Innumerable non-governmental organizations gathered to protest the refoulments of two Azeri citizens, İslam Ganiyev and Fuzuli Muharremov by force, following the refoulment of 23-year-old young Kazakh Samet Emirhanov to Kazakhstan even without informing his family.
The Muslims gathered Fatih Post Office, Istanbul upon ÖZGÜRDER’s call protested the refoulement of the refugees/immigrants by claiming that they are the custodial of the God. The action of the protest was participated by the representations of numerous organizations and other refugees, together with the relatives of the mother to be refouled, whose four children, spouse and father were martyred, even her son was sick,
Innumerable persons supported the protest backed by İMKANDER, MAZLUMDER Istanbul Branch Office and IHH. The protest action was participated by another Chechenian mother whose son was about to be refouled, together with the representatives of the innumerable non-governmental organizations.
The banners were unfurled, reading: “Shame to Deliver Refugee Brothers to Torturers” during the action, where the speeches were delivered by Rıdvan Kaya, President of Özgür-Der, Arife Gökkaya, the attorney, Legal Coordinator of Mazlumder, Murat Özer, President of İMKANDER, Gülden Sönmez, Member, İHH Board of Directors and Kesirat Midaeva, Chechenian mother whose son was notified on the refoulement, arguing that such defoulement was nothing but the shame and crime against he humanity. Meanwhile, the worse accommodation conditions faced by the refugees in Kumkapı Foreigners Branch were criticized.
Requesting the security of legal status for the refugees, the speakers also emphasized that the refoulement procedures were illegal and clear breach of the rights. In her speech Arife Gökkaya said: “Having taken shelter in Turkey in few days ago on account of their political identities, the refugees were sent back to their countries where they were tortured, without completion of the proceedings on their refugee request by disregarding their rights. This has been clear breach of the fundamental right of non-refoulement of the people. Anyone who was authorizing the refoulement are in charge of the outcomes of their fates.
In his speech, Rıdvan Kaya, President of Özgür-Der said "We consider that it is torture to deport the people back to their countries where they run away. We see that only Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Prime Minister is in the position to solve the problems. otherwise our request thereof might be lost in the corridors of Security Department or Ministry of Internal Affairs”. Kaya then continued: “What we witnessed in regard to the refoulement of our brothers to the countries they were subjected to torture just because they are Muslims is the shame of the government and no code or procedures in this regard can be regarded as legal. The accusations made for those people as being the member of Al-Kaida were groundless. In no case it is possible to claim that the refoulement of the people to the countries where they are tortured". Kaya concluded his remarks: “This is now the matter in the responsibility of Prime Minister of Turkey".
Murat Özer, President of İMKANDER pointed out his comments on the matter: “During the week, one Kazakh and two Azeri brothers were refouled to their countries. As it was the same in various instances before, there will be further brothers of ours to be refouled.” Özer pointed out the significance of the case via underlining via the very facts: “Turkish people should be very keen in this regard, because this people is inherently refugee. There are so many people living in this country, deported from the Caucasia, Balkans and other places.” With his remarks, he continued: “Innumerable refugee brothers of ours are kept in the foreigners department among the criminals as if they are drug traffickers” to emphasize the troubles faced.
Gülden Sönmez, member, board of directors of İHH said: “The difficulties brought by the government in accepting the refugee status of those people seeking shelter in Turkey is not acceptable. For this reason, the problem encountered in the respective legislation should be solved. Having emphasized the unjust treatment, she then continued: “Our brothers experienced considerable risk upon refoulements, however, the government may release such oppressions on our brothers by making use of available political mechanisms.”
