India / Kashmiri man with name similar to wanted criminal wrongfully held in Iraq

In a case of mistaken identity, 51-year-old Nazir Ahmad Dar, a man from Kashmir’s Srinagar has been detained in Iraq as he shares the same name and year of birth as a wanted criminal against whom there is a red corner notice by Interpol.

Dar, a farmer, was reportedly held by Iraqi authorities at the Al Najaf international airport on 31 December for being on the Interpol watch list, upon his arrival from Syria, while on an international pilgrimage.

According to the red corner notice, one ‘Nazir Ahmad Dar’ is wanted for “criminal conspiracy, offences relating to membership of a terrorist organisation and support given to a terrorist organisation, raising fund for a terrorist organisation.”

Dar has been detained despite his address on his passport listed as Srinagar, and that of the wanted criminal on the red corner notice being Soppore.

In a letter on 4 January, the SHO of Zadibal, where Dar lives, had carried out a verification and clarified that this person is not involved in any 'incriminating activity' and there was 'nothing adverse' against this person as per police record.

According to a report in Scroll.in, a letter from the Indian embassy in Iraq from 7 January, has demanded Dar’s immediate release confirming a case of ‘mistaken identity’.

Dar and his wife were part of a group of 70 on a pilgrimage across four countries including Saudi Arabia, Iran, Syria and Iraq. They had left India on 3 December and Dar was arrested on his arrival in Iraq from Syria.

According to their tour guide, Wali Waheed – who is also from Kashmir – Iraq was the last leg of the pilgrimage and they had tried to reason with authorities, but to no avail, who reportedly said he would only be released after “clearance from Interpol”.

His family members believe that it was the use of ‘Sopori’ as Dar’s mother’s last name, that may have triggered the suspicions of authorities. According to a report, his son has been quoted as saying that Dar was illiterate and that this “was the first foreign trip of his lifetime”.

While his wife, along with the rest of the pilgrims have returned to India, Dar is still in Iraq’s custody. The family is attempting to secure his release by getting the Ministry of External Affairs involved and appealing to the government of Iraq.