WESSAMS LIFE – DEPORTED TO LIBYA – IN IMMEDIATE DANGER

Last Thursday, May 19th, Wessams partner Maurits, has heard from him for the first time since over a week. Wessam phoned and told him that, during a visit to his sister, the police had arrived, looking for him. At that moment, he himself was outside, and could but witness the arrest of his sister. He was able to get away.
Maurits: “He is trapped. The police came to his sister yesterday and he told me that he’s afraid they are going to kill him,” We do not have any information on his sisters fate. However, we may assume that she is still being held, questioned, and tortured.

May 21st, Wessam managed to send Maurits a message. Maurits: “I just got a message from my partner, telling me that he will die soon. I don’t know what to say,”

In the past Wessam has been prosecuted and convicted in Libya because he is gay. The sentence in Lybia for being gay varies from 3 tot 5 years. A flagrant violation of human rights. In prison he has been tortured. Finally he managed to break out of prison and escape Libya. To The Netherlands. Here, he applied for asylum, but was refused. At an earlier attempt to deport him, he swallowed razor-blades. A session in court and questions asked in parliament prevented his deportation at the time. He was allowed to await the decision on his appeal for asylum.

And then, suddenly, it was may 5th, liberation day in Holland, and Wessam was deported to Libya. At Tripoli airport he managed to escape. Ever since he is wandering and on the run. Dutch military police had overpowered and abused him during deportation, he has a broken finger. His deportation is just as much a violation of human rights as the prison sentence and torture in Libya.

This is urgent! Immigration Minister Verdonk has had to answer questions by Klaas de Vries (dutch socialist party PvdA) in parliament already, after Wessam had swallowed razor-blades. The answers to these questions however, stay confidential and may not even be glanced over. But from a reliable source we do know that Verdonk has answered that she is aware of the fact that in Libya homosexuality is an offence and punishable by imprisonment. We also know that she did promise that Wessam could await the decision on his appeal. Even though Wessam bears the scars of torture, Verdonk has said she does not know of any torture.

This is a hush up! Minister Verdonk is personally responsible for Wessams fate and therefore also for his safe return to Holland. That has nothing to do with law or politics.

This is a violation of human rights! Minister Verdonk is personally responsible for what happens to Wessam if he gets arrested in Libya.

To gain support for Wessam, call attention to his fate, and to bear more pressure on minister Verdonk, in order to make her guarantee that Wessam, if he manages to reach the Dutch Embassy, will as yet receive political asylum, we have founded the Support group Wessam. This group will have it’s own weblog, where information can be shared by everyone who wishes to help him.

All recent information on Wessams situation in Libya, will be posted on the weblog. Questions and additional information, expressions of sympathy and advise are more than welcome.

NOTE: REQUESTS FOR ENGLISH TRANSLATIONS OF ARTICLES AND INFORMATION ON THE WEBLOG CAN BE DIRECTED TO THE E-MAIL ADDRESS AND WILL BE DEALT WITH A.S.A.P.