You can find a rough translation below. You can send the German version or use the English as a basis for a personal letter!
Herrn Innenminister Andreas Trautvetter, Thüringer Innenministerium,
PF 90 01 31, 99104 Erfurt
Dezember 2003
Sorge um Abdul Mansaray in der Abschiebehaft Suhl (AZ: XIV 11/03 – B)
Sehr geehrter Herr Innenminister Trautvetter,
wir wenden uns mit diesem Brief an Sie aus Sorge um Herrn Abdul Mansaray aus Sierra Leone, der sich derzeit in Suhl in Abschiebehaft befindet. Es ist zu befürchten, dass die drohende Abschiebung nach Sierra Leone Herrn Mansaray der erneuten Verfolgung in seinem Heimatland aussetzt. Deshalb möchten wir Sie mit diesem Brief auffordern, sich dafür einzusetzen, dass Abdul Mansarays Abschiebung nach Sierra Leone unverzüglich gestoppt wird.
Herr Mansaray ist ein offener Gegner der Regierung seines Landes, auch im Exil hat er von seiner oppositionellen Haltung niemals ein Hehl gemacht und sich stets politisch engagiert. Er ist ein Mitglied der United Sierra Leone Union e.V. Auch bei der Menschenrechtsgruppe The VOICE Refugee Forum war er aktiv engagiert, indem er Diskussionen und Veranstaltungen organisierte, auf denen er über Menschenrechtsverletzungen in Sierra Leone sprach. Insbesondere durch die Veröffentlichung von regierungskritischen Artikeln in Zeitungen Sierra Leones profilierte er sich als Regierungsgegner und versuchte auf die Situation in seinem Heimatland Einfluss zu nehmen.
Offene Gegner der Regierung werden in Sierra Leone leicht als mörderische Mitglieder der RUF betrachtet, denen willkürliche Haft, Folter oder Mord drohen.
Unsere Sorgen um Herrn Mansaray sind begründet: Denn nach seiner Abreise aus Sierra Leone wurde nach seiner Person gesucht. Seine Eltern wurden in der Folge verhaftet; sein Vater wurde getötet; seine Mutter wurde der Folter unterworfen und musste fliehen. Wir fürchten, dass Herrn Mansaray bei einer Rückkehr nach Sierra Leone ebenfalls Verfolgung, Gefängnis, Folter oder gar Tod erwarten.
Über die Klage gegen die Ablehnung seines Asylfolgeantrags ist noch nicht entschieden worden. Das heißt, obwohl seine Situation noch nicht endgültig geklärt ist, soll Herr Mansaray den genannten Gefahren ausgeliefert werden.
Wir appellieren an Sie, eine Entscheidung zu treffen, die ermöglicht, dass für Abdul die Menschenrechte gewahrt und ihm ein Leben in Sicherheit gewährleistet wird:
Stoppen Sie seine Abschiebung!
Hochachtungsvoll
Name
Adresse
Unterschrift
Translation:
Dear Innenminister Trautvetter,
we are writing this letter to you because we are worried about Mr Abdul Mansaray from Sierra Leone who at the moment is in deportation prison in Suhl. We have fear that the threat of deportatin to Sierra Leone will expose him to new persecution in his country. Therefore we want to demand from you with this letter to see that the deportation of Abdul Mansaray will be stopped.
Mr Mansary is an open critic of the government of his country; also in exile he has always shown his oppositional position openly and has always been politically engaged. He is a member of the United Sierra Leone Union e.V. He has also been engaged in the human rights group The VOICE Refugee Forum by organizing discussions and actions where he spoke about human rights abuses in Sierra Leone. Especially by publishing critical articles on the government in newpapers in Sierra Leone he gained profile as a critic of the regime and tried to influence the situation in his home country.
Open critics of the government are easily seen in Sierra Leone as murderous members of RUF, who are threatened by arrest, torture or murder.
Our worries about Mr Mansaray have reasons: For after his departure from Sierra Leone his person was searched for. His parents were arrested, his father was killed. His mother had to undergo torture and had to flee. We are worried that persecution, prison torture or even death will expect also Abdul Mansaray if he returns to Sierra Leone.
