Deportation Of Ahmed Al-Zahrany

EDM number 821 in 1994-95, proposed by George Galloway on 14/03/1995.

That this House condemns the deportation order issued on 14th March against the defecting Saudi diplomat Ahmed Al-Zahrany, the former consular official at the Saudi Arabian consulate in Texas; notes that Mr Al-Zahrany's only offence against the Saudi Royal dictatorship was to publish his thesis as a book, whereupon he was hounded into defecting to Britain fearing for his life in the United States; notes that the deportation order served compels Al-Zahrany to fly to the United States but notes also that as recently as 1st February the United States embassy in London made clear in writing that Al-Zahrany would not be permitted entry into the United States and that any airline flying him there would face a fine and be required to return the diplomat to his point of embarkation; and calls upon Her Majesty's Government to place mercy and human compassion ahead of any other consideration and allow political asylum to a frightened man.

This motion has been signed by a total of 9 MPs.