Kesirat Midaev, whose four children, father and spouse were martyrized and finally her last son was refouled to his country recently, remarked: “My son was unable to joint to the resistance, since he was ill. We came to Turkey after visiting so many countries with him. But they don't let us free here either. It’s me who raised my sons in regard to the cihad-resistance. If someone to be refouled due to such crime, its me.“
During the action, the slogans were shouted, including "Muslims Resist Refuse Obeying Torture!”, “Don’t Send Refugees to Die”, Muslims, Raise and Defend Refugees!”, “Barricade for Tortures not Refugees”, “Refugees Guest Brothers!”, “İslam Ganiyev is our Pride”, “Stop Refoulement Decision!”, “Refugees Custodial of God!” The protestors also shouted the slogans like “Don’t Sent Refugees, Our Guests to Die!”, “Don’t Forget, You Might be Refugee any Day!”, “Care for Caucasian Refugees!”, “Stop Torturing Refugee Brothers!”, ”Turkey: Observe Provisions of Geneva 1951 Treaty”.
Following the completion of the action, a letter was sent to Prime Minister Erdoğan to stop the torture and refoulement decision for the refugees.
İslam Ganiyev and Fuzuli Muharremov, Imams of Azerbaijan Sumkayıt Mosque were handcuffed and refouled to Azerbaijan after they sheltered to Turkey due to the oppressions against their Islam identities. Likewise, Samet Emirhanov was refouled to Kazakhstan without notifying his family in an illegal manner. The concern was on the execution or heavy imprisonment in their countries where they were deported.
4 Şehid Annesi Çeçen Anne Haykırdı "Suçlu Benim... ile imkan-der
ÖZGÜRDER - RIDVAN KAYA
MURAT ÖZER, PRESIDENT OF İMKANDER
KESİRAT MİDAEVA, CHECHENIAN MOTHER
GÜLDEN SÖNMEZ, ATTORNEY, VICE PRESIDENT OF İHH
ARİFE GÖKKAYA, ATTORNEY, MAZLUMDER LEGAL COORDINATOR
Letter Sent to Prime Minister Erdoğan:
IT IS BIG SHAME AND TORTURE TO DEPORT OUR REFUGEE BROTHERS TO TORTURERS!
March 23, 2012
Dear Prime Minister,
There has been grave developments one after another in regard to the refugee brothers sheltered to Turkey. We hope that you are not informed on what has already done and therefore we sent this letter to you, to make you informed and request you to say "stop" to all these grave events.
This morning two Azeri citizens, namely, İslam Ganiyev and Fuzuli Muharremov, were refouled to Azerbaijan, where they escaped and came to Turkey, following the refoulment of 23-year-old young Kazakh Samet Emirhanov on March 19, even without informing his family by disregarding his legal rights.
Both of them were under oppression in their countries just because of their Islam identities. İslam Ganiyev and Fuzuli Muharremov, Imams of Azerbaijan Sumkayıt Mosque sheltered to Turkey and applied for their acceptance as refugees, to free from the torture and live their religions without any restriction. Unfortunately they were kept at Kumkapı Foreigners Branch for moths and then they were sent to Yeşilköy Airport by force to be deported to Azerbaijan in the very early hours of the morning.
Azerbaijan is ruled under dicta regime where human rights are abused systematically. It is known as the state of torture, on account of the fact that the legal rights are not observed and all kind of tortures are applied to Islam opponents. Even under foregoing conditions, we cannot understand why they were deported to a country, where they will be under the risk of death or at least they will be bound to subject to the heavy torture and imprisonment, even if they sought shelter in our country.
Turkey is systematically introduced as “big country” and “prestigious country” by your government. On the other hand, we would like to state that deportation of the refugees seeking shelter and let them be in the hands of the regimes they run away cannot be considered as “valid" attitude in regard to universal legislation on the human right, and in particular for the principles of the conscious and justice, since it is quite clear that they will be under oppression and torture.
There were so many times of cruelty, as we had experienced, the refoulements of the Muslims fled away from their countries during the previous governments and in particular during the course of February 28, when Bülent Ecevit and Mesut Yılmaz governments were in power. Nonetheless, we were not surprised these tortures we hated. In fact we cannot expect just and pitiful attitudes from those who pursue hostile policies against the Muslims of their own country against the people in exile from various countries.