The “Klage” against the refusal of his second asylum application has not been decided yet. That means that he should be exposed to the above mentioned dangers though his situation has not been cleared finally.
We appeal to you to take a decision that garantees human rights for Abdul and secures him a life in safety. Stopp his deportation!
-----
Urgent Faxcampaign for Abdul Mansaray
Abdul Mansaray must be released from deportation prison!
Write appeal letters to the Landgericht in Gera and to the internal minister of Thueringen!
Abdul Mansaray from Sierra Leone is again in deportation prison in Suhl. The deportation last week failed because of the engagement of the Caravan activists and of himself. Finally the pilot refused to take Abdul as passenger. Nevertheless he is directly threatened by deportation. Soon the Landgericht in Gera will decide if the imprisonment is justified.
Write therefor letters and faxes to the Landgericht Gera - or phone them!
(AZ: XIV 11/03 - B)
Demand that the order for deportation prision is withdrawn!
Highlight in your letter:
- that Abdul Mansaray never tried to “escape” the authorities as he could always be reached through his lawyer and that he also appeared at the foreign authority in Schleiz in person.
- that apart from this he is not obliged to permanent residence in his heim.
- that his fear of deportation is very understandable and has also reason as he is likely to be persecuted in Sierra Leone (see under)
Postaddress: Landgericht Gera, Postfach 1764, 07507 Gera
Central telephone: 0365/834 0 - Fax: 0365/834-1000
Press speaker: Dr. Herrmann, Richter am Amtsgericht, Telefon: 0365/834-1207
Secretary of the president: 0365/834-1201
Email: VerwGS-Gera@lgg.thueringen.de
Appeals to the internal minister:
Abdul’s second asylum application from August 8th 2003 was refused on August 27th 2003. The legal suit against the refusal is not yet decided. That means that Abdul should be deported though the final legal decision about his asylum case is not yet made.
Therefore it is very important to address the internal minister of Thueringen in letters and faxes, because at the moment only he can decide about the deportation.
Address: Innenminister Andreas Trautvetter, Thüringer Innenministerium, PF 90 01 31, 99104 Erfurt; Tel.: +49 ( 0 ) 361 37 93 110, Fax.: +49 ( 0 ) 361 37 93 108, eMail: poststelle@tim.thueringen.de
- Demand that Abdul’s deportation will be stopped immediately and that Abdul will be released from deportation prison.
- Inform him that Abdul Mansaray is a critic of the regime in Togo and will therefore be exposed to persecution by the government of president Ahmed Tejan Kabbah.
- The fact that people asked for his person after his departure from Sierra Leone shows that he is likely to be threatened directly and personally. His parents were arrested and his father was killed. His mother was tortured and finally had to flee.
- His return to Sierra Leone therefore is likely to mean prison if not death.
- Also the death of the leader of the RUF is a indication for the danger he might be in.
- The fact that Abdul has permanently been publishing critical articles in newspapers in Sierra Leone even from exile increases the danger.
- His continuous political activity in exile groups, in The VOICE Refugee Forum and in the Caravan for the rights of refugees and migrants shows the seriousness and the intensity of his political engagement.
The following citation of his second application for asylum show the fear he is suffering concerning deportation:
“I am reapplying for asylum becausemy life is in serious danger.
I came to Germany and applied the first time and gave as many proofs as I can but unfortunately I was refused.
During my stay in Germany I have been engaged in political activites as I was before in Sierra Leone.
I was and still am active member of the RUF (Revolutionary United Front of Sierra Leone).
I was told by a friend that after leaving Sierra Leone some youths who knew my activities were searching for me and because of that they got my parents and my father was killed and my mother was tortured and flew the country secretely.
While staying here in Germany I became a member of the Karawane for the rights of refugees and migrants and also a member of the VOICE Refugee Forum.
I am also active in the Sierra Leone Union e.v.
The way president Ahmed Tejun Kabbah is ruling the country presently does not please me and many people of the RUF etc. That is why I keep on writing articles opposing his regime. Some of these articles were published in some news papers and magazines in Sierra Leone. And some editors refused to publish my writings.
Our leader of the RUF Foday Saybana Sankoh has died recently because of the way the government treated him. I am asking the German government to render me asylum so that my life will not end like Foday Bankoh and others.
