| Release Delshad Zorab and grant him asylum in the UK |
Delshad Namiq Zorab Back in Doncaster where he belongs
"Why do they do this? I am not a criminal, I am not Saddam Hussain or George Bush" Delshad asked. The threat of deportation still looms, despite Delshad being an active member of the banned Worker Communist Party of Iraq, suffering persecution in Kurdistan and Iraq, and further harassment in the UK for his political activity. The campaign for his right to remain in the UK will continue. Photo: Delshad on the *SYMAAG march for "Dignity Not Detention" October 2007 Release Delshad Zorab and grant him asylum in the UK Delshad was born in 1/7/1956 in the village of Sewsenan, Sulaimaniyah, into a politically active family. Both he and his family have been the regular victims of persecution for their political beliefs and activities; his brother Kamal was killed by Saddam Hussein's Baath regime for being a member of the Iraqi Communist Party, 70 people from Delshad's village, mainly family members and friends were killed in a chemical attack, similar to Halabja, by the Iraqi army on 22/3/1988. Delshad has been involved in many demonstrations and meetings calling for the end to violence and war in Kurdistan and for equal rights of women and children against religious and nationalist organisations. As a result of this campaigning Delshad has been the target of persecution by the Kurdish nationalist parties - the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and by some Islamic groups. He was arrested and tortured on a several occasions by the Kurdish nationalist parties and by the Baathist Iraqi regime. Delshad has lived in the UK since 2003. He has demonstrated with the South Yorkshire Migration and Asylum Action Group (SYMAAG) outside Lindholme IRC in 2007 against the detention of those who had committed no crime. He spoke passionately on demonstrations in London and Newcastle for asylum seekers' right to work and against deportations to Kurdistan. Just before he was detained he was helping to establish a scheme in Doncaster to help exchange asylum vouchers for cash. All his life Delshad has supported those people persecuted by dictatorship, big business and bigotry. Now he needs our support. When I spoke to Delshad today in the detention centre he said "I want you to tell everyone 'thank you' for supporting me". Sign the petition at http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/release-delshad-namiq-zorab.html Write, email or fax Home Secretary Jacqui Smith. A model letter is at the above web address. Remember to quote Delshad's Home Office Reference number: H1050750 in all correspondence. Please send copies of your emails to SYMAAG Contact Delshad's MP Rosie Winterton MP: 01302 326 297 Read more about the danger facing those deported to Kurdistan from the website of the Coalition to Stop Deportations to Iraq: http://www.csdiraq.com/ Source for this page: |
Released but still under threat: Delshad Namiq Zorab from Iraqi Kurdistan (and Doncaster!) was released from Campsfield IRC on Thursday 26th after 10 days - despite having an ongoing fresh asylum claim. A condition of his release was that he wear an electronic tag and report twice a week to UKBA Vulcan House in Sheffield.