STAY OF DEPORTATION — EU COURT ORDERS RUSSIA TO HALT KAMALFAR ‘EXTRADITION:’
(Exclusive Pajamas Media Video:Translation by Iranian-American filmmaker Ardeshir Arian) UPDATE: The Kamalfar Saga (finally) hits MSM with this lengthy segment run on CNN International, including interviews with the Kamalfar family and their attorney Olga Anisimova. -- LATER: The segment is now available at CNN.com: "Family lives in airport terminal" (free video) (Pajamas Media exclusive video of several days ago here. Letter from the European Court of Human Rights concerning Kamalfar's case here. The actions of this court were not mentioned in the CNN report.) FLASH: In the dramatic case of an Iranian dissident woman and her family fighting extradition to the Islamic Republic of Iran ... Pajamas Media, as of 9:10 PST Wednesday, has been informed that the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg has just issued an order barring the deportation of Zahra Kamalfar and her children from Moscow for two weeks.
Aeroflot – the airline that was going to take Kamalfar and her children to Tehran – has been notified and is reportedly complying. Aeroflot is returning the family belongings that already were shipped by the airline to Tehran. Moscow airport authorities have given the family temporary blankets, etc.
The Kamalfar family is represented by Olga Anisimova, an attorney based in Moscow for the international law firm, Orrick, Harrington & Sutcliffe. Via email to PJ Media, Attorney Anisimova confirms the situation at present as:
On November 21 we sent a request to the European Court of Human Rights (Strasbourg) according to Rule # 39 of the Rules of this Court. Rule # 39 states that the applicant or his/her representatives is entitled to seek a preliminary relief, i.e. to ask the Court to take urgent measures in order to protect his/her rights even before the applicant files a complaint with the Court. In our request we asked the Court to take measures which will suspend Ms. Kamalfar’s deportation from Russia. The Court examined our request immediately. On November 22 we received a letter from the Court informing us that the urgent measure was granted. Here is the excerpt from the letter:“On November 21, 2006 the President of the Chamber to which the case has been allocated decided, in the interests of the parties and the proper conduct of the proceedings before the Court, to indicate to the Government of Russia, under Rule 39 of the Rules of Court, that the applicant should not be expelled to Iran until further notice”.
For background on this case, see “Iranian Dissident Trapped 73 Days (and counting) in Moscow Airport” and “Kamalfar Family on Edge of Implosion.” Tracking….
Keep ‘em in Moscow!
fly them to Mexico so they may cross the border as undocumented immigrants and get on the pathway to US citizenship!
I don’t care if they stay in Moscow, but keep ‘em out of Tehran’s clutches!
The USA will take them, as long as they are no longer Muslim!
Stupid question, but I was unaware that Russia had joined the EU, if not, does an EU court have jurisdiction? I would suspect no.
Wow, its a stupid comments 5 for 5 at Pajamas Media. Good the see the average intelligence of the readership continues its downward path.
james: Why be religiously prejudiced? That is what really is killing this country. Prejudice of any sort. The USA will take them if the family conforms with immigration laws. Not whether they are Muslim or not. Muslims aren’t the problem. Bigoted people, here and abroad, are the problem. If we can eliminate these truly evil issues, and they are the true evils of man, we can actually get along with each other on all points of this planet. We only have one, and we aren’t going away, so we might as well all just get along or we are going to have to destroy ourselves. I don’t think anyone wants that. The point is this: we all lose.I hope the very best for these people. They are brave and already are heroes even though they have not fully escaped the clutches of the repressive government they are running from.
It doesn’t.
What the Court does have is the ability to make things more troublesome than it is worth for Russia to support the deportation.
While Russia may value its relationship with Iran, should it ignore the Court, the situation could turn into a diplomatic faux pas for the Russians.
If it works with the Court, Russia can tell Iran it had no choice and earn some favor from the EU; which is important if Russia wants better economic ties in energy. If Russia ignores the EU, the EU might take it as a sign that Russia isn’t a trustworthy partner. If it won’t cooperate on amnesty issues, what are the odds it will cooperate on energy issues?
So its not a matter of ability to give orders as it is a matter of Russia losing little by complying and risking a lot more by not.
The Court might have the ability to put punitive measures on the airline though. That would convince any airline that does business in the EU to refuse to carry to family to Iran.
The European Court of Human Rights is not an EU court. It existed long before the EU. But as to its jurisdiction over a Russian extradition issue, I didn’t know that it had jurisdiction over anything Russian.
