The Kurdish political writer Hooshang Osei seeking asylum

The Kurdish political writer Hooshang Osei seeking asylum
January 9, 2010 by sks

We at International Support Kurds in Syria Association – SKS have been approached for help by a prominent Kurdish writer from Syria, who is currently in Turkey. We are writing to ask you to support him in whatever way you can as he has a well-founded fear of persecution in Syria, and in Turkey.

The following information has been provided to us directly by Hooshang Osei (January 2010).
Hooshang Osei, born in 1976 is a stateless ajanib Kurd from Syria. He is a prolific poet, writer, and journalist and has had many articles published in newspapers and on the internet that are critical of the Governments of Syria, Turkey, Iran, Iraq and KRG in Kurdistan. He has a high profile in the Arab world and the Middle East and is well-known for his political criticisms.
Hooshang had been questioned by the security forces in Syria, and was then alerted to the possibility that his arrest was imminent. He went into hiding in the middle of January 2009, after security patrols repeatedly came looking for him. He was being sought in connection to his political journalism. The following is an interview with him by France 24, in April 2009: F24 TV (in English) – http://www.france24.com/en/20090424-report-syria-journalist-kurdish-hoseng-hide-on-the-run-regime-writing-lebanon.

During his time in hiding, Hooshang was interviewed by the Egyptian Newspaper Al-Masry Al-Youm regarding his views about the decisions made by Erdogan regarding the bombing of Gaza by Israel, at the Davos summit in January 2009. Hooshang was very critical of the Turkish Prime Minister for taking a stance in demanding an apology from Israel, when he represented a country that was at the same time attacking Kurds in the mountains by Turkish jet, and he himself had ignored the calls of Turkish intellectuals for an apology relating to the genocide that was committed in Turkey against the Armenian people:
http://www.almasry-alyoum.com/article2.aspx?ArticleID=197471&IssueID=1305

He wrote the following article: http://www.aljareeda.com/aljarida/ArticlePrint.aspx?id=100752, criticising a statement by a member of the Turkish diplomatic staff from the Turkish Embassy in Kuwait.

After five months of hiding in Syria the opportunity presented itself for him to leave Syria illegally on 30 May 2009 and went to Turkey with an agent (people smuggler), and from there the agent took him by boat to Greece. He was under the instruction and control of the agent along with 25 other people – men, women and children.

Once in Greece he was imprisoned for 43 days, however without explanation having taken his finger prints, the Greek authorities took him to a prison on the border with Turkey for three days, and then took him by force with others, on a boat across the river to Turkey. He was left there with no official handover to the Turkish authorities. In Turkey, he was imprisoned for ten days and was then released. He wrote an article about the practices used by Greece and Turkey to get financial advantage from the situation of immigrants: http://www.alquds.com/node/199833

Hooshang made contact with UNHCR in Turkey and his case for asylum is now being considered by that organisation.
Hooshang is desperately seeking help to find a place of safety. He fears the state authorities in Syria, Turkey, Iran, Iraq and Kurdistan (KRG).

Hooshang has a fear of:
• Being returned to Syria: His political writings (see below) have been very critical of the Syrian Government and its treatment of Kurds and he has had many articles published on the internet. The indications are that the Syrian Government has been preparing to arrest him for his political activity.
• He would also be considered to have broken the law by leaving Syria illegally. He had no choice as stateless Kurds are unable to travel, and anyway, the security system at the airport would have alerted the authorities to his whereabouts.

• Remaining in Turkey: Hooshang has been equally critical of the Turkish Government for its treatment of Kurds and is known for his contact with Kurdish activists there. There is currently unrest in Turkey regarding the closing down of DTP and there is evidence of a clampdown on Kurdish activists by imprisonment at this time. It is likely that Hooshang is very vulnerable to arrest and imprisonment in Turkey as a high-profile Kurdish activist.
• Additionally, Turkey and Syria have been in discussion regarding their combined approach to the Kurdish issue. Hooshang is at real risk of being a victim of this combined approach to silencing active Kurds in either of these countries.

• Removal to Iran, Iraq or Kurdistan (KRG). Hooshang has no connection to these countries but as he has been critical of these Governments he is at risk of persecution in these countries also. He is not welcome in Kurdistan by KRG as a result of his criticism of that Government.

Relocation in any part of these countries is not a safe option.

Hooshang fears persecution in Syria and Turkey by means of:
• imprisonment combined with ill-treatment and torture,
• criminal conviction and disproportionate sentencing as a political detainee,
• constant harassment in Syria and in Turkey.

