The second phase of the global Campaign for the resettlement of Zahra Kamalfar

Zahra Kamalfar and her children must immediately be resettled in a third safe country

1. 
   
   Zahra (Mahtab) Kamalfar along with her 2 children have been in the process of seeking asylum for the past 22 months.
   Mrs. Zahra Kamalfar, an Iranian asylum seeker accompanied by her 12 year old son Davood, and 17 year old daughter Anna, have been homeless as asylum seekers during the past 22 months hoping to be resettled in a third safe country. They have been trapped at Moscow Airport for the past 9 months.
   
   Zahra Kamalfar and her children fled Iran 22 months ago and headed for Germany via Gherghizestan and Moscow. Their application for asylum was rejected by the German authorities and they were deported back to Moscow 9 months ago. They were also denied refugee status by the Russian authorities straight away on their arrival back to Moscow and following their interview with the UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees), they were denied of their rights as refugees and the case was adjourned!
   
   As soon it was informed, the International Federation of Iranian Refugees (IFIR) took immediate action to defend the rights of this family in July 2006. In October 2006, a massive international campaign was organised to attract public attention and draw the international support towards this case.
   During this campaign tens of correspondences were forwarded by the Secretariat of the IFIR to hundreds of International and endemic institutions covering Russia and the rest of the world in order to seek help and support for this family.
   Contacts were made with a number of media agency groups within Russia and throughout the world and as a result of these efforts Mrs. Kamalfar’s case was extensively reflected by the international news media and received comprehensive global support.
   
   As the IFIR and other Human Rights organisations and elements were mounting their daily and extensive pressure, on 18 November 2006 the Russian authorities tried to enforce a deportation order on Zahra and her children back to Iran. Owing to the massive efforts made, plus Mrs. Kamalfar’s and her children’s own efforts, the ominous scenario of forcibly deporting Mrs Kamalfar and her children back to the damned Islamic Republic was unsuccessful and her deportation was prevented.
   Also due to much effort and many lengthy telephone conversations and tens of legal and political correspondences to and from the UNHCR, Russia was forced to grant Mrs. Kamalfar political asylum.
   However, the Russian authorities did not accept any responsibility towards providing any basic means of survival for this family.
   
   Mrs. Kamalfar applied for resettlement in Canada on 28 January 2007 and she was promised to receive a response in 10 days. However, despite her urgent and dire circumstances, the Canadian Embassy has not yet responded to her. In the meantime, Mrs. Kamalfar and her children are still living in the transit hall of Moscow Airport. They have been deprived of the most basic means of ordinary living. They don’t even have access to proper personal hygiene, or a place to rest or sleep.
   Under such inhumane conditions and the long period of suffering from 9 months of homelessness at the Moscow Airport, the family have been afflicted by numerous physical and psychological disorders.
   
   This runaway and asylum seeker family, from the brutal Islamic fascism, do not deserve such undignified living.
   Mrs. Kamalfar’s fate is a sheer disgrace to the western civilisation. No State or institution is prepared to show any compassion or responsibility towards the ill-fated children of this family.
   Mrs. Kamalfar’s fate exposes the meaningful careless attitude of the Russian government and the UNHCR with respect to refugee cases and humanitarian obligations.
   Mrs. Kamalfar’s fate demonstrates the deep division between thousands of people in civilised societies who offered their unequivocal support and the State authorities claiming to defend Human Rights!
   
   Nevertheless, this family can no longer endure the cold and lifeless Transit Hall of Moscow Airport. Today, we as the noble and civilised humans must step forward and pave the way for a brighter future for this family.
   Today, we must support the universal campaign for the immediate resettlement of the Kamalfar family in a third safe country and try to put an end to their misery. As demonstrated earlier, we are able to help this family, with our will power and strength to fulfil their immediate demand for resettlement in a safe country.
   
   Hambastegi, the International Federation of Iranian Refugees, is hereby announcing the launch of the second phase of its international campaign for the resettlement of Mrs. Kamalfar and her children.
   
   We must conduct this campaign in a well co-ordinated and focused series of activities.
   To do this effectively and with most efficient impact, we have defined the following agenda:
   
   1- Establishing information channels, contacting media groups including endemic and international organisations.
   You can access information in English and Farsi on Hambastegi website:
   www.hambastegi.org
   
   2- Write to the Canadian Immigration Office and the UNHCR and sign the petition.
   Note: pre-written letters can be found on Hambastegi website:
   (http://www.hakbastegi.org/english/Urgent%20ACtion_Zahra_Kamalfar.htm)
   
   The readily prepared petition can be found at:
   (http://www.petitiononline.com/Kamalfar/petition.html)
   
   3- Meeting and negotiating with the officers and the representatives of the UNHCR and the Canadian High Commission or immigration offices
   
   4- Organising international protests and picket lines outside the offices of the UNHCR
   
   Please inform us about your actions and activities at all levels.
   
    

Hambastegi International Federation of Iranian Refugees
19 February 2007