URGENT: THE UK HAS RESCHEDULED BITA’S DEPORTATION FOR MAY 5. On MAY 5, there will be an emergency protest at Heathrow to stop Bita Ghaedi’s illegal deportation. Convene outside Boots store to the left of the departures security entrance point on the first floor of Terminal 1 at 3pm.
ACTIONS:
1) Make Bita’s case VISIBLE: the media refuses to cover these illegal deportations to Iran. Ensure that the world knows what the British government is doing. Bita is but one case: there are many lined up behind her in the UK alone, including Nadia Arzane & Bashir Foris, and Kiana Firouz. What happens to Bita paves the road for the others. Post about Bita in every blog, in every comment section that you can. Raise the visibility.
2) SEND EMAIL. Send a clear, strong message to the responsible parties. Sample text and addresses are below:
To whom it may concern, regarding Bita Ghaedi, HO Ref G1149090/5:
As a citizen of xx, I am disgusted by how Britain is handling Bita Ghaedi’s asylum case. I am appalled that despite global outcry, the UK Border Agency has chosen to cold-bloodedly pursue the deportation of Bita Ghaedi now set for May 5.
Ghaedi sought refuge in the UK with viable grounds for establishing refugee status. In Iran, Ghaedi’s life was circumscribed, bound, tortured, and scarred by pervasive gender-based violence. Her refusal to submit to gender-based oppression in Iran ensures that she will be under threat of the barbaric practice of stoning if she is returned to Iran. Furthermore, her political activities with PMOI/MEK/MKO mark her as an opponent of the present regime; thus it is also on political grounds that she will face certain execution upon return to Iran.
Your office received over 2700 petition signatures to stop this atrocious human rights violation, and you have been the target of protests in the UK and the US. The UK is very well aware of the current human rights crisis in Iran, marked by a rapid rate of executions occurring over the past few weeks. Your response has been to deport Ghaedi in clear violation of the law. This is criminal.
I demand that this illegal act by the UK, which violates international principles of non-refoulement, be halted and Bita Ghaedi be granted asylum and refugee status.
Understand that England will be held publicly accountable for the fate of Bita Ghaedi.
Sincerely,
xx
Mail to:
UKBApublicenquiries@UKBA.gsi.gov.uk
CITTO@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk
Privateoffice.external@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk
Bita’s Story:
Bita Ghaedi is a young woman whose life in Iran was circumscribed, bound, tortured, and scarred by the pervasive gender-based violence she experienced. Her political activities with PMOI/MEK/MKO mark her as an opponent of the regime, and also one who will face certain execution upon return to Iran.
She has sought refuge in the UK with her partner Mohsen. She has viable grounds for establishing refugee status: she has numerous reasons to fear for her life if she is returned, and it is illegal under UN agreements on the Status of Refugees to violate the principle of non-refoulement, or returning an asylum-seeker to a country where they have grounds to fear persecution. England is a signatory to the legally-binding agreements on Status of Refugees, and Bita’s case is very clear cut. Nevertheless, David Miliband’s government declared that she would be deported back to Iran.
Resources:
1) More on Bita from the National Coalition of Anti-Deportation Campaigns
2) MFI’s complete coverage of and response to the UKs injustice towards Bita Ghaedi.
3) February 2, 2010: Border staff humiliate and trick asylum seekers – whistleblower.
4) April 26, 2010: Election time: asylum seekers lose their last safety net
برای ایران آزاد mission free iran 
Liberty for Women in Iran… droit international ONU for free Women in Iran many tanks Antonio
Posted by antonio | April 26, 2010, 5:23 pmThe nation which don’t honor the human rights cannot prosper
Posted by Khaled | April 26, 2010, 6:10 pmI just Seen another blog reporting about this blog and the actions on 1. Mai … Read: http://madikazemi.blogspot.com/2010/04/protest-at-british-embassy-in.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed: SaveMehdiKazemi (LGBT asylum news)
Posted by Ulrike Beudgen | April 28, 2010, 1:24 amThanks for this, dear Uli! :) <3
Posted by missionfreeiran | April 28, 2010, 7:45 amHi … Just posted a new Action on Bita Ghaedi and the others (tweetlonger) http://ubeudgen.wordpress.com/2010/04/29/extremely-urgent-please-email-alan-johnson-2-stop-uk-deportations-iranelection-please-copy-and/
Posted by Ulrike Beudgen | April 29, 2010, 1:42 pmUli, you are wonderful! :) Let me figure out how to best link… I might actuall put you over on our main refugees page because you have a lot on all different asylu-seekers – this is great – thanks! :D <3 ~Maria
Posted by missionfreeiran | April 30, 2010, 2:00 amThanks for the invaluable information. have linked you up here:
http://domesticempire.co.uk/blog/2010/04/28/save-bita-ghaedi-from-deportation/
Posted by gary | April 29, 2010, 5:35 pmGary, you are incredible! Thank you! Will put you up above & tweet, etc. Thanks so much for the fantastic work.
xoxo
Maria.
