Petition to Austrian Foreign Minister Plassnik
Let Haj Ali visit Austria
Haj Ali (Ali Shalal Abbas) is the man with the hood and the electrodes on his hand, the man from the US prison at Abu Ghraib in Iraq, whose images shocked the world. Since his release, his aim has been to end torture by the occupiers, and the first step in that direction is to spread information about the actual situation.
A visa application, supported by an invitation of an Austrian media company, was rejected by the Austrian authorities, without stating any reasons. A rejection by the Italian government had preceded this decision, but Italy—in contrast to Austria—had attacked Iraq together with the US and is now part of the occupation regime.
While denying entry to a torture victim, the Austrian government received Jalal Talabani, whose Peshmerga militias are not only accused of countless violations of human rights, such as the systematic torture of people who oppose the occupation, but his very position as the “president” of Iraq is based on a war of aggression in violation of international law and the occupation that followed. With the official reception of Talabani, the Austrian government reversed the European opposition against the war on Iraq—although the great majority of the population opposed the war—, and justifies the occupation regime. Neutrality doesn’t seem to be an issue any more.
We request Foreign Minister Plassnik to grant information about the rejection of entry to Haj Ali. We want to point out the fact that Austria has signed various legal documents to prevent torture, which are binding under international law, and that includes a commitment not to suppress evidence.
We demand a waiver of the denial of entry and we demand that a visa will be granted, so that a victim of the occupation will be able to speak out as well, according to the principles of freedom and diversity of opinion.
Finally, we demand adherence to the neutrality of Austria—as stated in the constitution—, which is being breached by the obvious subordination to US interests.
Leo Gabriel, Journalist
Peter Schmied, Journalist
Dipl.-Ing. Dr. Hans Mikosch, Universitätslehrer, Wien
Dr. Karl Reitter, Universitätslehrer, Wien
Hannes Hofbauer, Verleger und Journalist
Wilfried Bader, Gemeinderat Angerberg, Tirol
Gerhard Ruiss, Literat
Tibor Zenker, Sozialistische Jugend Niederösterreich
Michael Pröbsting, freier Journalist, ArbeiterInnenstandpunkt
Dr. Haimo L. Handl, Unternehmensberater, Wien
Otto Bruckner, Kommunistische Initiative Wien
Gerhard Drexler, Soziologe
Irina Vana, Spitzenkandidatin der Gegenstimmen
Waltraud Schauer, menschlicher Schutzschild im Irak
DSA Selma Schacht, GLB – GPA
Melanie Marschnig alias Melamar, Literatin
Sandra Bakutz, Menschenrechtsaktivistin und Journalistin
Elisabeth Gschaider, Journalistin
Dipl.-Ing. Mohammad Abu-rous, Chemiker, Arabischer Palästina Club
Bärbel Staudenmayer, Ethnologin
Wilhelm Langthaler, Antiimperialistische Koordination
Anna Murzynska, Studentin, Wien
Werner Pirker, Journalist, Wien
Herbert Loitsch, Multimedialist und Journalist, Wien
Dr. Teresa Frisch-Soto, Lektorin, Universität Wien