I need SECURITY, PROTECTION and SAFETY.
The present government in Sierra Leone is looking for me; so by returning me there means that my life will be in prison and finally face death.
I am asking the German government to save my life from PRISON and DEATH so that I will be able to continue my political activities peacefully in the future and I will peacefully benefit my fellow Sierra Leoneans in the future…”
Kontakt to Abdul
phone his social worker, Herr Kugler (03681-493143), the central number of the prison is 03681-4930.
You can write a card or a letter to the following address: Abdul Mansaray, JVA Suhl, Zellaer Straße 154, 98528 Suhl
More background information
Free Abdul Mansaray from deportation prison now. info in english
On Thursday, 9th October 2003, Abdul M. was arrested in his landkreis Schleiz in Thueringen and put into the deportation prison in Suhl.
Abdul has been an activists in The VOICE Refugee Forum since 2001, he is also an active member of the United Sierra Leone Union in Hamburg. In Thueringen, Abdul was one of the main co-ordinating activists for the Refugee Nationwide Campaign against residenzpflicht (The German law that restricts the movement of asylum-seekers to their local residence district.) and the Anti-residenzpflicht-campaign in Berlin 2001 with more than 3,500
demonstrators.
During his mobilisation tours in The VOICE Refugee Forum Germany, he also organised discussions and protest actions, and spoke about against the humanrights abuses in Sierra Leone.
His political engagemnt as critic of humanrights abuses against the Peoples Party (SLPP) ruling government in Sierra Leone and in Germany is well known amongst the Sierra Leonians and in the African communities in Germany.
His ability to read and write, and to express his protest internationally against the ruling government in four languages in English, French, Arabic and Fula-Wolof also contributed to his political profile internationally, while in exile he continued to criticise President Kabba?s humanrights? abuses.
Open opponents of the government are easily regarded as murderous members of the RUF and therefore he is likely to face arbitrary arrest, torture or murder. Abdul may also face state persecution for treason or other false charges.
Now that the brutal war in Sierra Leone seems to be over and peace, though still illusive, is gradually advancing throughout the country, many quarters including the international community seem to be loosing sight of some of the key factors that facilitated the brutality and savagery of the senseless death and destruction in the country. The rush for repatriation,
reconstruction and economic recovery largely preoccupy all, particularly the Kabba-
Berewa Government, while the pillars of future stability, justice, reconciliation and
national progress have been neglected once again.
CORRUPTION The Sierra Leone Peoples Party (SLPP) regime hides under the shadow of the international community, particularly the United Nations, to seek continued humanitarian aid, grants from foundations and others while at the same time remaining a vehicle for crruption and injustice, as well as the breeding ground for uncontrolled greed, both for state power, wealth and unguided social influence.
JUSTICE The level of injustices and specifically the high rate human rights abuses hat take place are totally unimaginable. One reason for this, as revealed from our intensive fact-findings, is that the country leadership is inept and not in touched with reality. The country notorious security prison, Padema Road Prison, has access to many innocent civilians who usually are not charged for any commission of an act; but are threw in jail unconstitutionally.
That this is against the laws of the land is neither of the Kabba- Berewa concern, though President Kabba is a United Nations veteran and Berewa a Lawyer. The condition in the Padema Road Prison is terrible and inhumane.
In a country of known legal legendaries, one is thrown in prison not only without charge, but even a writ of arrest is never seen and legal process to determine guilt or innocence is a matter of fate, and one?s ability to bribe the hungry security and corrupt judicial workers.
There is some kind of peace by now, but the situation is still very tense. Just as in Liberia the neighbouring country, there was peace, too, but all of a sudden the war escalated to its worst again. It was the government of Sierra Leone who supported the Liberian ?Rebels? whereas RUF gets support from Liberia and Guinea, which means that the situation can escalate very
quickly.
It is still a long and difficult process to re-establish peace in Sierra Leone. There are thousands of displaced people who need a place to settle. Any forceful deportation refugees from Germany to Sierra Leone in this moment is very destructive for the process of restructuring the country.
We are demanding from individuals, groups, organisations and the general public to appeal to the Interior Minister of Thueringen to free Abdul Mansary from the deportation prison in Suhl-Goldlauter and to demand immediate deportationstop to Sierra Leone.