Rorschach:
They aren’t However, the EU Court ruling probably gives Russian authorities the cover they need to keep them in Moscow temporarily without causing a diplomatic spat with Iran.
I am replying to james most muslims are nice people. The Prophet said that people of the book which where in order of oldest judism christianity and islam. This says that as long as your those faiths your are following the true path and not a infidel. So most muslims if they are tolerent would accept this. I say let her and her family in the U.S. legally and let them keep their faith.
Someone must help them! Why does no one act to save them from this terrible persecution in Iran? Europe, the U.S., Austrailia, someone must act.
This is yet another example of corrupt western governments butting in where they do not belong. This woman must, and will, be sent back to face justice. America and its allies need to learn that meddling in the affairs of sovereign nations has consequences.
It’s all about the Middle East in the news today. However, Iraq is a diversion. As the army attacks Iraq, the US gov’t erodes rights at home by suspending habeas corpus, stealing private lands, banning books like “America Deceived” from Amazon, rigging elections, conducting warrantless wiretaps and starting 2 illegal wars based on lies. Soon, another US false-flag operation will occur (sinking of an Aircraft Carrier) and the US will invade Iran, (on behalf of Israel).
Final link (before Google Books bends to gov’t demands and censors the title):
America Deceived (book)
Hey John B………Political correct BS in the face of Islamic Fascism is what will kill us. We must harden ourselves. The rise of fundamentalist Islam, and it’s defeat, will be the biggest challenge of our era. The fight against the USSR was a cold war. Unfortunately, this war will be anything but “cold”.
If your not Prejudice in some way you are not normal. Please go the the nearest Hospital for treatment.
Being prejudice is a normal human trait, and so is profiling of people. (from your past experiences.)
Fleeing Iran
Where is the UN refugee agency when it’s needed? Sucking up to the Iranians, apparently. Iranian dissident Zahra Kamalfar and her two teenage children are trapped in the Moscow airport, trying to avoid deportation back to Iran. An international law…
The inability to recognize a religions total intolerance for anything but of itself ,which is the very fabric of Islam “to submit”,is to not recogniize the truth.It is not a prejudice to recognize things as they are and not as how you think they can be or how you “feel”they should be.There is no accomodation with the position that you must submit and in the case of the most radical Iranian Islamists”Convert or die”.These are not stupid people that posit these arguments in previous postings and calling people stupid and headed downward speaks poorly of anyone trying to make the argument for their position.
what consequences might those be mr.iranman?!
will you subvert our revolution too and install a theocracy of fat boy’s in dresses so they can hypocritically murder another woman and her two kids so that the bloddthirsty beast you think is God will grant you more welfare rights in the next free country you flee to when your racket fails?
Not everyone in the west is a ballless PC coward and youre starting to run out of friends.
Russia ratified the treaty placing it under the European Court of Human Rights during the 1990s when it was seeking closer ties to Europe. Now it is no longer seeking closer ties to Europe, but it does remain a member of the treaty.
The European Court of Human Rights is not an EU institution. It is, rather, the court of the Council of Europe, which is a separate entity, dedicated mostly to the protection of Human Rights. Russia is a member of the CoE, in fact, they just finished their six months in the rotating Presidency.
http://www.mfa.gov.ir, the charges against her that you are so determined to drag her back to Iran involve political protest and freedom of speech. You wonderful nation is out of touch with human rights. Shame on you and your ilk.
let the monkeys kill themselves. their cultural contributions ended 800 years ago. let them chop off each others heads. lets develop alternative energy and allow them to wither on the vine.
mfa.gov.ir Hey Ministry Man,
So you want to kill a woman, and her family. Sounds like a wonderful nation, a nation of cavemen running a gov. wearing silk suits, and removing any freedoms from the masses. Glad I live in a nation where I can speak out against your ilk. Shame on you.
John B. – You just don’t get it. This is not Rodney King “Why can’t we all just get a long? Now let’s go party! This is: If they don’t become Muslim, kill them. Go ahead be pals, good ol’ buddy buddies until they tie your hands behind your back and decapitate you with a long knife and no anesthesia. Didn’t you see the videos? Well come to think of it you do have a choice, that or buying a prayer rug for yourself and a nice baggy burqa for your girlfriend…any colour you like as long as it’s black. Get a braincheck!