On the information available we understand that Hooshang’s fears are well-based in the UN Refugee Convention grounds of:
Political opinion – he has been a prolific and well-known political Kurdish writer, using his words to fight for basic human rights for Kurds in the Middle East.

Examples of his writing are below. As a result of his writings he has a particularly high profile and has come to the attention of the authorities, and is in conflict with the Governments of Syria and Turkey in particular.

In Syria it is likely that Hooshang would be convicted under the Syrian Penal Code Article 267
1. Any Syrian who acts, speaks, writes texts or undertakes or tries to undertake similar actions with the purpose of partitioning off a portion of Syrian territory in order to annex it to a foreign state or to provide a foreign state with rights to which the Syrian state alone is entitled, will be punished with a sentence of no less than five years in prison.
2. If, at the time of the deed, the perpetrator belongs to one of the associations or organizations mentioned in Articles 288 and 307, he will be punished with life imprisonment.

and Article 307
1. Any deeds committed, writings composed, or speeches held with the intention of inciting sectarian or racial strife or provoking conflict between the religions and the various members of the nation will be condemned to prison for between six months and two years, fined between 100 and 200 liras, and banned from exercising the rights noted in Paragraphs 2 and 4 of Article 65.
2. The court may decide whether or not to publish the decision.

Nationality – as a stateless Kurd he is subjected to persecution.

Race – as a Kurd, Hooshang faces discriminatory treatment which could amount to persecution.

Particular social group – Hooshang shares the characteristics of being a stateless Kurd, in addition to which he is outside his country of residence.

There may be other grounds.

Below we include some examples of Hooshang’s writings in both Arabic and Kurdish. He is also known as a poet and has had four books of poems published. He has been nominated for an award by Al Ayam newspaper in Algeria.

He wrote for Al-Safir newspaper in December 2009, criticising the Turkish Government for closing down the Kurdish political party DTP: http://www.assafir.com/Article.aspx?EditionId=1427&ChannelId=33093&ArticleId=23&Author=%D9%87%D9%88%D8%B4%D9%86%D9%83%20%D8%A7%D9%88%D8%B3%D9%8A

Hoosang Osei was mentioned in the following article on al-Jazeera tv:
http://www.aljazeera.net/News/archive/archive?ArchiveId=1073628

Al Arabiya tv in Arabic
http://www.alarabiya.net/writers/warchive.php?writer=1635

The following are links to Hooshang’s articles on the Dar al-Hayat website:
For further information contact Dar al-Hayat headquarters:
Tel: 02076029988,
Fax: 02073714215
Email: [email protected] or [email protected]

http://international.daralhayat.com/internationalarticle/88955
http://international.daralhayat.com/internationalarticle/87535
http://international.daralhayat.com/internationalarticle/87524
http://international.daralhayat.com/internationalarticle/86867
http://international.daralhayat.com/internationalarticle/83769
http://international.daralhayat.com/internationalarticle/80507
http://international.daralhayat.com/internationalarticle/80159
http://international.daralhayat.com/internationalarticle/78536
http://international.daralhayat.com/internationalarticle/76772
http://international.daralhayat..com/archivearticle/106120
http://international.daralhayat.com/archivearticle/135047
http://international.daralhayat.com/archivearticle/184495
http://international.daralhayat.com/archivearticle/191875
http://international.daralhayat.com/archivearticle/191772
http://international.daralhayat..com/archivearticle/108404
http://international.daralhayat.com/archivearticle/117365
http://international.daralhayat.com/archivearticle/116081
http://international.daralhayat.com/archivearticle/197848
http://international.daralhayat.com/archivearticle/186201
http://international.daralhayat..com/archivearticle/197248
http://international.daralhayat.com/archivearticle/197139
http://international.daralhayat.com/archivearticle/196494
http://international.daralhayat.com/internationalarticle/69340
http://international.daralhayat.com/internationalarticle/61669
http://international.daralhayat.com/internationalarticle/69350
http://international.daralhayat.com/archivearticle/187938
http://international.daralhayat.com/archivearticle/195127
http://international.daralhayat.com/archivearticle/194611
http://international.daralhayat.com/archivearticle/193969
http://international.daralhayat.com/archivearticle/207136
http://international.daralhayat.com/archivearticle/206857
http://international.daralhayat.com/archivearticle/205550
http://international.daralhayat.com/archivearticle/205263
http://international.daralhayat.com/archivearticle/201569
http://international.daralhayat.com/archivearticle/199354
http://international.daralhayat.com/archivearticle/199019
http://international.daralhayat.com/archivearticle/218877
http://international.daralhayat.com/archivearticle/220635
http://international.daralhayat.com/archivearticle/209528
http://international.daralhayat.com/archivearticle/209269
http://international.daralhayat.com/archivearticle/219877
http://international.daralhayat.com/archivearticle/207216
http://international.daralhayat.com/archivearticle/207134
http://international.daralhayat.com/internationalarticle/53638
http://international.daralhayat.com/internationalarticle/13359
http://international.daralhayat.com/internationalarticle/13003
http://international.daralhayat.com/internationalarticle/12466
http://international.daralhayat.com/internationalarticle/8265
http://international.daralhayat.com/archivearticle/292454
http://international.daralhayat.com/archivearticle/292309
http://international.daralhayat.com/internationalarticle/3698
http://international.daralhayat.com/archivearticle/289738
http://international.daralhayat.com/archivearticle/224856