Posted by missionfreeiran | April 30, 2010, 1:54 amThank you Maria, I shall be able to appreciate your kind words much more if some positive resolution can emerge out of the all the effort being made by a great many people at this time. With the British Government and the national mainstream press sadly behaving in the self-serving manner in which we’ve come to expect. Worst of all, for many, accept. All too readily.
I owe thanks to my forum pal Shreen Ayob, who’s original facebook post it was that spurred me into action.
Posted by gary | May 3, 2010, 12:16 amADDITIONAL UPDATE: 22:04 03 May 2010
VOLCANIC ASH CLOUD RETURNS TO GROUND FURTHER FLIGHTS
RE. Flight BD931 to Imam Khomeini Airport, Tehran. Leaving London at 19:00, 5th May 2010
Reports are emerging from all the national news agencies to the effect that flights to and from Ireland are likely to be cancelled tomorrow as volcanic ash from Iceland drifts across the country. It is also expected to affect Scotland too. Whether the ash cloud from this natural disaster drifts back into London airspace to in time to postpone a second planned flight, one can only guess and hope.
Volcano Ash: More Air Travel Misery Looms
http://tinyurl.com/36c98z8
Air passengers are facing further misery as the Icelandic volcanic ash cloud returns, causing Ireland to restrict all flights and Scotland to close parts of its airspace. (9:38pm UK, Monday May 03, 2010)
Ash cloud closes Irish airspace
http://tinyurl.com/3amwhdv
The Irish Aviation Authority have grounded all flights in and out of the Republic from 0700 BST on Tuesday after the volcanic ash cloud drifted south. (21:16 03/05/2010, northern Ireland, BBC News | UK)
Posted by gary | May 3, 2010, 9:10 pmThanks, Gary. Also, wanted to let you know that our organization held another protest for Bita, Nadia, Bashir and Kiana on Saturday May 1 in front of the British Embassy. I hope to have the report available soon. But we’re doing what we can here to keep the pressure up, and I’m grateful that you’re doing the same there. :)
xoxo
Maria
Posted by missionfreeiran | May 3, 2010, 9:46 pmThis twitlonger reached me via Twitter … It’s a call from the lawyers of Bita … http://ubeudgen.wordpress.com/2010/05/04/emergency-pls-keep-posting-urgent-call-to-action-iranelection-humanrights-amnesty-hrw-cnni/
Posted by Ulrike Beudgen | May 4, 2010, 7:18 amHave sent emails, will retweet. Hope it helps.
Posted by Jo the Hat | May 4, 2010, 11:37 amEMERGENCY PROTEST AT HEATHROW TO STOP BITA GHAEDI’S ILLEGAL DEPORTATION (by Shreen Ayob )
The protest will take place at Heathrow airport this Wednesday May 5th. Convene outside Boots store at 3pm on first floor of Terminal 1.
The aim of the protest is to explain the situation to passengers on the same flight as Bita what will probably happen to her if she is deported, and to encourage them to protest on her behalf on the plane.
Despite thousands of people involved in a campaign to stop this deportation, the government and mainstream media ignored them. General election campaigning overshadowed Bita’s case and was an excuse for political inaction – this is Bita’s last chance to stay in the safety of the UK. We are running out of time and need to take action!
Save Bita Leaflet A5:
PLEASE READ THE COMPLETE ARTICLE WITH FULL MEET-UP DETAILS HERE:
http://www.stophonourkillings.com/?q=node/4586
p.s.
I’ve also made the campaign leaflets available to download directly via my own site to expedite yet another web sign-up (Sorry scribd, time ain’t on our side right now):
http://domesticempire.co.uk/Save-Bita-Leaflet-A5
Posted by gary | May 4, 2010, 1:19 pm