National Coalition of Anti-Deportation Campaigns (NCADC)

1 Delaunays Road

Manchester

M8 4QS

General enquiries 0121 554 6947

ncadc@ncadc.org.uk

http://www.ncadc.org.uk/

Stop the deportation of Ebana Dieudonne

(Urgent Action needed before next Sunday)

Another attempt to remove Ebana from the UK will take place this Sunday 18th January 2004.

Ebana Dieudonne, a national of Cameroon, is currently detained in Tinsley House Removal/Detention Centre, where he has been since 10th December. Prior to Tinsley House, he was held in Harmondsworth detention centre since 7th November.

Ebana is in a state of extreme distress. This state is exacerbated by his detention which is affecting him physically and emotionally. Ebana fears that if he is returned to Cameroon, he will be arrested upon arrival and imprisoned or killed. He has good grounds for these fears.

Ebana has had a gay relationship with his employer, a high level politician, for over two years. In Cameroon, homosexuality is illegal. Section 347 of the Penal Code criminalises sexual contacts with members of the same sex with a penalty of up to 5 years' imprisonment. Ebana identifies as gay, but was also married to a woman in Cameroon, who was fully aware of his relationship with his employer.

Before Ebana left Cameroon he was visited by the police on the evening of 22nd October in his home and questioned on the nature of his relationship with his employer. Ebana denied any sexual contact. The police issued a summons for him to come to the police station on the morning of the 29th October, and said he would be taken to the hospital for tests (anal examinations are sometimes carried out in such cases supposedly to determine if anal sex has occurred. These examinations are in fact unreliable and have no scientific basis, but may be used as spurious evidence, and to humiliate and abuse suspects).

Ebana suspects that his relationship with his employer had been observed and informed upon due to political motivations in order to undermine his employer's political position.

After the police visit to Ebana's home, his employer asked him to provide passport photos of himself. On the evening of the 28th, his employer called Ebana to his visit him, gave him travel documents, and ordered him to be taken to the airport and out of the country. Ebana protested that he should first say goodbye to his wife and family, but his employer threatened to kill him if he did not leave immediately. Ebana complied, and thus arrived in the UK.

Ebana has since phoned a friend in Cameroon who informed him his wife was murdered in November after his departure. Ebana believes that his wife would have sought out his employer after his sudden disappearance, and that his employer would have had his wife murdered in order to silence her.

Ebana fears that upon return he will be arrested and imprisoned by the state for homosexuality, or murdered by his employer in order to protect his own reputation.

The Home Office has turned down Ebana's application on grounds that he is not a credible witness. However, his solicitor did not turn up to the last hearing, so he was left to present his own case. Ebana has little understanding of the asylum system, and indeed had never heard of asylum until after his arrival in the UK. There are also difficulties in discussing gay relationships and identity when one has just come from a country where homosexuality can result in persecution and imprisonment.

Ebana will be at serious risk of imprisonment and death if he is returned to the Cameroon. He has a good case to be allowed to remain in the UK on grounds of human rights, in particular the right not to be returned to a country where he is likely to be subjected to cruel and inhuman treatment or punishment.

Several Cameroonian homosexuals have been awarded asylum in Belgium under the Geneva Convention due to the persecutions they suffered in Cameroon. The UK is also party to the Geneva Convention.

A previous attempt to remove Ebana on the 9th December failed. We are trying to persuade the home office not to deport Ebana this Sunday, and to reconsider his case.

What you can do to help:

1) Telephone Ebana at Tynsley House 01293 434800, his first language is French, let Ebana know you are supporting him. You can also fax him a letter of Solidarity direct fax number for detainees at Tynsley House 01293 434825.

2) Fax/write to the Home Secretary requesting that Ebana Dieudonne is allowed to stay. You can use the model letter attached. Copy/amend/write your own version, feel free to add your own comments.

You can fax David Blunkett on 020 7273 3965, or from outside the UK +44 20 7373 3965

Or write direct:

David Blunkett

Home Secretary

Home Office

50 Queen Anne's Gate

London SW1H 9AT

Please notify the campaign of any letters/faxes sent: mailto:shuangxinglian@hotmail.com

Enquiries/further information:

Ebana Dieudonne Must Stay Campaign

NCADC

131 Camberwell Road

London SE5 0HF

0121 554 6947