The following are links to his articles on the al-Mustaqbal website:
http://www.almustaqbal.com/nawafez.aspx?
http://www.almustaqbal.com/stories.aspx?storyid=366454
http://www.almustaqbal.com/stories.aspx?StoryID=336996
http://www.almustaqbal.com/stories.aspx?StoryID=349854
http://www.almustaqbal.com/stories.aspx?StoryID=335899
http://www.almustaqbal.com/stories.aspx?StoryID=327713
http://www.almustaqbal.com/stories.aspx?StoryID=324878
http://www.almustaqbal.com/stories.aspx?StoryID=323869
http://www.almustaqbal.com/stories.aspx?StoryID=303097
http://www.almustaqbal.com/stories.aspx?StoryID=303098
http://www.almustaqbal.com/stories.aspx?StoryID=299724
http://www.almustaqbal.com/stories.aspx?StoryID=298525
http://www.almustaqbal.com/stories.aspx?StoryID=291867
http://www.almustaqbal.com/stories.aspx?StoryID=277744
http://www.almustaqbal.com/stories.aspx?StoryID=273456
http://www.almustaqbal.com/stories.aspx?StoryID=272345
http://www.almustaqbal.com/stories.aspx?StoryID=270007
http://www.almustaqbal.com/stories.aspx?StoryID=269034

A sample of other articles:
http://www.aljarida.com/aljarida/Article.aspx?id=100752
http://www.elaph.com/Web/AsdaElaph/2009/8/475513.htm
http://www.elaph.com/Web/AsdaElaph/2009/3/424320.htm
http://www.elaph.com/Web/AsdaElaph/2009/2/411039.htm
http://www.elaph.com/Web/AsdaElaph/2008/10/375956.htm
http://www.elaph.com/Web/AsdaElaph/2008/9/368629.htm
http://www.elaph.com/Web/AsdaElaph/2008/7/348855.htm
http://www.elaph.com/Web/AsdaElaph/2008/6/342860.htm
http://www.elaph.com/Web/NewsPapers/2007/8/260004.htm
http://www.niqash.org/content.php?contentTypeID=75&id=2294?=1

Turkish newspaper ‘Taraf’:
http://www.taraf.com.tr/haber/40414.htm

Turkish newspaper ‘Radikal’:
http://www.radikal.com.tr/Radikal.aspx?aType=RadikalHaberDetay&Date=&ArticleID=953707

Articles by Hooshang, written as HOSSENK OSE with a link to information about him on Radikal.com: http://www.radikal.com.tr/Default.aspx?aType=DetayliAramaSonucV2&ItemsPerPage=10&PAGE=1&CategoryTypeID=1&Keyword=&SameKeyword=&NotKeyword=&CategoryID=-1&prmEk=0&AuthorKeyword=&MuhabirKeyword=ho%FEenk&startDateNull=&endDateNull=&Asc=0

He was a member of the Editorial Board of the Kurdish magazine Roj Da in Syria and then Beirut, which is written in Kurdish. He is also on the Editorial board of the Kurdish magazine Sorgl which is written in Arabic.

Hooshang writes: I used my writings to defend my position on the rights of Kurdish people, which is critical of the Syrian regime, and also published in Turkish and Iranian newspapers, in Arabic and Kurdish.
In the light of the foregoing, I hope to be able to seek political asylum. I hope you can provide assistance, and rapid intervention to take me out of Turkey.
Yours Sincerely and in appreciation
Hooshang Osei
Istanbul

We are in contact with Hooshang direct. At this stage, as this is a matter of urgency and at Hooshang’s request, for further information, or to make any offer of assistance, or to write in support of Hooshang Osei’s case, please contact:

UNHCR: [email protected]
Tel: 009031240970000, or 00903124411738.

Many thanks,

Khalaf Dahowd and Sheila Mosley
Co-Chairs
International Support Kurds in Syria Association -SKS
Email: [email protected]

9 January 2010

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