KARACHI, April 29: Three Iraqis in Malir Jail and one Saudi national in Central Jail — all detained for illegal border crossing — have formally appealed to the UNHCR for refugee status on humanitarian grounds.

The three Iraqis, Nasir Abbas Hussain, Ahmad Muhammad Habib and Zeid Abbas Nemat Zingi, stated that their refusal to enlist in the army was the culpable crime which forced them to flee Iraq. If deported now, they fear they will be humiliated and hanged.

Nasir Abbas Hussain also told Javed Burqi, a lawyer who met him recently, that his father, a school teacher, was hanged in Iraq in 1982 for his opposition to the government’s policies. At 18 years, when approached by government officials to join the army, he could not express outright opposition. Instead, he made his escape to Kurdistan and later to Iran. Finally, just 15 months ago, he crossed the border into Pakistan.

The Saudi national, Yasin Mohammad Amin, is also unable to return to his country as he is not being accepted by the Saudi Embassy.

All four are languishing in prison as they have served their prison sentence of eight months for illegal border crossing some months ago and now face an uncertain future. Ironically, they have not been produced before the court.

Zeid Abbas is the only prisoner who claims to have received a reply from the UNHCR office in Islamabad. However, the letter was seized at the time of his arrest on Feb 10, 2001, by army officials in Hyderabad along with his Iraqi identity card, a wrist watch and some money. This was handed over to the police in the Saddar (Karachi) police station, who now deny this delivery. Zeid Abbas has written a letter of complaint to the army.

A more recent arrival in the prison is yet another Iraqi, Ali Musa, who has also fled the country to forestall his arrest on his refusal to enlist in the army. His younger brother, Reza Musa, aged 21 years, who travelled with him, is being detained in the Industrial School for Youthful Offenders. He was suffering from tonsillitis and was operated upon.

Also detained in Malir jail is a Yemeni, Abu Mohammad Ahmad Musawi. He arrived on a fake passport and was arrested under Section 420/419 and detained in Malir District Jail in Sept 1999. During the three years of detention, he has written over 50 letters to the Embassy of Yemen in Islamabad to explain his case, but has received no reply so far.