Babakhan Badalov, (Babi) the openly gay, internationally renowned radical artist and poet from Azerbaijan was arrested tuesday morning while signing on at the UK Border Agency Offices in Cardiff.

Babi went for his weekly sign-in with friends from the Keep Babi Safe in Cardiff Campaign. When he did not come back out of the building campaigners became concerned and enquired after his well-being only to be told he had been detained and would be removed from the country as soon as possible.

At the time of writing he is at Rumney Police station, though he may be moved to one of the UK’s detention prisons at any time. A friend has been able to visit him in custody.

Babi was already in a very fragile mental state before his arrest, and No Borders South Wales can report that he was a complete wreck when a friend and member of the campaign was able to visit him in the police cell. Friend and activist Hywel Bishop said:

“I’ve never seen anyone so scared. If Babi gets sent home he faces persecution from the state for his art, beatings from the local community, as well as the threat of honour killing from his family because they can’t live with the fact that he’s gay.”

Typically Babi was also mindful of his art, and was concerned that his detention would stand in the way of his upcoming exhibition in Cardiff’s TactileBOSCH studio on 27th September and 14th October.

When he was informed that he was going to be detained and deported Babi responded by saying:

“I feel sick”

To which the UK Border agent told him:

“well you make us sick, you’re going back where you belong”

Babi had the appeal to his asylum refusal rejected at the end of July and has been in the process of filing a fresh claim with new evidence of the danger he would face back in Azerbaijan. Alarming new witness statements detailing Babi’s history of violent persecution have also recently came to light, which would allow him to make a very strong fresh claim for asylum.

Furthermore, his solicitor has only recently been able to find medical experts to corroborate evidence of neurological and psychological damage, effecting his increasingly deteriorating mental health. All of which has delayed the lodging of his fresh claim.