SYRIAN, — According to Gemyakurda.net, the Kurdish Cultural Association in Denmark reports that international interests still dominate the concepts of freedom and human rights. Kurds remain a victim of a two-faced approach to European politics; some European countries deport Kurdish asylum-seekers to Syria, ignoring the fate awaiting them at the hands of the dictatorship of the Syrian government – the Ba’ath Party. The Kingdom of Norway, and the governments of Germany and Cyprus have removed Syrian Kurds, and now the Danish government is following their example.
On 15 November 2010 the Danish government deported Abid Mohammed Atto at 7am, after he was refused asylum. He was born in 1982 and is a stateless Kurd from Rohaba village, Deyrik. He was detained for 20 days before being deported. A group of activists went to the airport to ask the Danish police to stop the deportation, but were unsuccessful.
Abid Mohammed Atto went to Denmark on 15 August 2009 to escape the practices of the Syrian intelligence services, especially as he does not have Syrian nationality. He is currently held in the cellars of the Syrian security branches, who are known for their very effective methods of torture against political prisoners, and for throwing false accusations at them.
Kurdish Cultural Association in Denmark calls upon the Danish government to refrain from actions contrary to human rights and the rights of refugees, and to not have a hand in the violation of those rights, because international law requires that it may not return anyone to a country by force, and he may not deport anyone to any place where his life or freedom would be threatened. This is according to the first paragraph of Article 33 of the Convention on Human Rights relating to the Status of Refugees and Stateless Persons in force since 22 April 1954, which states that any Contracting State may not expel or return a person in any way to territories where his life or freedom would be threatened because of his race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion.
The Danish government and all European countries need to take note of the significance of the risks that Kurds by face from the repressive authority of the Syrian government. They also appeal to humanitarian and human rights organizations as well as the Kurdish political parties to provide all forms of support to Abid Mohammed Atto, and for all political detainees in the prisons of the Baathist regime.