Ziadah's 2 year old British born son has been granted citizenship but Ziadah still faces deportation.   If Ziadah is deported she may be split up from her son, possibly forever.

Ziadah applied for asylum in this country on 3 rd April 2003.   She says she was forced to flee her home in Uganda due to being threatened, raped, tortured and persecuted by members of the Tabliq sect.

After refusing to marry a Tabliq member at the age of 13, Ziadah was abducted on her way home from school, gang raped and tortured.   After this ordeal Ziadah was ill for a year and her body remains scarred where she was burnt by Tabliq members with wood and hot charcoal from a fire.

In a further act of revenge, Ziadah says the Tabliq shot her father dead in front of her.   She says the Tabliq further demanded that Ziadah's widowed mother marry a Tabliq - they threatened her and she disappeared.   Ziadah says that the Tabliq attacked and killed family friends who were protecting her.

Ziadah has tried to live elsewhere in Uganda but she says the Tabliq continued to threaten and harass her; she lost two different jobs when her employers were threatened by the Tabliqs for employing her and one business she worked for was forced to close.   As an only child, Ziadah has no family left to protect her in Uganda.

The asylum adjudicator accepted that Ziadah's father had been murdered by the Tabliq and that her mother had been threatened by the Tabliq into disappearing but does not believe Ziadah "feared for her safety from Tabliq".

Ziadah was unrepresented at her asylum appeal hearing - she had solicitors but they left her standing in court on her own.   Ziadah managed to secure an adjournment for herself and instructed a second firm of solicitors.   The first firm failed to release her papers to the second solicitor and so she was left to represent herself again.   This time she could not secure an adjournment and the adjudicator refused to grant her asylum.

Through no fault of her own, many of the key arguments that should have been raised at the hearing were not raised.   Ziadah's claim that she was abducted raped and tortured was not mentioned in court.

She now has her son who was born in this country.   If removed to Uganda, Ziadah says she will be under real threat from the Tabliq and also at risk of being stoned, as she had her baby son outside of marriage.

With guidance from the Law Society, Ziadah has launched a formal complaint against her previous solicitors.

Ziadah now has a new legal representative who has requested a fresh claim be considered because Ziadah's abduction, rape and torture was not taken into account by the adjudicator.   The request is backed by a report by an independent forensic physician who has confirmed that Ziadah is suffering psychological distress as a result of her ordeal and that medical evidence: 'gives strong support to Ziadah's history of physical assault by burning and is consistent with the history of rape.'   The request is also backed by a report prepared by independent expert on Uganda which supports Ziadah's fears that: 'her status as a single mother would contribute to the risk she faces...' and that there is evidence that the police would be unable to protect her from the Tabliq if she returned to Uganda.

I appeal to you to look favourably on new representations on Ziadah's behalf.

How you can help:
 
Friends and supporters have set up a writing and Petition campaign to persuade Liam Byrne, the Minister for Immigration, that Ziadah and Sharif should be allowed to remain in the UK together.

1. The campaign has drawn up a Model Letter which you could copy/amend, or better still, write your own version with your own comments. If you do write your own version, please include Ziadah's Home Office ref.  N2074592.  There is also a Petition (attached) (blank sheets can be photocopied).

Fax or post the attached letter (copy/amend/write your own version) to Liam Byrne MP, the minister of immigration:

Fax: 020 7035 4745 from outside the UK + 44 20 7035 4745

Liam Byrne
Minister for Immigration
3rd Floor
Peel Building
2 Marsham Street
London
SW1P 4DF

2. The campaign is asking everyone to make copies of and sign the Petition and Model Letter (or to write their own), and get as many other people as possible to do the same, and return them to the campaign at the below address, or fax them to the campaign on 0161 2245111. When they have collected enough letters and completed petition sheets, the campaign will get them presented to the Minister for Immigration.

Ziadah and Sharif Must Stay Campaign,
c/o 11 Madison Street,
Gorton,
Manchester
M18 8SE

3. Watch Ziadah'sDigital Diaries DVD. Why not hold a screening of these films at your school, college, church, mosque, or even just show friends at home on your computer !

 
Source for this page: Ziadah and Sharif Must Stay Campaign