also believe that deportations contradict people's right to freedom of movement defined under Article 13 of the Human Rights Charter, as well as being illegal under Articles 3 and 5 of the Human Rights Act 1998.

He's due to be on the BA flight BA572 from Gatwick at 7:50am, 26th March and is currently being held at Brook House Detention Centre, near Gatwick airport, which you can reach on 01293 566500. If you are a Farsi speaker and would like to offer words of support to Farhad directly you can call the above number and then ask to speak with Farhad. You can also call the Home Office and the airline to demand consideration of Farhad's case for the following reasons:

1. Italy is not a safe country for Asylum Seekers:

Report by Thomas Hammarberg, Commissioner for Human Rights of the Council of Europe, following his visit to Italy on 13-15 January 2009

https://wcd.coe.int/ViewDoc.jsp?id=1428427&Site=CommDH&BackColorInternet=FEC65B&BackColorIntranet=FEC65B&BackColorLogged=FFC679

Human Rights Watch UPR Submission on Italy

http://www.hrw.org/en/news/2009/09/01/human-rights-watch-upr-submission-italy

Concentration camps for immigrants admission by Silvio Berlusconi

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/italy/5355280/Concentration-camps-for-immigrants-admission-by-Silvio-Berlusconi.html

05 February 2009 Amnesty International UA 29/09 Forcible return/fear of torture or other ill-treatment

http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/asset/EUR30/001/2009/en/57258fb6-f39c-11dd-b339-21ceadf1e5ba/eur300012009eng.html
(Amnesty Appeal from February last year)

2. Farhad is also personally in danger while in Italy because he has been threatened by people smugglers who claim he owes them money. Farhad’s life is in danger because of the traffickers and he has already been beaten up, which he did not report to the police.

Benjamin and Farhad are requesting that people take action to stop this in any way people think appropriate:

Ways you can help:

- write / fax a letter of support to the Home Office or email

public.enquiries@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk or

johnsona@parliament.uk
Please make sure to quote Farhad's full name and his HO Reference number S1433525

- contact the Unite union BA cabin crew strike, asking them to put pressure on BA:
Pauline Doyle: 0797 6832861

Ciaran Naidoo: 0776 8931315

- contact BA management urging them not to conduct deportation flights:
email:

willie.walsh@ba.com
Customer Relations phone: 0844 493 0 787 Monday-Friday 08:00-18:30 (hold line till operator answers)

- be at Gatwick airport early on Friday morning to talk to and leaflet passengers due to be on the flight to refuse to board in solidarity with Fahrad (contact Pete on 0775 734 2411 [leave a message if no contact there] or at northerner [at] riseup.net)

- any other ways you can think of!

The UNITY Centre
30 Ibrox Street
Glasgow
G51 1AQ

0141 427 7992
www.unitycentreglasgow.org

Unity

Comments

Hide the following 7 comments

hang on a minute

24.03.2010 20:07

I don't think its a good idea to put his full name and details of his flight online in the public domain if he is going to be in danger in Italy. Now that you've given the game away, surely all the bad guys need to do is wait for his flights to land and pick him up?

Bit irresponsible isn't it? Did you ask him if it is ok to post this information into the public domain.

If it was me, I certainly wouldn't want this information published if I was facing danger at the other end. I'd want it all kept confidential.

This makes me think this is a deliberate and deceitful article designed to endanger this person.

anon

Model Letter

24.03.2010 22:32

Could you provide a model letter?

Martin O'Neill

Not true

25.03.2010 11:43

"This makes me think this is a deliberate and deceitful article designed to endanger this person. "

Whether to publicise a case is a dilemma that we often face when deciding whether to publicise someone's case on Indymedia.

It was a deliberate decision by a group of us in Unity to put this out as an email and to post it on Indymedia however this was a decision taken after Farhd's lawyer had repeatedly refused to communicate with Farhad or his supporters to explain what they were doing to try to stop his removal.

The decision to publicise his case wasn't taken lightly and is a a final effort to stop him being forcibly removed to Italy taken by people who know Farhad well including people who have been in detention with him and consider themselves his good friends.

In no way could it be descibed as "deceitful" or "designed to endanger" Farhad....

UNITY

anon you need help or just go away

25.03.2010 15:45

anon your comments on every issue are either that of some one who has profound mental health problems or your a fascist agitator or both. I'd like to think you're just paranoid but you really need help. It is a desperate situation for refugees here they need all the help they can get last minute jobs involve rallying support once they've left the country what we can do to help is very limited. Why not do something to help and send some emails, make some phone calls for this individual, unity is key word here

concerned

excuse me

25.03.2010 19:56

i've just written my opinion, no need to insult me.

your comments break all the indymedia guidelines and should be removed.

rallying around is great, but if i was the guy i wouldn't want me flight details putting into the public domain if there was a risk of being met at the airport by the heavy mob.

whys that a 'mental health issue' you piece of shit?

anon

@Concerned

25.03.2010 20:18

I assume you have some kind of problem with people suffering with mental health issues?
These people are some of the most vulnerable in our society and people like you continue to degrade them as worthless. This is akin to insulting the disabled and racism.

Shame on you

Rover

stand by what i said

26.03.2010 15:30

I most certainly do not have anything against people with mental health problems, believe that everyone does to varying extents. It's just that I have read quite a few of 'anon's' comments recently and there is so much constant unconstructive negativity pretty much branding everyone as useless-'anarchists' 'communists' etc. It's not that there isn't a point about protecting identities at stake but as with any thing there is a constnt balancing act between raising profile to help and risking undue attention but it seems that raising the profile here may be someone's best chance. Especially when one considers for example in Wales recently someone working undrcover in a immigration centre exposed that they would ignore all cases that didn''t have the support of an MP. We all just have to do what we can, ultimately diversity of tactics is a strong thing when one looks at the movement as a whole, I just think you need to stop being so negative about what other people are doing 'anon', people have said it to me before... All this anger/hatred you regularlydisplay on here could be constructively used elsewhere