On the other hand, we are in difficulty to explain and asses those we have witnessed recently. We see that it is very severe contradiction and unjust behavior to let our brothers deported to the hands of the tortures even if the threats on the torture and death, while the borders are wide opened on behalf of thousands and ten thousands of our brother in regard to very brave and honorable manner.
It is clear that both Kazakh Samet Emirhanov deported to Kazakhstan and İslam Ganiyev and Fuzuli Muharremov, refouled to Azerbaijan, escaped and came to Turkey because they were influenced by your affirmative and encouraging messages you disseminated to Muslims of the world. Now, you may estimate how they and their family are disappointed.
Unfortunately, it’s been argued that there are so many of our brothers were kept at Kumkapı Foreigners Branch and waiting for sharing the same fortune.
Dear Mister Prime Minister, these people are your brothers. Please do your best!
ÖZGÜR-DER
İMKANDER
İHH
MAZLUMDER
Letter by Mrs. A. Ganiyev, spouse of İslam Ganiyev to Human Right Organizations
In the Name of Sparing ad Forgiving Allah...
Es-Selamun Aleykum
My daughter is 6-month old and didn’t see her father for six months. Today, her father consoles himself by looking at the photograph of his daughter. This is a very difficult situation. My 4-year-old son pries and cries every day when he sees the father of his friends. Someday The Allah will accept by his prayers of may son. Only thing I request from those reading this letter is to help in solution of my problem. I make this request as one of your Muslim brother.
My spouse was acquitted by the court since 3 months, however, he is still kept at Kumkapı Foreigners Branch imprisoned. Why is he still imprisoned? On what crime is he imprisoned? The police busted at home on August 9 at 02:00 o’clock a.m. and imprisoned İslam Ganiyev. We awaken with the noise during the bust of the police at home. They intruded in by breaking our doors and windows. I saw my husband handcuffed when I rose up to get dressed. My husband begged the policemen to go out of our bedroom. My dressing was not suitable. Meanwhile, the children were crying due to the noise generated. That was adversely affected the physiologies of my children and hardly cured. I was in 38th week of my pregnancy and it was influential to my baby on my stomach and my labor pain was started. I request them to call the doctor, since I was in very bad condition, but they didn't take any notice of my request. They scatter everything around at took my spouse away.
He is in prison since 6 months without an evidence. I had to relocate with my children due to such event. But I’ve been in despair wherever I go on temporary basis forced to relocate systematically. I was unable to contact to anyone since I’m unable to speak other languages. We decided with my husband to give birth it Turkey. That was just because the oppression we faced in Azerbaijan, the country we lived. We came to Turkey just because we were worn out by the tortures we faced since we are Muslims. All my relatives and friends turned their back to us since we adopted Islam. My registration to the University was deleted just because I was Muslim and I wore headscarf. They gave the stupid reason of the headscarf being against the image of the university.
My son was refused by the nursery due to our Islam identity. We were kept under custody upon uninterrupted ID and passport checking. These were also influenced my mental conditions. We’ve been under constant physiologic oppression. That was the same in Azerbaijan. The Muslims there are subjected the same physiologic and physical tortures. These tortures demolish their physical and mental integrity and endurance. The Muslims in Moscow and Azerbaijan were killed by unidentified murders and lost under custody. I myself witnessed innumerable such events. This is why majority of Muslims conceal their identity/Muslimism. The women take off their headscarves.
That was why we came to Turkey.
We decided to given our child birth here in Turkey. We thought that there was no oppression to the Muslims in Turkey and heard that they lived their religions freely. When we came, we didn’t feel to hide our identity. But soon we knew that the Muslims were not free and we was treated in Turkey just like it was in Russia and Azerbaijan. The detentions, oppressions and custodies without evidence were all the same. My husband was arrested 1 week before the date of my daughter’s birth. I was left all alone in a foreign country knowing anyone.
06.02.2012
Arina Starostenko
