Man Jailed for Stabbing Afghan Asylum Seeker Over £10 Drug Debt
Javid Ahmadzai, 28, has been found guilty of murdering Moosakhan Nasiri, an Afghan asylum seeker, in a brutal attack in a London park nearly six years ago. The deadly altercation erupted over a mere £10 drug debt.
Fatal Attack in East Ham’s Plashet Park
The violence took place on 15 October 2017 in Plashet Park, East Ham. Prosecutor Lisa Wilding KC revealed at the Old Bailey that Nasiri was beaten by a group of fellow Afghans, who punched and kicked him after he failed to repay the drug money. Ahmadzai was called to the scene and stabbed Nasiri fatally once in the chest.
Victim Fled Taliban After Family Murdered
Moosakhan Nasiri fled Afghanistan in 2005 after the Taliban killed his family. He initially lived in Bradford before moving to London to stay with an Afghan foster family near the park where he was attacked. Though not legally entitled to work, Nasiri picked up occasional labouring jobs to get by.
Convicted Killer Fled to France Before UK Arrest
After the stabbing, Ahmadzai fled to France. There, in September 2018, he was convicted of stabbing another man during a dispute over group behaviour. He was released from French custody in June 2022, extradited back to the UK, and subsequently arrested for Nasiri’s murder.
Following his conviction on Tuesday, Ahmadzai was remanded in custody. His sentencing is set for 10 August.
