The date of Monday, 5 August 2024 has been recorded in the history of Bangladesh. The movement against reservation in jobs (for the children of freedom fighters) has become so fierce that four-time Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had to resign from the post and leave the country in a hurry. Bangladesh newspapers are calling it the downfall of Sheikh Hasina. Sheikh Hasina is currently in India, but it is being told that soon she may take political asylum in a country like London or Finland. However, nothing has been clarified by Britain yet on taking asylum in London. Meanwhile, it is also important to know about political asylum.
What is political asylum?
Political asylum is a legal protection that a person gets from a country where he feels his life, freedom or security is in danger. According to the rules, if such a person is being persecuted in his country due to his religion, caste, nationality, or association with a particular group or for political reasons and he feels threatened in living there, then he can seek asylum in another country.
What does one have to do to get political asylum?
To get asylum in any country, certain criteria have to be fulfilled, which are as follows-
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- Documents: The refugee has to prove that he is actually in danger in his country. For this, he has to apply with documents.
- Witnesses: Sometimes refugees also need witnesses who can prove their claim.
- Interview: The refugee is interviewed, in which he has to explain his claim in detail.
Who decides to grant political asylum?
Every country has a different process for granting political asylum. Usually, this decision is taken by the government or an independent agency. The process of getting political asylum can be long and complicated. Every refugee’s case is different, so it is difficult to say whether someone will get political asylum or not. Political asylum is a serious issue and is looked at according to the policies and laws of different countries.
What are the rights of a person seeking political asylum?
- Right to remain: A refugee has the right to remain in the country where he or she has been granted asylum.
- Right to work: In many countries, refugees also get the right to work.
- Right to Education: Refugee children have the right to education.
The tradition of leaving one’s country and taking refuge in another country is quite old. In the 19th century, even Karl Marx took political asylum in the UK. The Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama came to India via Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh. India gave asylum to the Dalai Lama in April 1959, when he was given asylum, he was only 23 years old. There are many more such cases, such as-
1. Svetlana Alliluyeva, daughter of the Russian dictator
After the death of the so-called Russian dictator Joseph Stalin in 1966, his daughter Svetlana Alliluyeva sought asylum in India, but her application was rejected. After this, she went to the US Embassy in New Delhi and sought political asylum. After submitting her wish in writing, she got asylum in America and Svetlana remained in America until her death in 2011.
2. Muhammad Reza Pahlavi, ruler of Iran
Muhammad Reza Pahlavi was the ruler of Iran who gave himself the title of Shahanshah. He ruled from 1941 to 1979. In 1979, Muhammad Reza Pahlavi was ousted from power, after which he took refuge in Egypt and Morocco. He also stayed for some time with the President of Mexico, who was also his friend. However, he could not get asylum in America. Finally, he again sought refuge in Egypt and stayed there until his death in July 1980.
3. WikiLeaks Founder, Julian Assange
Australian computer programmer Julian Paul Assange founded WikiLeaks in 2006. He had messed up with many countries, especially the US, by publishing leaked documents. In 2010, Sweden issued a European arrest warrant against him, but he absconded by jumping bail and took refuge in the Ecuadorian embassy in London. In 2012, he got asylum in Ecuador on the basis of political persecution, which was also revoked in 2019. After the asylum was revoked, the police entered the embassy and arrested Assange. He was found guilty of violating the Bail Belk Act and was sentenced to spend 50 weeks in jail. He has been in London jail ever since.
4. Edward Snowden
Edward Joseph Snowden, known as the American whistle-blower, leaked extremely secret documents of the US National Security Agency (NSA) in the year 2013. He was an employee in the NSA and sensational articles were published in newspapers like The Guardian and The Washington Post on his leaked documents. The US government accused Snowden of violating the Espionage Act and stealing government documents. Snowden then fled to Moscow and stayed at the airport for more than a month. After that, Russia gave him asylum by giving him a one-year visa. The visa period kept getting extended and in 2020 he was allowed to stay in Russia forever. In September 2022, President Vladimir Putin granted him Russian citizenship.
Source (PTI) (NDTV) (HINDUSTANTIMES)