Cleary Gottlieb represented pro bono client Mr. S, who was granted asylum status in the U.S. on September 25, 2018.
Mr. S was repeatedly threatened and attacked because of his work leading polio vaccination campaigns in Pakistan. Pakistan is one of just three countries in the world where polio has not been eradicated. The vaccination effort is extremely dangerous because fatwas have been issued against vaccine distribution and those working to eradicate polio on the front lines have been targeted, threatened, and killed. After receiving threats and experiencing violent attempts on his life, Mr. S fled Pakistan to the United States where he sought asylum.
Beginning in 2016, in conjunction with Human Rights First, Mr. S began working with Cleary and an expert on country conditions in Pakistan to corroborate his account of the persecution he suffered and the persecution he would face if required to return to Pakistan.
The New York Immigration Court found that Mr. Shah was entitled to a grant of asylum, and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security waived its right to appeal.