Fighting against extradition to US and discharging from this proceeding after six years is not a personal achiement, it is a national victory of Iranian people and government over the US and UK policy toward Iran. “I am delighted to confirm that Mr. Tajik, the former Iranian Ambassador to Jordan, was discharged by Westminster Magistrates Court this afternoon in respect of his proposed extradition to the United States of America”, said Karen Todner my solicitor in her Media Release.
The judgement in my Extradition Appeal which handed down on Tuesday 27th November after six years house arrest showed that Secretary of State for Home Department decision on 7th November 2011 for my extradition order was unfair and inappropriate. Magistrate Court should dismiss this order in March 2012 when I applied for section 118 for discharge and this is happened today 13th December 2012 with a huge delay which had an adverse effect on my health. Consequently house arrest, health deterioration, severe confinement and social isolation are a real meaning of my humiliation by UK and US Governments.
“Sting oppression” by the US officials of the Department of Homeland Security which took place illegally in London in mid 2006 and no evidence was provided by the US authorities, and no disclosure of information relevant to the illegality of the conduct of their agents (Secret filming and voice recording illegally). It is not clear that whether UK authorities knew or involved in this operation or not?
Two and a half years ago the then Home Secretary made a request to the US Government to consider whether they wished to proceed with my extradition. It took the US Government two years and four months to respond to that request. Because USG wanted to release three US detainees from prison in Iran. On the other hand FCO had some concerns about British Diplomat in Iran which is kind of hostage taking of a former diplomat by these governments and politically motivated extradition process and not justice.
The High Court declared that was an inexcusable and unreasonable delay, hence My extradition has been discharged. Although this is a decision of two brave and unprejudiced judges who believe that Home Secretary couldn’t show reasonable cause for her nearly forty months delay to make her decision about my medical evidence and health deterioration, but still my concerns are the impacts and consequences of this long time delay. These imposed conditions were against human rights commitments of the US and UK government and I invite all Human Rights organisations and ECHR to consider this matter urgently.
A Home Office spokeswoman said: “The High Court judgement has been fully considered and legal advice has concluded that there are no grounds to seek leave to appeal to the Supreme Court.[1] So the Home Secretary has decided not to appeal that decision as there are no grounds to take the case to the Supreme Court. As such I was discharged from extradition from afternoon13 December 2012 and Electronic Tag was removed from my foot on the next day after more than six years.
The outcomes of the court show that extradition should not be in the hand of a politician, but governments need to cooperate for a better and secure world without putting individuals and their families at risk and humiliation. I learnt a lot from this society either in my educations or living with people. I hope to use these experiences in the future making people closer to each other and governments to understand each other in a fair and better manner. This could be a behavioural model for governments as well to solve their problems to prevent tensions in this atmosphere of the world situation.
I tried to manage this political and legal battle in the best way but it was a team working by many people and this case is an important part of extradition law for many quotations in the future. So I am delighted to thank my family, many British and Iranian people and official, Media, my legal team for their hope, support, help and activities.
