On Khalid Mahmood's death in Cyprus

greece / turkey / cyprus | migration / racism | press release Thursday February 03, 2011 12:55 by Anarchist Union enosi_anarxikon at riseup dot net

On Sunday 31st January 54 year old Khalid Mahmood was killed when the Immigration police invaded the house where he lived with three others. Khalid, an immigrant without papers from Pakistan, fell from the first floor when he tried to get away from the police trying to arrest him. He was seriously hurt and the next day in the hospital he died.

On Sunday 31st January 54 year old Khalid Mahmood was killed when the Immigration police invaded the house where he lived with three others.

Khalid, an immigrant without papers from Pakistan, fell from the first floor when he tried to get away from the police trying to arrest him. He was seriously hurt and the next day in the hospital he died.

Things like this happen many times in Cyprus, even if it's rare that they end with someone's death.

Because he was an immigrant without papers, and because in the 'democracy' we live he is considered 'illegal', he preferred to risk his life rather than lose his freedom. Today immigrants without papers live terrorized by the threat of arrest and deportation.

They live like they are not human like the rest, like they do not have the same rights. At the same time they are exploited by Cypriot bosses who pay very low salaries for jobs with inhuman working conditions. But everyone knows that the police does not invade the houses of the bosses.

They terrorize only the weakest and the most unfairly treated, especially the immigrants with no papers.

This situation is to the bosses' advantage, who become richer from unofficial work and the separation of immigrants into 'illegal' and 'legal'.

The worldwide system which is to blame for the poverty and oppression in countries like Pakistan is the same worldwide system which protects the bosses and terrorizes the workers here in Cyprus.

We stand in solidarity and unity with all oppressed people because it is the only way we can self-organize and resist this system.

NO HUMAN BEING IS ILLEGAL

Anarchist Union And Others in Solidarity