Left wing organisation Spartacus OKDE has reported the arrest of an immigrant named Akif Khan, hailing from Pakistan Administered Kashmir, by Greek authorities. He is a communist and an active member of the Jammu Kashmir National Student Federation (JKNSF). He was also active with Anti-Capitalist Migrant Greece and other leftist organizations, working for the rights of migrants as well as the Greek working class.
According to reports, he was also harassed by the Pakistani Foreign Office during his stay in Greece, and his phone was confiscated last spring.
We, along with Spartacus OKDE, demand immediate release of our comrade and firmly believe that every immigrant has the right to liberty, just like any other citizen of the country. We also demand that all borders should be open for immigrants.
The local left-wing newspaper “Cocane” has stated that Akif Khan, a communist migrant from Pakistan held Kashmir, was arrested due to his advocacy for migrant workers. The newspaper further demands the immediate release and documentation of all migrant workers currently in jails across Greece and Europe. Any suggestion of exiling these migrants must be abandoned without delay.
A spokesperson for JKNSF, in a press release, has condemned the arrest of Akif Khan and demanded his immediate release. The spokesperson also called for the return of his confiscated documents.
Furthermore, the spokesperson stated that Greek authorities are responsible for the deaths of hundreds of Pakistani and Kashmiri migrants who were abandoned at sea. Akif Khan’s arrest is allegedly a result of his vocal opposition to the Greek authorities in demanding justice.
The spokesperson further demanded that the authorities whose negligence caused this tragedy be investigated, tried, and punished. The families of the deceased should be compensated for their loss. All malicious attacks against political activists protesting the mistreatment of immigrants in Greece must cease.
Courtesy Asian Marxist Review
