Iceland deports Boko Haram victim from Nigeria

Stockholm, Sweden - As Eze sat in the pew at a church where he goes most mornings to pray, his phone buzzed with a new message. His Icelandic teacher was checking in on him, giving him support.

A calm and composed man, Eze began to cry, the emotion intensifying as he continued to read. His friends in Iceland were standing with him, the message said, they would fight for him.

Eze Okafor, 32, had been living in Iceland for the last four years, working as a cook in a local restaurant, learning the Icelandic language, building a community.

"Iceland is my home now. I have contributed to the society here. Many people know me. My friends have become my family," he told Al Jazeera.

Eze fled Nigera after being targeted by Boko Haram. In 2010, he and his younger brother, Okwy, were attacked in retaliation for not joining the armed group. "They tried to recruit me, but I refused."

Members of Boko Haram stormed their house in Maiduguri, Borno State, in northeastern Nigeria. Eze was stabbed in the head and face. Okwy was killed.

Eze's brother was killed by Boko Haram [Marie-Helene Carleton/Al Jazeera]

Soon after, Eze fled Nigeria and made a long and dangerous boat journey to Europe, where in 2011 he sought asylum in Sweden. He told his story and showed his still fresh and infected wounds, including the gash over his eye, which he feared would cost him his eyesight. He was denied asylum and made his way to Iceland.

He applied for asylum in Iceland in 2012 but was denied.

He has been working with a lawyer, Katrin Theodorsdottir, who then applied for permission for Eze to stay in Iceland on humanitarian grounds, as his case has slowly made its way through the system. Eze said that in October he was given temporary residency and could work. 

His case in Iceland has hinged on what time limit is relevant to his asylum request, as defined by Article 19 of the Dublin Regulation, which determines which European Union member state is responsible for asylum seekers.

Article 19 lays out a timeframe of six months within which an asylum seeker must be sent back to the country where they were originally asking for asylum, otherwise the current country is responsible for processing their asylum case.

After many rejections, appeals and back and forths between various immigration authorities, Theodorsdottir said there was a "twist". A special immigration committee reviewing Eze's case said the time limit to send Eze back to Sweden might have expired, and advised him to go to the immigration office and have his application for asylum processed.

Boko Haram attack: 50,000 flee town in Niger

Eze went to the immigration office as instructed to pick up the paperwork, and was told to wait 45 minutes, which he did. According to Theodorsdottir, unbeknown to him, the police officer was calling the immigration office. And then another twist.

"The police said I should come to sign and all of a sudden they took me into custody. They arrested me. I spent the night in jail," Eze recalled.

"They next morning they said they were deporting me. I said I should go and get my stuff from my house. They said no. They took me to the airport and manhandled me.

"In Iceland, I have been integrated into society, with so many friends. A lot of people know me. So when the police was beating me, when I was arrested, there was a lot of reaction."

Early on May 26, Eze was put handcuffed on to a plane for deportation. Two members of the rights group No Borders Iceland boarded the plane and stood up in protest, asking other passengers to stand up as well to protest at Eze's deportation. After about 10 minutes, they were arrested by Icelandic police.

Eze was taken to Stockholm. At the airport, he thought the Icelandic authorities would give him back the only ID he had - his Nigerian driver's licence. They took it back to Iceland. He was handed papers by the Swedish immigration authorities, which gave him until June 1 to leave Sweden or be deported back to Nigeria.

He was also given a piece of paper saying that he had no right to financial assistance. Without money or any identification, he was turned out on to the street where he spent the first night.

Nigeria finds Chibok girl abducted by Boko Haram

Boko Haram is an continuing threat in Nigeria with members and supporters at all levels of government and the police, Ezer said. Several years ago, members of Boko Haram kidnapped his mother in what he said was a bid to force him to return to Nigeria. After brutalising her - including an attack to her face that compromised her eyesight - the kidnappers demanded a ransom.

"What I am facing in Nigeria is that this Islamic group is after my life. My life is in danger."

He said he believes that when he lands at the airport in Nigeria he fears he will be apprehended by the police. "Boko Haram has a network. They have been looking for me since then."

Today, Eze is uncertain about his future. He does know one thing for sure. If he were to return to Nigeria, he believes it would mean death for him.

With his friends, he is working hard to find a lawyer who can take his case in Sweden. His dream is to return to his home in Iceland.

Theodorsdottir said there is something the immigration office could do. She has requested that he be granted permission to live in Iceland on humanitarian grounds, a request that is still pending.

Eze said his mother, Celina, taught him how to cook at an early age and it is his passion. He loved working in the restaurant in Iceland and had a good relationship with his boss. He loves to cook Nigerian food. Maybe, he said, once he is back in Iceland, and his life has found balance again, he could pursue a dream. There is no Nigerian restaurant in Iceland.

