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Last call to Justice for Banaz Mahmod
22.6.2009
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An
Open letter to the Kurdistan Regional Government
(KRG) and the high court in Sulaimaniyah
June 22, 2009
In January 2006 four Kurdish men entered Banaz Mahmod’s
family home in London. They anally raped her between
them for over two hours and strangled her with a
boot lace for reasons of honour. Her crime, she had
left her husband who had himself repeatedly brutally
raped her. Her Uncle Ari Mahmod, and father Mahmod
Mahmod were convicted of this crime in London and
sentenced to 25 years in prison.
Two others involved, Mohammed Ali and Omar Hussein
fled to Sulaimaniyah, and boasted that a senior PUK
politician, mentioned by name would protect them.
Mrs Hero Talabani assured the British that Ali and
Hussein would be returned to England to answer for
their crimes,www.ekurd.net
and the then PUK
Interior Minister Mr Otham put Ali in custody in
Sulaimaniyah awaiting his extradition to the UK. |
Banaz Mahmod Babakir Agha, Found dead, brutally
killed by her family in UK. Banaz had left her husband and
fall in love with an Iranian Kurd. |
The British Government
formally requested Ali and Hussein’s extradition to
London, under the Iraq UK Extradition Treaty. In
December 2008 at the invitation of the Iraqi
Government and the Kurdistan Regional Government
(KRG) the British flew to collect Ali, but just
before arriving in Sulaimaniyah at the last minute
the KRG refused to hand Ali over, claiming that the
Iraqi Government had discovered a previously unknown
legal problem.
Subsequently the Iraqi Government assured the
British that the KRG must hand Ali over, and the
British expected the KRG to comply with this
instruction. On 18th June 2009 for reasons known
only to the KRG, the Sulaimaniyah Criminal Court
chaired by Judge Shaykh Latif declined to order
Ali’s extradition, claiming that Iraq may not be
allowed to extradite its own citizens. He is now
considering the matter.
The British and Iraqi Governments are certain that
Iraq can extradite its own citizens. If Iraq cannot
extradite its own citizens, then why is there an
Iraq UK extradition Treaty.
In December 2008 the KRG would not extradite because
of instructions from Baghdad. Now that Baghdad has
instructed the extradition to go ahead, the KRG is
not following Baghdad’s instructions. This
contradiction suggests that the KRG is seriously
reluctant to extradite Ali.
Why is Shayk Latif holding a court hearing that is
not required, citing a legal problem that does not
exist, and failing to act according to a lawful
extradition request. There is serious concern in the
media,www.ekurd.net
amongst women’s and
human rights organisations that the court may
release Ali, confirming to those that commit honour
killings, that Kurdistan is a safe place for them.
Mr Talabani and Barzani have personally pledged to
ensure that men that murder women in the name of
honour must be punished. Actions and not words will
prove if they are serious, and whether Ali and
Hussein’s boasts that they are protected are true.
We wait to see if both leaders will keep their word
to the women of Kurdistan.
Copyright, respective author or news agency,
Kurdish News | Kurdishmedia com
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