The case of the Somali asylum seeker Mohammad Hanad Abdi, who was sentenced to 142 years in prison, while he saved 33 people at sea, is highlighted at international level by Stelios Kouloglou, MEP of SYRIZA – Progressive Alliance, along with the issue of the treatment of people who are trying to find a safe haven.
The MEP’s initiative, supported by 14 other MEPs from different political groups of the European Parliament (S&D, Greens, Left), as well as civil society organizations, aims to organize a visit to Mohammad by a delegation of participants so that they can get the full picture of the case and prepare to take appropriate measures, if necessary, after the second instance hearing.
The first step of the initiative took place with the sending of a letter requesting the visit to the Minister of Justice, Constantinos Tsiaras and Minister of Civil Protection, Panagiotis Theodorikakos.
Those who wish to do so can co-sign the letter here.
You can also read an interview of Mohammad’s lawyers published by tvxs.gr
Below is the full letter from MEPs and civil society representatives to the Greek Minister of Justice and to the Greek Minister of Civil Protection:
Το the attention of the Greek Minister of Justice, Mr. Konstantinos Tsiaras.
To the attention of the Greek Minister of Civil Protection, Mr. Panagiotis Theodorikakos
The New York Times reported the sentencing of Somali asylum seeker Hanad Abdi Mohammad to 142 years imprisonment for offenses relating to his entry into Greece along with other similar cases. According to the newspaper, the lawyers of the convicted refugees state that there is no evidence of them piloting the boats and that there was only one witness for that, an official of the Greek Coast Guard.
Two Afghan men, Amir Zahiri (26) and Akif Rasuli (24), are in the same prison and were both sentenced to 50 years incarceration for facilitating illegal entry into Greece last autumn, according to a lawyer from the Legal Centre Lesvos took on representation of the two after they were convicted in the first instance. Mr. Zahiri came to Greece along with his pregnant wife and child and only met his second, newborn child for the first time on the date of his trial.
We, undersigned, ask the Greek government to allow a delegation of MEPs and representatives of NGO’s to visit Mohammad in the prison of the island of Chios. Our visit’s purpose is to get the full picture about their cases and prepare to take appropriate action, if necessary, after their second hearing.
Sincerely,
The undersigned
Sira Rego, MEP
Manu Pineda, MEP
Niyazi Kizilyurek, MEP
Oezlem Demirel, MEP
Mick Wallace, MEP
Clare Daly, MEP
Miguel Urban, MEP
Pernando Barrena, MEP
Malin Bjork, MEP
Tineke Strik, MEP
Salima Yenbou, MEP
Ernst Urtasun, MEP
Saskia Bricmont, MEP
Dietmar Koester, MEP
Stelios Kouloglou, MEP
Doctors of the World / Médecins du Monde – Greece (MdM-Greece)
Letter to Clooney Foundation for Justice
On 25 June 2021, the New York Times reported on the sentencing of Somali asylum seeker Hanad Abdi Mohammad to 142 years imprisonment for offences relating to his entry into Greece along with other similar cases. According to the newspaper, the Somali asylum seeker saved the lives of 33 other refugees taking control of the boat after the smuggler abandoned them, and got convicted to the aforementioned sentence as being the smuggler himself. The lawyers of the convicted refugee state that there is no evidence of him piloting the boat and that there was only one witness for that, an official of the Greek Coast Guard.
Additionally, two Afghan men, Amir Zahiri (26) and Akif Rasuli (24), both political refugees, are in the same prison and were sentenced to 50 years incarceration for facilitating illegal entry into Greece last autumn, Mr. Zahiri came to Greece along with his pregnant wife and child and only met his second, newborn child for the first time on the date of his trial. They both found a pro bono lawyer, after they were convicted in the first instance.
In response to this, we are organising a campaign “for a fair trial for Mohammad an initiative supported by 14 other MEPs from different political groups of the European Parliament (S&D, Greens, Left), as well as civil society organisations in order to inform the international public opinion and bring the case of Mohammad and the other defenceless people like him, who they are punished severely for doing the right thing and saving lives.
Among other things, we are also planning to organise a visit to the prison where Mohammad is being held with a delegation of deputies, lawyers, journalists and civil society representatives so that they can get the full picture of the case and prepare to take appropriate measures, if necessary, before the second instance hearing.
We would like to request to keep you informed on this initiative and explore possible collaborations on this issue and ask for your support in our initiative by providing the legal support that Mohammad might need.
We kindly ask you to adopt the case of Mohammad and the other people in the Trial Watch section of the Clooney foundation for justice, spread the word in the US and internationally and possibly join forces for a Fair Trial to Mohammad and the other refugees.
I am at your disposal for any further information you might require on our initiative.
Sincerely,
Stelios Kouloglou
Member of the European Parliament.
