THE family at the centre of a viral social media video which showed a police officer stamping on a man's head at an airport terminal have claimed to be the victims of a deliberate smear campaign.
Brothers Fahir Amaaz and Muhammad Amaad appeared alongside their lawyer, Aamer Anwar, and their mother Shameem Akhtar at a press conference on Tuesday morning.
The family said they have been left devastated and traumatised by the events at Manchester Airport and that they have faced horrific racist and Islamophobic abuse in the wake of the incident.
They also said there has been a campaign of disinformation in an attempt to justify the alleged police violence and that Greater Manchester Police (GMP) have failed to investigate further hate crimes against the family.
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Footage from the incident last month went viral on social media as it showed a police officer kicking one of the men in the head while on the ground.
Scottish human rights lawyer Anwar claimed at Tuesday's press conference that in the lead-up to the incident the mother of the family had been subjected to racist abuse by another passenger when she was travelling by herself on a Qatar Airways flight.
The mother was allegedly called a “p**i b***h” and was concerned for her safety as the other passenger ranted at her on the airplane.
The two brothers saw the passenger later at the airport when their mum pointed them out and confronted them about the alleged racial abuse which was followed by an “altercation”.
It is claimed that the GMP officers approached the family shortly afterward where they “immediately grabbed” the brothers and the situation escalated despite the two men “not resisting arrest”.
The statement said one brother was placed into a neck hold and punched in the head multiple times before being tasered as his mum shouted in Urdu “they have killed my son”.
The family’s lawyer Anwar has alleged that the police “leaked” information to discredit the family and to influence the investigation by an independent police watchdog.
He said: “There has been a repeated use of the word context when the family have been given no opportunity to provide this.
“The family have been subjected to horrific racist and Islamophobic abuse on social media, and there has been a campaign of disinformation in an attempt to justify alleged police violence.
“As far as we are aware there has been no proactive attempts by the GMP to investigate the further hate crimes perpetrated against this family.”
Following the incident, GMP confirmed three officers had sustained head injuries with one officer breaking their nose during the altercation.
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The Independent Office for Police Conduct has since confirmed they are investigating the incident, with one GMP constable advised he is under criminal investigation for assault.
A spokesperson for GMP said: “Investigations into incidents that occurred at Manchester Airport on 23 July are ongoing, we are fully cooperating with the independent investigation reviewing police conduct, whilst actively pursuing lines of enquiry into three incidents.
“We have obtained all relevant CCTV footage and are continuing to appeal for witnesses.
“If you have any information or footage to support the police investigation, submit it through GMP’s public portal: https://mipp.police.uk/operation/06GMP23S59-PO1”
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