Alleged smuggler denies involvement with Italy migrant shipwreck. Photo: Rudaw/screengrab
An alleged smuggler accused by the relatives of the migrants on the shipwreck near Italy has denied accusations that he facilitated their journey.
Hassan Hussein, also known as Hassan Dukani, told Rudaw in an interview on Sunday that he is “not aware of the incident.”
Rudaw: Your name is being mentioned behind this incident. How aware are you of this and why is your name involved?
Hassan Dukani: I have nothing to do with this incident and I am not aware of it. Like people, I have heard on television and websites, but when I found out that my name was mentioned on a channel, I went to the channel that night to give an explanation, but they did not accept my explanation. I even sent them a picture of my passport.
Who did they send it to?
To the relatives of one of the immigrants in Germany, Gardun, I even got his number and spoke to him. I told him that I was not aware of the matter and that I knew who the source told you. (I told him) that my name was mentioned with other people, they were supposed to cause me trouble. I have a court case with a man in Ranya named AN, also known as AS, who created this problem and called the relatives of the immigrants and sent them my photograph and my passport, because he is the only one that has my passport photo.
What does he do and what is his problem with you?
There is a social dispute between us; He works as a smuggler. There is a social dispute with me and now this boat has sunk. He wants to tarnish my reputation and create social, security, and legal problems for me, so he has put my name among the names of those on the list.
Was he aware of the migrants on the boat?
I do not know if he was aware or not, but I heard about it from the channels. When I found out that they had interviewed someone named Gardun on a channel and he mentioned my name, I went to the channel that night and tried to explain, but they said we couldn't get an explanation from you.
How were you accused? By being a smuggler and sending migrants from Turkey or from the Kurdistan Region?
I have not sent anyone from here at all.
I mean, what have they accused you of?
They said I sent the boat and they created that problem for me.
Your travel permit has been revoked in Turkey before. Did you live in Turkey before?
Yes, I have had problems in Turkey for four to five years. The same A who has now tarnished my name created a political problem for me with a Turkmen named A in Turkey and introduced me there as the PKK (Kurdistan Workers’ Party), claiming that I worked for the PKK and belonged to the PKK. After investigating the matter, the statements were not true and turned out to be false. I was banned from traveling for a year and a half to two years and could not return to Iraq and had to sign two signatures a week. Then I went back and last year they tried to get me into trouble when another boat sank and they had called the relatives of the migrants and said that I was behind it, which did not work for them. And now they have made this up and called the relatives of the immigrants and sent them pictures of me and my passport. The universe has been shown my picture and passport on a channel. That is what he sent and it is far from the truth. I have nothing to do with the boat. I am in Iraq. If anyone has anything against me, I am ready to go to court and give my explanation.
Has anyone called you to investigate this?
No, because there is no work yet and there is no reason; No one has contacted me. Whoever calls me, I am ready to answer and my phone is open and I have nothing to hide. My problem is social and they want to make it another problem. Then there are the names of people in my case who are allegedly behind my hand. That is far from the truth and I will go to court whenever the court informs me.
Can you go to Turkey now or has Turkey banned you from entering the country?
I have been banned from going to Turkey for almost two years and the ban is up to five years. I have the evidence everywhere.
Do you know who sent the Kurds by boat?
Like you, I have heard about it on social media and I have no information about it. I do not know how they went, who sent them or who did not. Mr. Gardun, who was interviewed on television, said that his relatives went through a boy from Kermanshah and a boy from Bukan and named them as the ones who gave them the money in advance. That has nothing to do with me and mentions my name in excess. I called him and explained.
What did he tell you when you spoke to him?
He said someone had sent me your picture and name and said they had it with them. I said who that person was, he didn't tell me, I tried hard with him; He said that's how you got my number, that's how I got your name. That's very easy. The relatives of the migrants who have left know who they went to, who they paid for, who took them, who they spoke to, and who they received information from after they left. Their relatives know everything, so let them come and explain and say things for themselves. They know very well who took them and how they left. Who did they get the information from after the departure? They know who took them and I hope they don't interfere with others. I may have a social problem and someone like A.SH wants to blame me.
Will you file a complaint against him?
Yes, I have filed a complaint and I will take it to court. I have a complaint against him and I have proof that he has defamed me. A couple of days before this yacht sank, he mentioned me on a website, which means he made my case. Now the relatives of these immigrants are heartbroken. He has material that he has already filed a complaint against me, and now he is bringing it and mixing it up with this sinking boat to discredit me.
Reporting by Payam Sarbast
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