REPLY TO: mfa.gov.ir:
You got that right Jack, meddling in soverign countries affairs does have consequences, which your are about to find out.
This just shows that life is very hard for Freedom loving, secular, liberal minded Iranians. We have to fight Islamic fundamentalists Mullahs like “http://www.mfa.gov.ir” on one front and racist, white-trash, uneducated westerners like “rational” and “Ben Wellesley” on the other front. We truly need every help that we can get. Best of luck to this lady and her kids.
I can’t believe you people. This woman is one of the good guys and I’m greatly relieved at these turn of events. And if she comes to the United States, we should be honored to have her as a fellow citizen. She has more courage in her little finger than all of us in these comments put together.
yours/
peter.
I hope they are not sent back to Iran, we don’t want such traitors anyway….
5th of November:
Where is the evidence that Amazon quit selling the book because of government pressure? Since they sell other books with similar themes, why is this book singled out? Was it pulled due to government pressure, or because it was offensive to “Foxnews anchors ED Hill and Kiran Chetry” as someone claims on another thread? Since I don’t watch Fox, I’ll assume they really are news anchors, but why would Amazon and Barnes & Noble care about offending Fox News anchors? They carry other books that offend Fox News anchors?
FYI- while the 5th of November is romantically portrayed in V for Vendetta, in England Guy Fawkes has been regardes as a traitor for several centuries.
Peter Jackson–amen to you comments above.
Congrats to PJM for pushing this into MSM.
To Everyone At Pajamas.com
I do not know how to thank you all. I have no word to describe you and
your nobel deed in helping Kamalfar family.
Thanks to British backed Mullahs
of Iran and Carter’s involvment in the overthrew of the peaceful and
progressive pro-western regime of the late Shah of Iran in 1979, we have 7 million refugees. Situation in Turkey, Greece, Pakistan and UAE is not much better for many Iranians.
The western media has turned a blind eye on Mullahs aterocities as if Iranians do not exist or should not exist. A D-notice issued by the British Government in 1979, prevents mullahs crimes to be publicized by the British media thus no word on Kamalfar’s ordeal in Moscow by the British press.
I take my hat off to you all at Pajamas Media for beinb true angels for this family. You have my respect and thank you so much.
There are 10s if not 100s of millions of victims of Islam identical to this woman in every way…
Is it our place to lacerate our hearts to bleed for them? Or should we speak plainly about the hatred based religion which causes all this terror misery and shattered human beings?
Isn’t there something obscene about flailing about and shedding rapturous tears (mostly of a bald and self congratulatory nature as seen above in this comments thread) at thoughts of supposedly ‘saving her and her family’?
The vicious Islamic monster which spawned her plight is undiscussed and completely unaffected by such meaningless displays. Those few who mention Islam above are referred to by some as heartless or bigoted.
We could ‘save’ Kamalfar and 10,000,000 like her every year for the next decade, and Islam would simply emerge more triumphant than ever, with one hundred million new families launched within Bilad al Kuffr.
“The vicious Islamic monster” – morton doodslag
I know we should just ignore morton and his ilk, but I’m just getting so tired of this “destroying Islam is the answer” crowd.
Can’t we just hone in on this woman and her brave two children? This teenage girl drank shampoo to prevent her and her family from having to return to Iran.
I don’t know about you, but I want this girl on my team. I know I’m on hers.
I don’t know who is scarier. The Anti-Semites or the Anti-Muslims.
I’ve said this before, and I guess I’ll keep saying it until I’m blue in the face.
Stop blaming the victims! Muslims have suffered more than anyone else from Muslim extremism.
Now, getting back to this woman and her two children. You do what you can. Apparently, some are willing to go out on a limb to help them.
This is nonsense that just because we can’t help all who are in her situation, we shouldn’t do what we can.
What a sad commentary on Russia. Journalists are silenced. Putin appears to be not such a nice guy, much to Bush’s dismay.
I’d like to think that the citizens of Moscow are ignorant of this family’s plight, but with the world wide web and all, that can’t be true.
I know one thing. If I got wind that a such a family was in need of my assistance at Kennedy or La Guardia, nothing would stop me from getting help to them. Even if it landed me in jail.
I thank God on this day after Thanksgiving that I was born in a country where I hope this family would be granted asylum.
And what’s wrong with Germany? Why did the Germans send them into such a nightmare?
Sister Rosetta
Obfuscation cloaked in a hysterical and ill advised false humanitarianism.
