[news] Activists Still in Jail Following Anti-Deportation Action, Support Needed for Kobra and Hassan

[resist at resist.ca]

Activists Still in Jail Following Anti-Deportation Action, Support Needed
For Kobra and Hassan
by megan at resist.ca

(with thanks to the Anti-Poverty Commitee and the Fire This Time Movement 
for information used in this article) 

An anti-deportation action on Tuesday, January 21st has won an appeal 
hearing for two Iranian refugees who barely escaped deportation, but has 
also landed two local activists in prison pending the payment of bail. 

Kobra Natghi and her 21-year old son, Hassan Esmat are before an 
Immigration Canada appeal board today, pleading their case for status as 
political refugees from Iran. Whether or not Immigration Canada gives them 
a fair hearing remains to be seen - but it is clear that up until this 
point, the Canadian government has been less than fair to this family - 
leading to the action on Tuesday which managed to temporarily halt the 
deportation. 

On Friday, January 17th, Kobra and Hassan were called into an Immigration 
Canada office in Vancouver BC for what they thought was a routine 
interview. At this "interview" they were arrested and taken to jail. A 
deportation was scheduled for Tuesday, and the pair were denied the right 
to see a lawyer or make any phone calls to get assistance, and were both 
denied prescription medications for three days (Hassan is epileptic, and 
without medication is at higher risk of having seizures). 

On the day of the scheduled deportation, federal officers loaded Kobra and 
Hassan onto the plane in handcuffs. In the process, Hassan suffered an 
epileptic seizure which caused the police to over-react and put him into a 
headlock, strangling him and further aggravating the situation. His 
mother, Kobra, reacted to the situation and demanded that the police let 
her son go. At this point the pilot decided that Kobra and Hassan's 
agitated presence put other passengers in danger so had them removed from 
the plane. 

While this scene was taking place, a demonstration against the deportation 
was getting underway inside the airport. Demonstrators preparing to 
distribute literature about the situation, sudenly spotted Kobra being 
lead through the airport lobby by airport officials and sprang into 
action. Protesters surrounded Kobra and the officials chanting, "Stop the 
Deportation!" 

In the confusion, Kobra escaped, ran from the airport and disappeared. She 
remained at large while the police searched for her throughout the city. 
Kobra contacted her lawyer in the evening and he convinced her to turn 
herself in to the police. She now has contact with her lawyer who is 
appealing her deportation. Her son, Hassan was moved back from the airport 
to Vancouver detention. Both of them appeared at an immigration hearing on 
Wednesday, January 22nd but no decision was made. 

Several activists were arrested at the scene, and three activists from the 
Anti-Poverty Committee have been charged with Assault and Assisting an 
Escape. Other activists who were arrested, were questioned and let go at 
the airport. Two of the three arrested remain in jail pending bail payment 
(one is being held at $1500 bail and another at $1000). APC member Calvin 
was released from jail late Wednesday afternoon. 

Kobra and Hassan's deportation has been delayed, but it has not yet been 
stopped. Because of Kobra's escape from the clutches of immigration on 
Tuesday, they have been awarded another hearing and there is a chance for 
legal appeal - something that would not have happened without Tuesday's 
action at the airport. 

What You Can Do: 

For Kobra and Hassan: 
We must publicly demand that this deportation be stopped! Telephone Rob 
Johnson at Immigration Canada at 604-666-5946, and/or email the Minister 
of Immigration, Denis Coderre at minister at cic.gc.ca to demand they stop 
the deportation. 

For the arrested activists:
The APC needs to raise funding to bail out Justin and Randy. If you can 
contribute, please send a cheque to "Anti-Poverty Committee" and write 
"legal defence" on it and send to: 

Anti-Poverty Committee
42 Blood Alley Square
Vancouver, BC
V6B 1C7 

If you wish to bring your cheque down in person, the APC is located in 
Blood Alley, off of Carrall between Cordova and Water Streets (phone: 
604-682-2726)