‘——————————————–

Islamic Human Rights Commission

———————————————

27 July 2006

Press Release: No Stay of Execution for British Citizen in Pakistan

The Islamic Human Rights Commission is yet to receive any confirmation of rumours that Mirza Tahir Hussain has been given a stay of execution, as has been widely reported in the media.

A delegation of representatives of the Islamic Human Rights Commission, Amnesty International, Reprieve and Fair Trials Abroad accompanied Mirza’s brother Amjad and MP for the family, Greg Mulholland, to visit the Pakistani High Commissioner this morning.

Coordinator of the Campaign, Fahad Ansari stated:

“The High Commissioner was absolutely clear in her message that no stay of execution had been given. It is imperative that Prime Minister Blair now personally intervene to ensure Mirza is freed from his 18 year nightmare.”

IHRC repeats its calls upon the Prime Minister to ensure that Mirza is not executed on 3 August as is scheduled and instead freed and returned home to the UK.

For more information please contact (+44) 20 8904 4222, or (44) 7737 181910 or email:info@ihrc.org.[ ENDS ]

Notes for Editor:

Mirza Tahir Hussain is British citizen from who Leeds went to Pakistan in December 1988 at the age of 18 to visit family. During a taxi-journey from Rawalpindi station to his village, the driver stopped the care, produced a gun and tried to assault Mirza. In the altercation, the gun went off and the driver was killed.

Mirza immediately went to the nearest police station and was subsequently charged, convicted and sentenced to death for the murder of the driver. Despite the High Court acquitting him of all charges, Mirza was retried in the Federal Shariat Court and the death sentence re-imposed. An application for clemency was made to President Musharraf but this has been declined.

For further information on Mirza’s case, please visit https://ihrc.org.uk/show.php?id=1834

The campaign to free Mirza is supported by Amnesty International, Reprieve, Fair Trials Abroad, Human Rights Watch, The Rt Hon Hillary Benn MP, Lord Nazir Ahmad, John Battle MP, Greg Mulholland MP, and Sajjad Karim MEP.

If you would like to contact Mirza’s family members to arrange an interview, please contact Islamic Human Rights Commission.

Islamic Human Rights Commission

PO Box 598

Wembley

HA9 7XH

United Kingdom

Telephone (+44) 20 8904 4222

Fax (+44) 20 8904 5183

Email: info@ihrc.org

Web: www.ihrc.org

info@ihrc.org