Gool Belongs to Manchester! Don't Take Him From Us (click here to sign the petition)
Gool
arrived in the UK after
fleeing Afghanistan. Despite consistent submissions about his life
in the UK,
and the political and legal situation in his home province, the Home Office has
refused to accept his claims.
In Afghanistan, he
had been sentenced to death by a local commander, after he was deemed to have
been involved in an ‘illegal’ relationship.
The case against him was fabricated and fraught with the corruption that
characterises his native province
of Ghazni; Gool did not
receive a fair trial and had no chance to defend himself. On 29/08/2002 he arrived in the UK
clandestinely, after escaping from prison in Ghazni. He has been living in the UK ever since,
having had support from friends and family so he has not had to work illegally.
Following
subsequent rejections, Gool was arrested and detained in Scotland and then near Gatwick
Airport in March 2010, where he
was given removal instructions to return to Afghanistan. An injunction at that time meant Gool was
removed from detention.
As a result
of the constant physical and psychological strain he has been put under since
2002, Gool has developed serious complex mental health problems including Post
Traumatic Stress Disorder, anxiety and depression. These conditions are borne from the fear of
returning to Afghanistan, which is essentially a death sentence- contacts in
Afghanistan have confirmed that his sentence still awaits him if he were to
return, and a recent conversation with his sister has emphasised the Taliban’s
influence and control in Ghazni presently.
Further, if Gool was forced to return to Afghanistan, it is extremely
unlikely that he would be able to continue with his medication, which is vital for his well-being.
Gool has
just completed his ESOL Level 1 training.
He has the support of his local community, in particular of the Welcome
Centre in Cheetham Hill where he has been a volunteer for two years. Many people in the local community are
supporting his campaign to remain in the UK and to live a life free from
fear after 10 long years.