Iranian refugee Nadir Zarebee hanged himself in a Manchester park on Tuesday 5 August after being asked to leave his home in Trafford by the racist Home Office's NASS-appointed 'accommodation provider' MNQ. Parasites like MNQ are paid millions every year to house asylum seekers in rotten, damp, vermin-infested houses.

An emergency march wa orgainsed in Manchester on Saturday 9 August 2008, in response to the death of Nadir.

Anti-racists, refugees and supporters assemble in Piccadilly Gardens then march to the BBC who censor the racist treatment and brutal human rights abuses of migrants and refugees.

The march demanded:

* No to deportations!
* Stop starving asylum seekers!
* No immigration controls!
* For the right to work
* No to destitution!

All organisations, and campaigns were invited to take part.

March details:

Assemble: 11.30pm. Piccadilly Gardens, Manchester.
Rally: BBC, Oxford Road, Manchester


Called by: the International Organisation of Iranian Refugees (IOIR)

Supported by: the North West Asylum Seekers Defence Group (NWASDG), and Manchester Revolutionary Communist Group/Fight Racism! Fight Imperialism! (FRFI)

-Original message by North West Asylum Seekers Defence Group (NWASDG)-


Mohammad Hussain died, aged 36, last Sunday 3rd August.

In April 2008 Mohammad was arrested and taken to Lindholme detention centre. Mohammad had been here before, when he played a leading role in organising the 40 mile “Dignity Not Detention” protest march from Sheffield to the metal security fence of Lindholme in October 2007. While Mohammad was in Lindholme he complained of severe pains in his stomach but received completely inadequate medical care. He was, for example, given a mild painkiller and then sold a headache tablet. He was sent to 3 other detention centres –each time without any explanation- until his eventual release on 22nd May. On his release from detention he went to Doncaster Royal Infirmary where he was diagnosed with a form of cancer which (by that stage) was incurable. In contrast to the “healthcare” available in detention centres, Mohammad received the best treatment the National Health Service could offer and was treated with respect by healthworkers.

Mohammad was threatened with deportation to his native Iraqi Kurdistan in May. A campaign organised by the South Yorkshire Migration and Asylum Action Group, and a devoted solicitor, stopped his deportation at Heathrow airport at the last minute.


Mohammad worked as a hospital manager in Irbil , northern Iraq until he came to the UK in 2000. He was escaping the persecution that he faced from both the Iraqi security forces and from the Kurdish Democratic Party, which he refused to join. He fought for refugee status until the very end of his life but never gained it, leading to constant insecurity and anxiety about his future.


The last weeks of Mohammad’s life were spent in a hospice in Doncaster or being treated in hospital. He amazed hospital staff with his popularity – he was moved to a separate room in Doncaster because the huge number of visitors were disturbing other patients! Most of all Mohammad showed that he was a fighter, for his life, his rights and other people’s rights.


There was a very well attended funeral service for Mohammad in Doncaster on Tuesday 5th August and Northern Refugee Centre will be organising a tribute to Mohammad’s life soon. Mohammad has one brother in Doncaster and a sister in Holland . He also has brothers and sisters in northern Iraq/Kurdistan. If you want to contribute to a fund to help pay for the costs of returning his body to Iraqi Kurdistan and for his burial there, see the attachment “Appeal for Mohammad” from the International Federation of Iraqi Refugees.



Mohammad Hussain Mohammad 11th March 1962 – 3rd August 2008


-Original message by South Yorkshire Migration and Asykum Aciton Group - SYMAAG at  dignitynotdetention@yahoo.co.uk