In New Zealand, a woman who became the first refugee to become a member of parliament decided to resign from her position as she was investigated for theft.
According to New Zealand media sources such as Stuff and NZ Herald on the 16th (local time), center-left Green Party member Goliz Garaman (42) announced that he would resign from his position as a member of the National Assembly, saying that he was being investigated by the police on suspicion of theft.
“My behavior does not meet the standards expected of a politician and my mental health requires recovery time,” Garaman said in a statement. “The mental health professional who counseled me said my behavior was a reaction to extreme stress and that I had previously “I explained that it was related to trauma that I was not aware of,” he said.
He continued, “I apologize for disappointing many people, and I acknowledge that my actions cannot be rationally explained in any way. I do not want to hide behind my mental health issues, and I take full responsibility for doing something I will regret.”
Goliz Garaman (42), a center-left Green Party lawmaker who steals clothes and puts them in a bag. @E_Aria_N X (Twitter) CaptureNew Zealand police announced on the 10th that they were investigating a theft that occurred at a high-end clothing store in Auckland and a high-end clothing retailer in Wellington. At the time, Rep. Garaman declined to say whether he had anything to do with the theft.
However, after a video of Rep. Garaman stealing clothes was shared on the social networks (SNS) Instagram and
Regarding this, James Shaw, the Green Party’s co-refugee representative, said, “His resignation was the right decision,” but added, “He has had a particularly difficult time as he has received numerous threats from the public since taking office. “I sympathize with the fact that he is suffering from extreme mental pain.”
Rep. Garaman was born in Iran in 1981. He took political asylum in New Zealand with his family immediately after the Iran-Iraq War, studied law, and then worked at the International Criminal Court (ICC) as a human rights lawyer. In 2017, he entered the National Assembly and was elected in the 2020 and 2023 National Assembly elections.
Choi Jae-ho,
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.