On the 22 June 2008 a mother makes her usual telephone call to her son. He is married with a family and his mother is very proud of him, he has achieved both academically and vocationally. She enjoys their regular chats and catch ups over the phone; so is surprised to find that on telephoning several times on the above date, there is no reply from either her son or his wife. Without wanting to seem over anxious she contacts other family members and friends just in case he is with them or maybe got held up somewhere or had been unexpectedly delayed at work.
Over the following hours which lengthen into two days she becomes desperate to know if her son is ok – maybe he’s had an accident – in hospital perhaps but surely his wife would have let her know? With this is mind one of her other sons and a friend travel to her son's home to speak with his wife. She states that he left the house on 20 June and she has not seen or heard from him since. They were bewildered that his wife had not told the family or reported her husband missing to the police – never the less they then inform the police and other relevant authorities.
Many people go missing and it is a fact that if an adult disappears the police do not automatically presume foul play is involved; so do not always act immediately. However after three months have passed and this mother has heard nothing from police in the form of follow-up interviews with neighbours and no search for clues in her son's property – no investigative work at all as far as she could tell and her son’s wife now having left with the children and her husband’s belongings; on 3 September 2008 she decides to investigate herself.
This scenario could be acted out anywhere in the world and the mothers amongst us will know that losing touch with her child at any age stirs feelings of panic and anxiety. The mother in this case is Egyptian, her name, Shahandeh Abdul Hamid, and her son Wasim Salah Hussein, had moved with his wife Gvadh and family, to Moscow, Russia.
Shahandeh arrives in Moscow and discovers that her son's dead body had been found by the police just three days after he went missing but had been left unidentified and placed in a morgue. His body had been dismembered and dumped in boxes and thrown into a river.
The details are revolting and we can only imagine the impact on Shahandeh and her family as they heard that on 23 June 2008 in the river by the Moscow Kremlin in the Corniche area, two suitcases were found – inside plastic bags were discovered and on opening them human body parts were revealed of a male: these included the head and upper part of the trunk; parts of the upper right buttock, the pelvic area, thighs and left leg. On 26 June 2008 in the aquatic compartment on the Bank of the Moscow River a piece of the lower end of human right leg was also discovered. Yes, Wasim, eventually identified through his daughter’s DNA
Shahandeh has been campaigning since that time for a thorough investigation into the murder of her son, Wasim. It has become her life's work. She now has the support a group of sympathisers including writers, journalists, artists and politicians as well as members of the People's Assembly. I also believe that Shahandeh and her supporters have written to President Putin to ask him to enforce a thorough investigation as police authorities have closed the case and refuse to open it, stating that there was no criminal activity involved. Of course this makes no sense, bodies do not cut themselves up and the fact that Wasim’s wife did not report her husband missing is a little suspicious I would have thought?
While this murder may have happened thousands of miles away, from many of us, there is something in it that should concern us all. That is, this seemingly increasing lack of integrity within the very authorities and departments we look to for justice. It seems to run through every aspect of our society including governments, police authorites as well as the judiciary.
Was it always like this? Are we only just waking up? Well if that is the case let us rub the sleep from our eyes and continue to ensure that those entrusted with seeking out and dealing with injustice are forced to recognise their accountability towards their citizens, wherever in the world they may be.
Wasim and Shahandeh - full story here: http://waseemsalah.8m.net/
No comments:
Post a Comment