The mum of the two men involved in the Manchester Airport incident has revealed the gruesome injuries she suffered, allegedly at the hands of police.
Fahir Amaaz, 19, was allegedly attacked alongside his brother Muhammad Amaad, 25, while being restrained by police – but their mum Shameem Akhtar also claims she suffered injuries.
In a press conference in Manchester this morning, the two men, accompanied by their solicitor Aamer Anwar, showed photos of their mum’s injuries.
Anwar slammed the ‘so-called police sources’ for ‘manipulating’ a version of events surrounding the airport fight.
He said: ‘The deliberate attempt by some within Greater Manchester Police or so-called police sources to present a version of events to the media in the immediate aftermath and then to claim publicly that they have cooperated with the IOPC investigation is deeply unhelpful and can be seen as nothing more than a deliberate and cynical attempt to manipulate and mould a narrative of events and untruths.’
Shameem was allegedly a victim of racial abuse while on a flight incoming from Pakistan, and the brothers claims that she was struck by an officer who called her a ‘dirty f****** c***.’
Shameem’s face showed signs of bruising in the photos shown at the press conference.
Anwar added: ‘Despite the attempt by some to place disinformation in the media, and on social media, the young men sat next to me do not have a single conviction or indeed a speeding ticket.
‘Today is about setting the record straight and issuing a warning to Greater Manchester Police, that leaking or using so-called police sources to justify alleged criminality by their officers can only be seen as a deliberate attempt to interfere with the IOPC investigation.’
Multiple videos emerged from Manchester Airport showing violent scenes with Fahir attacking officers moments before a police officer was filmed allegedly kicking a passenger in the head in the July 23 incident.
The officer at Greater Manchester Police has been suspended and is now under criminal investigation after the force referred itself to the police watchdog, The Independent Office of Police Conduct (IOPC).
The officer facing a criminal investigation was also served with a disciplinary notice to inform him he was being investigated for potential gross misconduct for a number of alleged breaches of police professional standards, including his use of force, an IOPC spokesman said.
After Manchester Evening News published the latest footage, Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham told Sky News: ‘There was a prior incident that took place, it seemed that led from a dispute on the plane. There was then an incident in the arrivals area in Manchester Airport, and the footage people are seeing is the subsequent police intervention.
‘It’s a complicated story and it’s frustrating for me in the middle of it with everyone rushing to judgment and everyone thinking they know everything about it, and sadly they don’t.’
In the aftermath of the video, crowds surrounded Rochdale police station, reportedly shouting ‘GMP shame on you’, while other demonstrators blocked roads and tram lines in a protest which started outside Mr Burnham’s office in central Manchester.
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