ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The body of a Kurdish man was found hanged this week in a farm allotment in Middlesbrough, northeast England.
The 26-year-old victim has been identified as Shikar Najm Hama.
Salahaddin Abdulkarim, a preacher and imam in the area, said Hama had been helping him in his allotment when a group of people in masks appeared.
“I realized Kak Shkar had run away shouting 'They're coming, run!' and I was shocked. The attackers were wearing black clothes and masks. I couldn't see them clearly at first, so I called out 'Oh God, Kak Shkar, why did you run?' It was only when they turned on their flashlight that I could see they were people carrying large knives,” he said.
“I hid myself in a ditch and contacted the police… Before the police arrived, the people came and caught me. They were six people and had three bicycles,” he added, saying that he was interrogated at knifepoint by the unknown persons asking questions about drugs.
Abdulkarim said he searched for Hama with the police, but they could not find him. The next day, another Kurd with an allotment joined him in looking again.
“The garden gate was not locked. I jumped over it and went in and opened it from inside. There was a room in the garden. We went into the room and saw Shkar in the middle of the room with his hands and feet tied and hanged. I touched him and knew he was cold,” Abdulkarim said.
The police are still investigating and say the death is “unexplained.”
“I absolutely understand this incident may cause concern in the local community. I am aware of increasing speculation online and I would like to reassure the public that there is no evidence of the use of any weapons in an attack prior to the man’s death. This is contrary to some reporting, and I wish to make clear that he did not sustain any form of significant injury consistent with assault,” Assistant Chief Constable Wayne Fox said on Thursday.
Hiwa Hama Gharib, the victim’s uncle, lives in Sweden.
“We don't accuse anyone and are waiting for police investigations, because there are surveillance cameras at the border and British police work carefully,” he said.
“My brother's son Shkar was very quiet, calm and without problems. He never had problems in Kurdistan or Europe, no one hated him, so we are all shocked by this incident,” he added.
Gang-related violence has been a growing concern in parts of the United Kingdom, particularly linked to drug trafficking and organized crime.
