Please help Phiona and Bradley
UNITY! | 21.07.2008 23:38 | Anti-racism | Migration
About twenty people had a noisy and spirited demonstration outside of the Home Office reporting centre in Glasgow in support of a young Ugandan women and her son detained on Friday. Phiona and Bradley face a removal attempt tonight (Tuesday) evening. At one point the demonstrators moved forward to the Home Office entrance loudly chanting, singing and banging against the Home Office fence much to the consternation of the Group4Securicor guards only a few feet away. More info about Phiona's case below
Please help Phiona Sarah Nanuuni Lamosa and little Bradley
HO Ref: L1150324 from Uganda
Removal Directions: Flight BA63 21.10 hrs Tuesday 22nd July from Heathrow
Twenty six year old Phiona Lomisa was detained when going to report with her nine month old son, Bradley, at the Home Office in Glasgow at 9am on Friday morning. Like many of the other families detained this year, Phiona did not even know her case had been refused.
Phiona left Uganda 15 months ago and claimed asylum in the UK. She had managed to escape from detention after she had been arrested on suspicion of working on behalf of her husband, a high ranking member of shadowy rebel group, the People’s Redemption Army.
In February last year, Phiona had been going to deliver some money to Kasese when the car she was in was stopped by soldiers who found a list of names of wanted people. In detention for 2 months and three weeks, Phiona was attacked and raped on at least nine occasions. On one occasion she was taken and threatened with being thrown into a pond of crocodiles.
Phiona managed to escape when she went to the toilet whilst being moved to be detained in another army barracks. After two days in hiding in a convent she was brought by an agent to the UK. Phiona’s lawyer had lodged fresh representations when her first case was refused after the judge decided that part of her case was not credible. The Home Office rejected the fresh representations last week but Phiona’s lawyer has not yet received the refusal letter.
This weekend was the ‘Glasgow Fair’, a local bank holiday weekend, and shortly after Phiona was detained her lawyers closed for the weekend and will not open until Tuesday morning – much too late to help Phiona. On Saturday, Phiona and Bradley were transported to Yarlswood in England.
The family have been given removal directions for them to be forcibly removed to Uganda on flight BA63 to Entebbe at 21:10 hours from Heathrow on Tuesday 22nd July.
In 2005 Human Rights Watch reported that “Forms of torture in use in Uganda include kandoya (tying hands and feet behind the victim) and suspension from the ceiling of victims tied kandoya, “Liverpool” water torture (forcing the victim to lie face up, mouth open, under a flowing water spigot), severe and repeated beatings with metal or wooden poles, cables, hammers and sticks with nails protruding, pistol-whipping, electrocution, male and female genital and body mutilation, death threats (through showing fresh graves, corpses and snakes), strangulation, restraint, isolation, and verbal abuse and humiliation. Some of these practices have resulted in the death of detainees in custody. An informal survey at Kigo Prison near Kampala, where “political” cases are held, indicated in June 2003 that 90 percent of detainees/prisoners had been tortured during their prior detention by state military and security agencies.
Most victims of illegal detention and torture attribute their treatment to political suppression, reporting that security or military agents accused them of past or current political opposition, insurrection or support for rebel groups, treason or terrorism, or of knowing persons involved in such activities. Others report they were accused of having engaged in or witnessed criminal activity such as murder or robbery, while some link their abuse to personal disputes and vendettas by officials.”
This young family need your help please take urgent action now:
URGENT ACTION
1. Please fax Home Secretary Jacqui Smith by faxing: The Rt Hon Jacqui Smith, MP, Secretary of State for the Home Office fax: 020-7035-4745 or from outside the UK +44 207 035 4745 using the model letter ‘PhionaMinister.doc' on our website, which you can copy/amend/write your own. Ask her to urgently reconsider the removal directions. When faxing Jacqui Smith remember to include Phiona's Home Office reference number L1150324
2. Please phone, fax or email Willie Walsh, BA Chief Executive, using the model letter 'PhionaBA.doc' on our website, which you can copy/amend/write your own (please ensure inclusion of the families' flight details - British Airways flight BA63 to Entebbe at 21:10 on Tuesday 22nd July) Fax: 020 8759 4314 Tel: 0844 493 0787 Email:
willie.walsh@ba.com .
3. If you live in Scotland please fax or phone or email Fional Hyslop MSP Minister for Education and Lifelong Learning Telephone: 0131 348 5921 Email Fiona.Hyslop.msp@scottish.parliament.uk Fax: 0131 348 5708 asking her to intervene on behalf of Bridget and her local community in Glasgow.
Information on how to send faxes by email can be found on our website.
UNITY!!
