A Syrian Refugee in Germany Recounts the Details of His Exposure to a Racist Attack by the Police
Orient Net – Ibrahim Hail
The Syrian refugee recounted the details of his exposure to a racist incident by the German police, where he handcuffed his hands in front of his family
Syrian refugee Abdullah Hamwi recounted shocking details of his being subjected to a racist attack by two German police officers, who tied him up and insulted him and his wife in front of their children in their home in Berlin, on the pretext that Hamwi “received benefits through fraud”, indicating that the motives for the incident are racist.
Hamwi said in a press conference he and his family held with Ferat Kojak, a member of the Left Party in Berlin, that his family is in constant fear as a result of what he was exposed to at the hands of two German police officers, under the pretext that he did not have a transportation ticket while he was getting on the tram.
“They tied me up in front of my family”
Hamwi added, according to what was reported by Anadolu Agency, that despite being told by the two police officers that he accepted the material punishment imposed on him and that he would pay it later, they insisted on handcuffing him and assaulting him in front of his family.
He pointed out that his children were greatly affected by the incident, saying: “Our children are still in a state of shock. They are still asking questions after the trauma they have been exposed to, especially since their father was beaten and humiliated in front of them.”
He continued, “After the violence and racism that we have been exposed to, we still have problems sleeping, while our children get nervous when the doorbell rings.”
Noting that he went to the prosecutor’s office and filed a complaint after the incident, Hamwi said, “Even when I file a complaint we are told that the police can visit us every day. Ultimately we want
the two policemen to be held accountable and we expect them to be released.”
Al-Hamwi’s wife, who recorded on her phone a video of the violence inflicted on the family, said that the footage took 30 minutes in total and was handed over to the prosecution.
She added that “the police did not realize at first that I was filming with my mobile phone, and they realized this after they tied my husband’s hands.” Noting that the incident occurred in front of her three children.
For his part, Left Party deputy Kocak said that he shared the photos on social media, and that about 10 million people watched the incident.
Expressing the hope that they will continue to fight institutional racism, Kocak said that they will not abandon this claim to their right.
As for Niklas Schraeder of the Left Party, he explained that the silence of the second policeman and not informing his superiors of the footage is also a crime, adding: “The police want the family to abide by the rules in Germany, but they do not comply with them.”
Berlin police are under interrogation
On Friday, a member of parliament for the ruling Green Party in Berlin, Gian Omar, indicated in a statement that he had visited Abdullah’s family and apologized to them for the racist behavior issued by the police.
He pointed out that his party’s parliamentary bloc will pursue the case until all measures are taken by the police to not repeat the incident, explaining that he submitted a request to the Berlin police chief about the incident.
On September 9, two police officers went to the home of Syrian Abdullah Hamwi in Berlin.
The two officers forced Hamwi to lie on the ground, tied his wrists with handcuffs and resorted to violence, adding, “This is our country, you are guests.. Here you will obey the laws of my country, I will put you in prison.”
For its part, the Berlin police stated that an investigation had been opened against the two policemen on the grounds that they had made xenophobic insults.
