A former New Zealand Greens MP has hit back at claims she is “playing the mental health card” after she was caught stealing clothes worth more than $8,000.
Golriz Ghahraman, 43, pleaded guilty in March to four counts of theft after stealing $8,367 worth of clothing from three different stores between October and December last year.
She appeared in Auckland District Court on Monday and will be sentenced on Thursday, having requested that the conviction not be recorded.
Ghahraman, who previously held the minor party’s justice portfolio, immediately resigned from parliament following the charges.
“It is clear to me that my mental health is being severely affected by the stress related to my work,” he said at the time.
“This has led me to act in ways that are completely out of character. I’m not trying to excuse my actions, but I do want to explain them.
“The mental health professional I see says that my recent behavior is consistent with recent events that resulted in an extreme stress response and relate to previously unrecognized trauma.”
Ghahraman said she wanted to be honest about the difficulties she was experiencing as she spoke publicly for the first time about the incident on Wednesday.
Ghahraman, a former UN human rights lawyer, was the first refugee to be sworn in as a New Zealand MP, having arrived in the country as an asylum seeker from Iran.
The deputy was arrested stealing from three different businesses between October and December of last year.
“It’s not going to be easy for anyone to talk publicly about being screwed in the head, about being someone going through a mental health crisis,” he said. Stuff.
“What I would say about all of this, playing a ‘mental health card,’ is that it’s the hardest thing in the world.”
The 43-year-old woman said she took responsibility for her actions immediately.
“So it’s not about playing the mental health card to avoid all the other things,” he said.
The former lawmaker said that despite receiving criticism, her inbox was also flooded with messages of support for speaking out.
‘I have disappointed a lot of people and I am very sorry. “The best thing for my mental health is to resign as a Member of Parliament and focus on my recovery and finding other ways to work for positive change in the world,” she said at the time she was charged.
Ghahraman, a former UN human rights lawyer, was the first refugee to be sworn in as a New Zealand MP, having arrived in the country as an asylum seeker from Iran.
She was selected as a candidate for the Green Party list in January 2017.
He will return to court Thursday for sentencing.
Ghahraman, (left with Greens MP Chloe Swarbrick), a former UN human rights lawyer, was the first refugee to be sworn in as a New Zealand MP, having arrived in the country as an asylum seeker from Iran.