The UNITY Centre 30 Ibrox Street Glasgow G51 1AQ
0141 427 7992
www.unitycentreglasgow.org
PLEASE NOTE NEW EMAIL ADDRESS: info[at]unitycentreglasgow.org
The UNITY Centre is run entirely by volunteers and funded completely by donations from our supporters. We need your help! If you would like to help by making a donation or by volunteering you can find more details on our website. Thank you! UNITY!
HO Ref: L1150324 from Uganda
Removal Directions: Flight BA63 21.10 hrs Tuesday 22nd July from Heathrow
Twenty six year old Phiona Lomisa was detained when going to report with her nine month old son, Bradley, at the Home Office in Glasgow at 9am on Friday morning. Like many of the other families detained this year, Phiona did not even know her case had been refused.
Phiona left Uganda 15 months ago and claimed asylum in the UK. She had managed to escape from detention after she had been arrested on suspicion of working on behalf of her husband, a high ranking member of shadowy rebel group, the People’s Redemption Army.
In February last year, Phiona had been going to deliver some money to Kasese when the car she was in was stopped by soldiers who found a list of names of wanted people. In detention for 2 months and three weeks, Phiona was attacked and raped on at least nine occasions. On one occasion she was taken and threatened with being thrown into a pond of crocodiles.
Phiona managed to escape when she went to the toilet whilst being moved to be detained in another army barracks. After two days in hiding in a convent she was brought by an agent to the UK. Phiona’s lawyer had lodged fresh representations when her first case was refused after the judge decided that part of her case was not credible. The Home Office rejected the fresh representations last week but Phiona’s lawyer has not yet received the refusal letter.
This weekend was the ‘Glasgow Fair’, a local bank holiday weekend, and shortly after Phiona was detained her lawyers closed for the weekend and will not open until Tuesday morning – much too late to help Phiona. On Saturday, Phiona and Bradley were transported to Yarlswood in England.
The family have been given removal directions for them to be forcibly removed to Uganda on flight BA63 to Entebbe at 21:10 hours from Heathrow on Tuesday 22nd July.
In 2005 Human Rights Watch reported that “Forms of torture in use in Uganda include kandoya (tying hands and feet behind the victim) and suspension from the ceiling of victims tied kandoya, “Liverpool” water torture (forcing the victim to lie face up, mouth open, under a flowing water spigot), severe and repeated beatings with metal or wooden poles, cables, hammers and sticks with nails protruding, pistol-whipping, electrocution, male and female genital and body mutilation, death threats (through showing fresh graves, corpses and snakes), strangulation, restraint, isolation, and verbal abuse and humiliation. Some of these practices have resulted in the death of detainees in custody. An informal survey at Kigo Prison near Kampala, where “political” cases are held, indicated in June 2003 that 90 percent of detainees/prisoners had been tortured during their prior detention by state military and security agencies.
Most victims of illegal detention and torture attribute their treatment to political suppression, reporting that security or military agents accused them of past or current political opposition, insurrection or support for rebel groups, treason or terrorism, or of knowing persons involved in such activities. Others report they were accused of having engaged in or witnessed criminal activity such as murder or robbery, while some link their abuse to personal disputes and vendettas by officials.”
This young family need your help please take urgent action now:
URGENT ACTION
1. Please fax Home Secretary Jacqui Smith by faxing: The Rt Hon Jacqui Smith, MP, Secretary of State for the Home Office fax: 020-7035-4745 or from outside the UK +44 207 035 4745 using the model letter ‘PhionaMinister.doc' on our website, which you can copy/amend/write your own. Ask her to urgently reconsider the removal directions. When faxing Jacqui Smith remember to include Phiona's Home Office reference number L1150324
2. Please phone, fax or email Willie Walsh, BA Chief Executive, using the model letter 'PhionaBA.doc' on our website, which you can copy/amend/write your own (please ensure inclusion of the families' flight details - British Airways flight BA63 to Entebbe at 21:10 on Tuesday 22nd July) Fax: 020 8759 4314 Tel: 0844 493 0787 Email:
willie.walsh@ba.com . 3. If you live in Scotland please fax or phone or email Fional Hyslop MSP Minister for Education and Lifelong Learning Telephone: 0131 348 5921 Email
Fiona.Hyslop.msp@scottish.parliament.uk Fax: 0131 348 5708 asking her to intervene on behalf of Bridget and her local community in Glasgow. Information on how to send faxes by email can be found on our website.
UNITY!!
The UNITY Centre 30 Ibrox Street Glasgow G51 1AQ
0141 427 7992
www.unitycentreglasgow.org
PLEASE NOTE NEW EMAIL ADDRESS: info[at]unitycentreglasgow.org
The UNITY Centre is run entirely by volunteers and funded completely by donations from our supporters. We need your help! If you would like to help by making a donation or by volunteering you can find more details on our website. Thank you! UNITY!
UNITY!
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