Baluchistan human rights activist and British citizen Noordin Mengal has been
denied entry to the US and was detained without access to a lawyer or the British
consulate.
Below is a press release issued by the
Baluchistan National Party:
On June 23rd, Baluch human rights defender Noordin
Mengal was detained at Newark Liberty International
Airport in the US on his arrival from the United
Arab Emirates. After being held for nearly 26
hours in the custody of the United States Department
of Homeland Security, he was sent back to Dubai
after being denied entry to the US. Noordin Mengal,
grandson of veteran Baluch leaders Sardar Attaullah
Mengal and Nawab Khair Bakhsh Marri, is a British
citizen and a representative to the United Nations
Human Rights Council on behalf of Interfaith
International and is also a member of the Baluchistan
National Party.
Upon arrival at Newark Liberty
at 6:35 pm, Mengal was detained for questioning
by the Customs and Border Protection Enforcement
of the Department of Homeland Security. Mengal
was questioned about Baluchistan and the purpose
of his human rights activities. Mengal was
subsequently told that he would not be granted
entry to the United States and could return only
after being issued a visa by a US State Department
abroad. Under the visa waiver programme, however,
British nationals are exempted from formal visa
procedures and can freely visit the US for a
maximum stay of no more than three months on
each entry. Mengal asked an officer if he could
call an official at the British consulate. The
official confirmed his right to do so, but told
him it would only be possible just prior to his
departure. Mengal was denied access to a telephone
to contact his family and no one from the US
government informed Mengal's family of the developments.
At approximately 9:30 pm, Mengal was told that
he would be sent to the UK.
According to Mengal, the detention room was
empty by 11 pm. At 2 am he was once again taken
for formal questioning, of which a transcript
was supposed to be given to him. Mengal stated
that officers had decided to send him back prior
to the second interrogation, and that this was
to be just a formality. He also stated that at
the end of the questioning, he was asked if he
would like to call someone within the US, as
he could not call internationally. He was told
it was late, but was assured that he could make
a call in the morning.
Mengal was informed that he would be given a
place to rest, but was made to sit on a chair
for nearly another 10 hours, during which time
he was repeatedly told that he would soon be
taken to another facility. At approximately 6
am he was given a thermoplastic blanket (disposable
emergency sheet made of yellow polythylene with
a cellulose matting insulation) to use. At around
11 am, a group was sent to take Mengal to another
facility. The authorities shackled Mengal, locked
his handcuffs to a heavy chain looped around
his waist, and led him through the airport lounge
to the back of a white armored detention vehicle
parked outside the airport. The vehicle was outfitted
with a padlocked caged door in the rear and two
caged partitions inside. Mengal was driven to
the Elizabeth detention facility in New Jersey,
where he was held in a white detention cell with
an armored steel door. Mengal estimates he was
there for over 5 hours, during which time a number
of prisoners from the Republic of Columbia, convicted
of illegally residing in the US, joined him in
the cell. On questioning the officer regarding
his status, Mengal was told that he was not a
criminal, nor an offender. Mengal asked the officer
if a British citizen had ever been detained at
this facility. The officer replied, “Never.”
In the evening, Mengal was once again restrained with fetters and manacles
and transported back to the airport, where he was escorted through the arrivals
lounge to the offices of the Department of the Homeland Security. Mengal asked
an official if he had the right to call a lawyer. He was told he was not now
entitled to one and could only have done so on the day of his arrival. On the
day of his arrival, however, he was not informed of any of his rights, nor
was he allowed to contact anyone. By 8 pm, Mengal was escorted to a Qatar Airways
aircraft by officials of the US Immigration and Customs enforcement, who continued
to interrogate him for another half hour while criticizing his human rights
activities. Mengal was told he was being sent back to Dubai and that even if
he returned, having attaining a visa, there was still a possibility he could
be denied entry. Mengal was informed that he was not being deported, but rather
was regarded as inadmissible. Throughout his detention, Mengal was denied the
right to contact an official from either the British embassy or consulate.
Mengal boarded Qatar Airways flight QR 84 in
which he flew to Geneva, Switzerland, where he
was escorted to an isolated lounge before being
escorted back to a plane departing for Doha.
On arriving in Doha, he was again escorted to
a Dubai bound plane QR 114. Mengal's documents
were not returned to him until he arrived at
the immigration investigation department in Dubai
International airport.
It is pertinent to state that throughout his
detention, Mengal was denied the right to speak
to an official from the British embassy or consulate—a
clear violation of the Vienna Convention. Furthermore,
on hearing of the US Government's refusal to
allow Mengal to enter the US, many officials
in the US, Qatar and UAE were stunned by the
treatment meted out to a British citizen.
It is pertinent to mention that Noordin Mengal
has never been arrested in the past and has never
been convicted or charged by any government.
He has never been accused of any offense and
has no charges pending against him.
The Baluch condemn any act that denies innocent
people their rights and consider Mengal's detention
a clear violation of human rights. The Baluch
appeal to US authorities to uphold its democratic
norms and avoid becoming party to a long history
of unjustifiable persecution and victimization
of the democratic, secular, progressive and peaceful
Baluch and British-Baluch.
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