The British Libyan Solidarity
Campaign: Press Release
Just 6 months after President Sarkozy plays host to Col. Gaddafi, the
Libyan Dictator previously labeled by western democracies as the “Mad Dog
of Arabia” – another innocent man is tortured to death in a Libyan Prison.
Did Gaddafi deserve the lavish hospitality of the French Government whilst
his regime continues to use fear, torture, imprisonment and disappearances
to silence freedom of speech?
On
the 29th May Mohammed Adel Abu Ali died in a Libyan prison after being
tortured, less than three weeks after he was turned over by the Swedish
authorities. Mohammed had been in Sweden for 6 years fighting for asylum
after deserting the Libyan army.
On
May 5 immigration authorities in Sweden turned Mohammed over to the Libyan
authorities after forcibly removing him from Sweden, his sanctuary for the
past 6 years The Migration Board had totally ignored warnings from
international and Libyan human rights organizations, that this would
involve grave violations by the Libyan security establishment. Several
Libyan rights organizations abroad confirmed that Abu Ali died as a result
of torture by security authorities in Libya. He was a member of the al-Tabu
Front for the Salvation of Libya, which is opposed to the regime of the
Libyan leader.
As
a result of this tragic news the Swedish Migration Board has stopped all
deportations to Libya and are releasing Libyan asylum seekers currently
being held in deportation prisons. They have called a total halt to
expulsions until there is an investigation into this murder by Gaddafi’s
regime.
In
Britain, The British Libyan Solidarity Campaign (BLSC) is calling for an
immediate halt to all deportations of Libyan asylum seekers and a
dissolving of the Memorandum of Understanding between Britain and Libya on
the grounds that the Regime can not be trusted to offer safe passage to
anyone being returned to Libya. The BLSC is holding a conference in London
on the 27th August to bring together Human Rights activists from all over
Europe to co-ordinate the campaign to stop deportations.
Meanwhile we have to ask President Sarkozy, under the circumstances
revealed this month, would he still play the perfect host to the Libyan
Dictator?
For
further information call Lucinda Lavelle, Secretary, BLSC 00 44 (0)7974
254668
blsc@hotmail.co.uk
The
British Libyan Solidarity Campaign
19 th July 2008
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