"Maybe one day, when I am back in Iceland, I could open a restaurant", Eze said, smiling.

"When I was in handcuffs on my way to Sweden, I was pleading with them," Eze said. "I am not a criminal. I did not commit any crime. I am asking for refuge. They should treat me like a human."

Carleton, Marie-Helene, and Micah Garen. "Iceland Deports Boko Haram Victim from Nigeria." 

- News from Al Jazeera. N.p., 20 June 2016. Web. 20 June 2016. <http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2016/06/iceland-deports-boko-haram-victim-nigeria-160612104826080.html>.

The article talks about a Nigerian who ran away from Boko Haram, a terrorist group, to Iceland where he experienced deportation after four years. The author seems to be biased towards Eze the Nigerian as they write his personal story and share the struggles his facing. Though the author does seem biased I would support them in wanting to help this hopeless case. I acknowledge this man is a Nigerian and that's where he belongs, but I disagree with the fact that the Nigerian government should help him. It seems as though the Nigerian government has connections with Boko Haram that would worsen Eze's safety. I know the countless refugees and the hopelessness many of them are facing, but I would want Sweden and Iceland to help this man and treat his rightfully like a human with his own rights. Though he isn't their citizen I think he has a right to be treated with respect like a man finding refuge. 

Orlando: Vigils held after US' deadliest shooting

Forty-eight of the 49 victims identified as vigils are held across the US after shooting at gay nightclub in Orlando.

Vigils have been held across the United States after the deadliest mass shooting in its history targeted a gay nightclub in the state of Florida.

At least 49 people died and 53 were wounded in Sunday's shooting in Orlando with the rampage only coming to an end after perpetrator Omar Mateen was shot dead in a gun battle with police officers.

"Forty-eight of the 49 victims have been identified. Twenty-four of the next of kin have been notified with more to come," Buddy Dyer, the mayor of Orlando said on Monday morning.

"We will not be defined by the act of a cowardly hater. We will be defined by how we respond, how we treat each other and this community has stepped up to do that," Dyer added.

Orlando Police chief John Mina described the shooting as "one of the worst tragedies we have seen", adding that police officers "were shaken by what they have seen inside the club".

"It's a tragedy not only for the city but the entire nation," he said. "Just a look into the eyes of our officers told the whole story."

The injured, many in critical condition, were transferred to nearby hospitals. Among those injured was one police officer, whose kevlar helmet was hit by a round from the suspect. 

The suspect exchanged gunfire with a police officer working at the club, which had more than 300 people inside. The gunman then went back inside and took hostages, Mina said.

At around 5am, authorities sent in a SWAT team to rescue the hostages.

Ron Hopper, special FBI agent in charge of the Orlando office, confirmed that Mateen was interviewed twice by the agency in 2013, after he made "inflammatory comments" to co-workers alleging possible "terrorist ties".

In 2014, authorities interrogated Mateen anew for possible ties to an American suicide bomber.

In both cases, the FBI closed the investigations as they turned out to be "inconclusive" at that time, Hopper said.  

Hopper also confirmed media reports that Mateen made 911 calls to police early on Sunday, and referred to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL also known as ISIS) group.

Honouring the victims

Late on Sunday, mourners gathered near the target of the attack, the Pulse nightclub, as well as landmarks in other cities.

In New York, the Empire State building went dark to honour the victims, while One Trade Center lit up its spire in the colours of the gay pride flag.

READ MORE: Who was Omar Mateen?

New York Mayor Bill de Blasio announced that all flags would be flown at half-mast in the city and that security measures have been strengthened, in particular around places associated with the LGBT community.

De Blasio told reporters the shooting, that also left dozens injured, was "against our values."

But "you'll see a lot of additional police presence on the streets of the city," he added.

"No city in the world is better prepared to stop terror, to stop hate."

Hundreds of people gathered on Sunday evening in Greenwich Village to reflect on the violence and leave flowers, candles and letters beside a sign reading "Stop Hate".

One World Trade Center's spire was lit up with the colours of the gay pride flag [EPA]

'A person filled with hatred'

Earlier, US President Barack Obama condemned the shooting as "an act of terror and an act of hate", calling the shooter "a person filled with hatred".

"As Americans, we are united in grief and outrage," he said, adding that the attack is "a further reminder of how easy it is for someone to get their hands on a weapon" and commit violence in the US.

Florida Governor Rick Scott has declared a state of emergency in Orlando.

Al Jazeera's Patty Culhane, reporting from Orlando, said politicians from opposite sides of the spectrum would be reacting in very different ways.

"It's been less than 24 hours but this is going to become a political issue...what we're going to see is Democrats wanting to put the emphasis on [banning] semi-automatic weapons," Culhane said.

