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Islamic Human Rights Commission
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3 May 2006

Press Release: British Citizen Faces Execution after Eighteen Years of Unjust Imprisonment

The Islamic Human Rights Commission is deeply concerned about the fate of a British citizen unjustly imprisoned for eighteen years in Pakistan who is due to be executed on 1 June 2006.

Mirza Tahir Hussain went to Pakistan at the age of 18 to visit family shortly after successfully completing his exams in the British Territorial Army. In a clear miscarriage of justice in which he was falsely convicted of murder and highway robbery, Mirza has spent the last eighteen years in prison. He has now received a stay of execution until 1 June 2006.

Mirza is a dual national and IHRC is calling on the British government to intervene in this clear travesty of justice to prevent the execution of one of its citizens who felt himself so British that he even joined the Territorial Army.

IHRC Chair Massoud Shadjareh stated:

“Eighteen years of this young man’s life have been unjustly taken away from him and now he faces execution for a crime he did not commit.

The British government must intervene immediately to ensure Mirza is released immediately and allowed return to his home in the UK to try and rebuild his shattered life.”

The campaign to free Mirza Tahir Hussain is supported by Reprieve, Fair Trials Abroad, Lord Nazir Ahmad, John Battle MP, and Greg Mulholland MP. Amnesty International is also opposed to the execution of Mirza Tahir Hussain.

For more information please contact (+44) 20 8904 4222, or (44) 7958 522196 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. Although due to be executed today, Mirza has been given a stay of execution until 1 June.

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

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

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