Lebanese Girl:
http://ikbis.com/beirut%20girl/shot/1300
OK — THIS is what the whole ME struggle is all about. Democracies have to be willing to die, so this person can do this anytime she wants, without interference or persecution. (It’s not dirty, it’s just FUN, and full of spirit, and hope, and JOY)
This is good news. I wonder if a church in Canada or US could take them in.
Very disappointed by some of the very low intelligence comments here. “US will take them if they are no longer Muslims”. These Iranian dissidents for God’s sake! Unlike you and I who comment every now and then on Islamic Fascism from the comfort of our armchairs, the Kamalfars are at the very forefront of war with Islamic Fascism. Show some compassion and intelligence, please!
This has little to do with Islam or Shia doctrine. Mullahs’ regime in Iran involves a bunch of sadistic megalomaniacs, working ONLY towards their own survival at any cost.
Velayat-e Faghiq (rule of the jurisprudent) was “created” by his supereme evilness Khomeini to give many illiterate and unqualified mullahs absolute power. Other REAL Ayatollahs such as (Shariatmadari and Boroujerdi) who have been and spoken out against this abominable doctrine have been tortured and silenced. Islamic Mullah Iran regime is a monster at best – it MUST permanently be sent to the depths of HELL. They can then all be reunited with their Leader Khomeini.
Mr Putin’s Russia, despite huge business deals with IR & political pressure from IR, needs to demonstrate that Russia is indeed on a road to Democracy and respects human rights. I trust Mr Putin will be able to do so.
“This has little to do with Islam or Shia doctrine.”
Really? Can you establish for us the basis of your assertion? Can you explain to us your fervent motivations for making an absurd assertion which so wildly departs from reality?
The poster also assures us that the Mullahs are “working ONLY towards their own survival at any cost.”
How does such a statement comport with reality? How shocked would those Mullahs be to learn (from a bleeding heart Westerner so manifestly ignorant of Islam) that their existence and methods have “little to do with Islam or Shia doctrine.”
It’s pathetic nonsense.
The “Islamic Republic of Iran” is the apotheosis of Shiite Islam on Earth. It is ruled by Islamic Sharia Law. We see the Sunni apotheosis in Saudi Arabia where Sunni brand of Sharia is the basis for their government. Public head choppings, lashings, tongue slicings, hand choppings… Death for apostates. Non Muslims are property. No freedom of conscience, religion, thought.
This has EVERYTHING to do with Islam, and in the case of the Kamalfars the Shiite brand. Suggesting otherwise is lunacy.
Good! Good! Good!
Morton:
Tell me about Shia Doctrine versus Khomeini Doctrine. Educate us.
The prophet Mohammad had two distinct phases in his life, tell us about them?
Tell us about, even, Shia versus Sunni Doctrine.
If you can’t, Shut your trap.
Morton:
Your name ought to be “Moron” not Morton. You are a lunatic from Islamic Repugnant Iran, aren’t you? Tell me, ARE YOU ON OPIUM AND HOME MADE VODKA AGAIN, like your masters in Iran? How much do you get paid? You’re pitiful.
For your information, in the West, we don’t value people including Mollahs who rape and torture and maime and execute. Go figure!
Last thing MORTON:
How shocked would those Mullahs be to learn (from a bleeding heart Westerner so manifestly ignorant of Islam).
Not a Westerner–> Moron, Mooorton. I’m sure the Mollahs won’t be shocked at anything unless it is their bank account on fire!
I know Islam alot better than you do despite your big, idiotic and nonsensical words and phrases. Think again. Then again, DON’T THINK AT ALL, it’d be a waste of time!!
morton doodslag :
“Obfuscation cloaked in a hysterical and ill advised false humanitarianism.”
Sister Rosetta: “Say what…?!
And now for something completely different.
“the most important gift catalog in the world”
I know you wouldn’t even be risking exposing yourself to some of these comments if you didn’t genuinely care for the welfare of your fellow human beings.
So, hopefully you are beginning to think of this giving season and where best to direct your abundant resources.
We were blessed to live in the Memphis, Tennessee area in the years
1991 – 1994. While we were there, my two children and I had the opportunity to visit Heifer International in the beautiful state of Arkansas.
Ed Asner was the spokesman for the organization at the time and he was there when we visited.
Now, I’m sure that Mr. Asner wouldn’t agree with my politics, but that doesn’t bother me. It was a privilege to meet him and I treasure the photograph of him with my kids.
