![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.federationifir.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/IMG_3793-300x225.jpg\")
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.federationifir.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/IMG_3795-300x169.jpg\")
<\/p>\nToday\u00a0(04 February 2018)\u00a0at 1.30am Iraq time\u00a0Saman\u2019s\u00a0body was returned to his family in Kurdistan for burial.<\/p>\n
Saman\u00a0left Iraq in August 2017 to look for a better life. \u00a0Saman\u00a0reached Istanbul safely. \u00a0The last contact\u00a0Saman\u00a0had with his family was via phone call on 19 September. \u00a0He told his family of his desire to reach Europe and said\u00a0he was going to buy a ticket for\u00a0a boat. \u00a0Tragically\u00a0Saman\u00a0never reached his destination\u00a0alive. \u00a0The boat ran into\u00a0trouble in the black Sea close to Rumania,\u00a0when the Rumanian\u00a0Helicopter arrived.\u00a0Saman\u00a0got up to greet them but sadly slipped and fell off the boat and drowned. \u00a0<\/p>\n
This however was not the end of\u00a0Saman\u2019s\u00a0story. \u00a0His body was found 25 days later\u00a0on the 17 October\u00a0by the Bulgarian authorities. \u00a0The\u00a0Bulgarian authorities\u00a0informed\u00a0Saman\u2019sfamily that his body had been found. \u00a0At this point the family contacted International Federation Iraqi Refugees to represent them as they wanted their\u00a0son to be returned to Iraqi Kurdistan for burial. \u00a0IFIR immediately wrote to the Bulgarian authorities asking them to return the body to\u00a0Saman\u2019s\u00a0family. \u00a0At first they were told as long as the family could provide DNA it shouldn\u2019t take more than a week to return\u00a0Saman\u00a0to his family. \u00a0Unfortunately despite\u00a0daily\u00a0representations from IFIR it has taken\u00a0more than three months for the Bulgarian authorities to release\u00a0Saman\u2019s\u00a0body.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
International Federation of Iraqi Refugees-IFIR\u00a0would like togive special\u00a0thanks to the following people Richard M,\u00a0OmedBalaki, Michael\u00a0Zaimov, \u00a0Hristo\u00a0Dinkov\u00a0,Vladimir\u00a0Yavachevand\u00a0finally\u00a0the ambulance crew who took the body from\u00a0Sulaimania\u00a0to\u00a0Saman\u2019s\u00a0home\u00a0all of\u00a0whom\u00a0have helped support IFIR\u00a0in getting\u00a0Saman\u2019s\u00a0body returned to his family. \u00a0We would also like to thank everyone who has financially supported\u00a0IFIR to enable us to pursue the release of\u00a0Saman\u2019sbody.\u00a0\u00a0IFIR raised 1,600 dollars from individual donations.<\/p>\n
For further information on\u00a0Saman\u2019s\u00a0story please see the linksbelow:<\/p>\n
https:\/\/m.dnevnik.bg\/bulgaria\/2018\/01\/03\/3104894_neshto_losho_se_sluchi_sus_saman\/<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n https:\/\/www.federationifir.com\/en\/?p=589<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n