He fled the Taliban, now persecution has another face

SMH, Aug 2007
Salem Haideri … he says the man who smuggled him to Australia has threatened to kill him.

Salem Haideri … he says the man who smuggled him to Australia has threatened to kill him.
Photo: Bryan O'Brien

WHEN Salem Haideri arrived by boat in 2000 after escaping the Taliban he thought he had found sanctuary, but the alleged people smuggler who brought him here has threatened to kill him.

Mr Haideri, 35, was granted a two-year apprehended violence order in June against the accused people smuggler, Mr X, after saying Mr X had warned him: "Why don't you pay me the money? If you take this to the court, tell the police I will shoot you here. I will kill you."

The money in dispute, Mr Haideri says, is $US5000 ($5830) his family still owes to Mr X, who has threatened to kill Mr Haideri, to abduct him and send him back to Afghanistan, to track down and kill his wife and children in Afghanistan, Mr Haideri says.

What makes this story different is that Mr X, according to Mr Haideri, is running his harassment campaign from a shopfront in Granville ...

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