I also treasure the remarks he made about me…that “all the pretty girls were from Memphis.” That is so true, of course, even though I’m not from Memphis.
Most of these comments are so impersonal. I hope you don’t mind this personal story.
While you are sending your prayers that this family finds its way to freedom, how about giving from “the most important gift catalog in the world?”
Barbara Bush and President Clinton both agree.
http://www.heifer.org
http://www.hungermovement.org
Sister Rosetta
I am with Peter Jackson above. I would be honored if the USA would help this poor woman and her 2 children. It would be an honor to have her here in the USA, safe from torture or execution just because she expressed herself in Iran. I wish that someone in the USA would intervene to give her visas to come here. God bless her and my prayers are with Zahra Kamalfar and her 2 beautiful children.
Nancy
One of the things which mystified the minds of the ancients was a conundrum which posed itself in the classic race between a Hare and a Tortoise. The Tortoise, given his slow nature, and to avoid a boring race and a complete rout, is given a head start on the Hare. After a suitable interval, the Hare sets out and the race is on.
The Hare can run ten times faster than the Tortoise. In the interval of time it takes for the Hare to cover the distance between itself and the Tortoise, the Tortoise will always be able to make additional incremental (though diminishing) progress against the Hare. If the Hare, running at 100 yards a minute sets out exactly when the Tortoise is 1000 yards ahead, it will take him 10 minutes to cover that 1000 yard distance. During this 10 minute interval, the Tortoise (who trundles along at 1/10th the speed of the Hare or 10 yards a minute for the sake of our little story) has covered an addition 100 yards. The Tortoise has added 10% additional distance now before the Hare can catch up and surpass him — In the 1 minute it now takes for the Hare to run that additional 100 yards, the Tortoise has covered an additional 10 yards, and so forth.
Conclusion: The Hare can never quite catch up with the Tortoise because there will always be an infinitessimally smaller distance for him to cover, and in the span of time it takes to cover that additional increment, the Tortoise will add 1/10th of it again for the Hare to traverse.
What is wrong with this formulation?
The answer is important, for it relates directly to the mindsets of many of those above who unquestioningly think this is worth all the attention it’s getting, and argue against those who utterly disagree (and note sometimes the silly vituperation above!)
So for all the Sisters Rosetta, the JDs, the Nancy Hunters and Arashes, the Khashayars and the Winstons, and the Mohammad-Reza Pardisans and the MarcHs, and the myriads just like them in the West — To all those who seem unable and unwilling to understand what is plainly before our noses I say this:
You opt for emotional exhibitionism over intellectual reflection, prefer gushy sentimentality over effective and worthy actions. You view the hugeness of our calamity with the absurd and microscopic scrutiny of the befuddled ancients, and do so at a moment in time when the minions of Islam are marshalling in every quarter and across the Globe to subvert and destroy that which makes it possible for persons such as you to persist in fantasist bubbles.
Minister of Immigration of Canada is the only person that has the power to directly order to the Embassy of Canada in Russia to grant asylum to Mrs. Zahra Kamalfar and her Children immediately. I live in Canada and I know it will work.
I also strongly suggest that in your e-mail or letter attaches the following websites;
A: Petition that endorses to grant asylum to Mrs. Zahra Kamalfar and her children.
http://www.petitiononline.com/mod_perl/signed.cgi?Kamalfar&1
B: The video from Zahra Kamlfar and her children trapped in Moscow airport.
http://pajamasmedia.com/2006/11/iranian_dissident_trapped_in_m.php#comments
C: The film shows the public hanging of Alireza Gorji, 23, and his friend Hossein Makesh, 22, in July in Broudjerd, Iran. According to official versions of the charges, they were put to death because they had behaved ‘immorally’. The truth, according to anti-government campaigners, is that the two men were among increasing numbers of political activists being executed by Iran on trumped-up charges.
http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Iran+Execution
MONTE SOLBERG
Minister of Citizenship and Immigration
The Honorable Monte Solberg, P.C., M.P.
Citizenship and Immigration Canada
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 1L1
E-mail; Minister@cic.gc.ca
Best regards,
Still fleeing Iran
Snoopy the Goon links to our piece on Zahra Kamalfar, the Iranian woman, and her two children who Pajamas Media and others say is living in the Moscow airport, trying to avoid deportation back to Iran where she says she…
We will take them here in US if they can only reach a port of entry such as Mexican boarder.
Are they free of their Death Sentence yet?