The first refugee to be elected to New Zealand’s parliament, Golriz Ghahraman, resigned on Tuesday following incidents of shoplifting, which she attributed to work-related stress. Originally from Iran, Ghahraman, a 42-year-old MP representing the center-left Green Party, arrived in New Zealand as a child and was granted political asylum and refugee status.
She is accused of thefts from a luxury clothing store in Auckland and a clothing retailer in the country’s capital, Wellington, at the end of 2023. “This is behavior that I cannot explain,” declared Ghahraman, who was a lawyer and human rights advocate at the United Nations before joining the New Zealand Parliament in 2017.
“I am very sorry,” Ghahraman attributed her actions to strong professional stress, stating that it was not typical of her. According to the mental health professional caring for her, recent stressful events and past trauma may help explain these thefts. “I let a lot of people down, and I’m truly sorry,” said Ghahraman.
Last week, the Greens announced her resignation during ongoing police investigations into three theft accusations. The party’s co-leaders, Marama Davidson and James Shaw, said in a statement that it was “clear” their colleague was under “extreme stress.” “She took responsibility and apologized. We support her decision to resign,” the statement concluded.
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News Link: https://rairfoundation.com/new-zealands-first-refugee-mp-iranian-origin-resigns/