"The Republicans are going to try taking advantage of the fact that people are scared of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant ... so we're going to see [Democrats and Republicans] put the emphasis on two very different things."

The nightclub shooting came just a day after a man thought to be a deranged fan fatally shot Christina Grimmie, a rising singing star who gained fame on YouTube and as a contestant on The Voice, while she was signing autographs after a concert in Orlando.

The attacks were the worst in the US since the September 11 attacks carries out by al-Qaeda in 2001.

The article talks about the Orlando shootings and the outcome of the attack. The author seems to be biased against the shooter, although I would agree with the article in the attack not being justifiable the fact that the article lacks details about the shooter places negativity on the shooter. Along with strong remarks presented from Barack Obama calling him a man of hatred and the article presenting this to be the worst attack after September 11 I would say the article condemns this man. I would also agree with this as the man had no right to actually kill and harm people. I think no one is justified to kill anyone without a real ethical purpose behind those deaths. I think the two sides of the spectrums that were presented were also a bias to how the U.S. is taking the situation. The article makes it seem like all the U.S. cares about is enforcing their party laws and focus on the political stance.

"Orlando: Vigils Held after US' Deadliest Shooting." 

Aljazeera. Aljazeera Media Network, 13 June 2016. Web. 13 June 2016. <http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2016/06/orlando-vigils-held-deadliest-shooting-160613032440639.html>.

Malawi failing to protect Albino community: Amnesty

The Malawian government has failed to protect people with albinism, leaving this group to the mercy of criminal gangs who hunt for their body parts, Amnesty International has said.

In a new report released on Tuesday, the rights body said the attacks on people with albinism over the past two years were "unprecedented" and that a lack of action on the part of authorities has created a "climate of terror" for those living with the condition.

According to the Malawi Police Services, at least 69 people with albinism have been attacked in Malawi since 2014. Amnesty said that at least 18 people have been killed, five others abducted since November 2014. At least four were killed in April 2016 alone.

Body parts belonging to people with albinism have become sought after in areas of southern and eastern Africa. Some believe they contain magical powers, leading to reports of them being sold on the black market.

While attacks have routinely taken place in Tanzania and Kenya and Burundi, "Albino hunters" appeared to have moved on Malawi over the past 18 months in particular.

The report released by Amnesty, entitled "We are not animals to be hunted or sold" described the severity of the attacks, including mutilation and dismembering.

The report alleges that police lacked the adequate training and skills to investigate such crimes. It further raised concerns over the police officers' ability to take human rights abuses endured by people with albinism seriously.

"Some police officers carry the same prejudices against people with albinism that exists within the wider Malawian society," the report said.

It's a claim Patricia Kaliati, Malawi's minister of information, vehemently denies. Kaliati said that her government was "doing everything possible to protect this community".

"For Amnesty to suggest we are doing nothing is not helpful and not fair," she told Al Jazeera.

Bonface Massah, the head of the Association of People with Albinism in Malawi, welcomed the report, calling it "a very positive development" for those with albinism.

"It has highlighted the attacks and also has shed light on the deep-rooted social issues facing those with albinism in the country and gives us an opportunity to address it.

Living conditions have become so difficult for those with albinism in Malawi, that in April, United Nations expert Ikponwosa Ero, said if nothing was done, they risked "systematic extinction".

There are an estimated 7,000-10,000 people living with albinism in Malawi out of a population of 16.5 million.

"The situation is a potent mix of poverty, witchcraft beliefs and market forces which push people to do things for profit," Ero told Al Jazeera.

According to a report released by the Red Cross, witch doctors in neighbouring Tanzania were willing to pay as much as $75,000 for a complete set of albino body parts - including all four limbs, genitals, ears, tongue and nose.

Simeon Mawanza, Amnesty's researcher for southern Africa, who worked on the report, said that tracking down the buyers was still the most obscure piece of the puzzle. "The source, we are still searching for the source of these attacks," he told Al Jazeera.

The report also found that people with albinism suffered "widespread societal discrimination including verbal abuse and exclusion from accessing basic public services".

Experts say that people with albinism also endured discrimination at schools and hospitals.

Essa, Azad. "Malawi failing to Protect Albino Community: Amnesty." Aljazeera. N.p., 07 June 2016. Web. 07 July 2016. <http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2016/06/malawi-failing-protect-albino-community-amnesty-160607121919448.html>.

The article talks about the discrimination against the Albinos and the attacks against this people group for their body parts. Though the Malawian government seems to be doing things, I think they should put more support against these people groups. The magical belief of their body parts should be banished and they should be protected since they have every right a human being holds. Although the author presents both the views of the government and the Albino people the article seems to be biased against the government in not intervening enough with the issue at hand. Even though the government cannot do anything about illegal black market training with enough surveillance