Friday, February 16, 2007

Afghan Murdered After Being Denied Political Asylum

This is a sad story about an Afghan, Abdullah Tokhi, who was denied political asylum in Britain because the authorities claimed "that the rule of law prevails in Afghanistan." He was murdered shortly after his return to Afghanistan. Kim Sengupt of The Independent (UK) reports on this story in her article Another true story of our asylum policy.

"Abdullah Tokhi fled Afghanistan in fear of his life. He asked for sanctuary in Britain. We sent him back. Within a year he was dead"
"They shot Abdullah Tokhi dead at midday, in a crowded street in a bazaar. It was a very public 'execution', a message to show that his killers knew they would never be brought to account for their crime."
"...this was one death that could have been prevented if the officials in London who turned down his plea for refuge had acknowledged what is really going on, instead of sticking rigidly to the official position that the rule of law prevails in Afghanistan."
"...the English authorities would not believe him. They told him Afghanistan was safe, and he should go back..."
"...A week after his father's death, 10-year-old Nasratullah was on his way to school when he was shot from a car."

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