Human rights activist Gabriel Nwkelle denied access to media
ncadc | 07.01.2002 13:32
Human rights activist Gabriel Nwkelle denied access to media
On Friday morning 28th December 2001, Gabriel Nkwelle was prevented from talking to the media. BBC Five Live, BBC Wales and BBC London, had all prepared to interview Gabriel but staff at Tinsley House detention centre were told not to allow calls through to him by the Home Office press office. When he approached the Immigration Service, the officer said that Gabriel should be careful because "this is not your country"
According to the Home Office press officer, Michelle Wallington (0207 273 3000), all detention centres have a standing instruction that press inquiries to individual detainees are referred to the Home Office press office and not put through to the detainee. This was later contradicted by the Senior Immigration Officer, Ms Foley, at Tinsley House detention centre were Gabriel is detained (01293 434 800) who said that all phone calls from the press would be put through. This despite the fact that all press phone calls that morning had been blocked by staff at Tinsley House detention centre.
This attempt to gag Gabriel is in direct contravention of the Detention Centre Rules 2001 which Parliament passed on 2nd April 2001 protecting "the right to individual expression", and a detained person’s right "to establish and maintain, as far as are possible, such relations with persons and agencies outside the detention centre as he may wish, save to the extent that such relations prejudice interests of security or safety"
Such an instruction also breaches article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights which protects the "right to freedom of expression…..without interference from public authority"
Today his solicitors will lodge the grounds for an application for judicial review. A decision on whether he will be able to have a full hearing is expected within the next two weeks. (His removal from the UK was stopped by a High Court injunction two hours before the flight left on Christmas Eve.)
Editors Notes:
In February 2000, Sir Nigel Rodley, the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture wrote a report on Cameroon which sharply criticized "systematic and widespread" torture by the police and gendarmerie.
In March 2001 Robin Cook, the then Foreign Secretary, along with Sir Nigel Rodley –launched the "Torture Reporting Handbook" saying "it is vital that we do all in our power to tackle the appalling practice of torture"
On 10 December 2001 the British High Commissioner in Yaounde, Cameroon, Peter Boon Launched the "Torture Reporting Handbook" in Cameroon. He publicly criticized the Cameroon government for failing to follow any of Sir Nigel’s recommendations "It is almost two years since the report appeared, however , and so has as I am aware, the government has yet to state publicly how it is following the special rapporteur’s advice. I urge the government to be more open and courageous about the measures it is taking and proposes to take to put into effect the rapporteur’s recommendations." (The Herald 12/12/01)
And yet Gabriel and other activists from Cameroon are facing return by the Home Office.
From previous press releases:
Gabriel Nkwelle, aged 34, fought for democratic rights in his own country, and was five times held prisoner. He asked for asylum in Britain, and was promptly put in prison here. He publicised unacceptable treatment of his fellow asylum detainees, and was transferred to Belmarsh, Britain's most notorious top-security jail. Meantime, he tried to fight his own asylum case.
With the support of BID (Bail for Immigration Detainees) Nkwelle won bail after eight months imprisonment. He continued his fight for the rights of detainees as a volunteer worker at BID.
On 10th December at the Law Society, Gabriel and his colleagues from the charity Bail for Immigration Detainees were presented with the Liberty/Justice Human rights award. He was photographed with Marcel Berlins at the award ceremony.
On December 13th at York House immigration court near Heathrow, Gabriel’s appeal was dismissed and his bail was denied. He was subsequently detained at Harmondsworth detention centre. Gabriel is currently detained at Tinsley House detention centre near Gatwick.
Tim Baster the co-ordinator Bail for Immigration Detainees said:
"We are all very relieved that Gabriel obtained this injunction to stop his removal. It is now time for the Home Office to reconsider its current policy of returning political and human rights activists to Cameroon in light of that country’s appalling human rights record. I hope that Gabriel will be allowed to stay in the UK.
Contact numbers:
-Tim Baster - Co-ordinator - Bail for Immigration Detainees : 0207 247 3590 (BID office)
-Media enquiries: 07833 625 033 at anytime
Bail For Immigration Detainees
28 Commercial Street, E1 6LS
Email:
bailforimmigrationdetainees@yahoo.co.uk
Tel: 020 7247 3590
Fax: 020 7247 3550
On Friday morning 28th December 2001, Gabriel Nkwelle was prevented from talking to the media. BBC Five Live, BBC Wales and BBC London, had all prepared to interview Gabriel but staff at Tinsley House detention centre were told not to allow calls through to him by the Home Office press office. When he approached the Immigration Service, the officer said that Gabriel should be careful because "this is not your country"
According to the Home Office press officer, Michelle Wallington (0207 273 3000), all detention centres have a standing instruction that press inquiries to individual detainees are referred to the Home Office press office and not put through to the detainee. This was later contradicted by the Senior Immigration Officer, Ms Foley, at Tinsley House detention centre were Gabriel is detained (01293 434 800) who said that all phone calls from the press would be put through. This despite the fact that all press phone calls that morning had been blocked by staff at Tinsley House detention centre.
This attempt to gag Gabriel is in direct contravention of the Detention Centre Rules 2001 which Parliament passed on 2nd April 2001 protecting "the right to individual expression", and a detained person’s right "to establish and maintain, as far as are possible, such relations with persons and agencies outside the detention centre as he may wish, save to the extent that such relations prejudice interests of security or safety"
Such an instruction also breaches article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights which protects the "right to freedom of expression…..without interference from public authority"
Today his solicitors will lodge the grounds for an application for judicial review. A decision on whether he will be able to have a full hearing is expected within the next two weeks. (His removal from the UK was stopped by a High Court injunction two hours before the flight left on Christmas Eve.)
Editors Notes:
In February 2000, Sir Nigel Rodley, the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture wrote a report on Cameroon which sharply criticized "systematic and widespread" torture by the police and gendarmerie.
In March 2001 Robin Cook, the then Foreign Secretary, along with Sir Nigel Rodley –launched the "Torture Reporting Handbook" saying "it is vital that we do all in our power to tackle the appalling practice of torture"
On 10 December 2001 the British High Commissioner in Yaounde, Cameroon, Peter Boon Launched the "Torture Reporting Handbook" in Cameroon. He publicly criticized the Cameroon government for failing to follow any of Sir Nigel’s recommendations "It is almost two years since the report appeared, however , and so has as I am aware, the government has yet to state publicly how it is following the special rapporteur’s advice. I urge the government to be more open and courageous about the measures it is taking and proposes to take to put into effect the rapporteur’s recommendations." (The Herald 12/12/01)
And yet Gabriel and other activists from Cameroon are facing return by the Home Office.
From previous press releases:
Gabriel Nkwelle, aged 34, fought for democratic rights in his own country, and was five times held prisoner. He asked for asylum in Britain, and was promptly put in prison here. He publicised unacceptable treatment of his fellow asylum detainees, and was transferred to Belmarsh, Britain's most notorious top-security jail. Meantime, he tried to fight his own asylum case.
With the support of BID (Bail for Immigration Detainees) Nkwelle won bail after eight months imprisonment. He continued his fight for the rights of detainees as a volunteer worker at BID.
On 10th December at the Law Society, Gabriel and his colleagues from the charity Bail for Immigration Detainees were presented with the Liberty/Justice Human rights award. He was photographed with Marcel Berlins at the award ceremony.
On December 13th at York House immigration court near Heathrow, Gabriel’s appeal was dismissed and his bail was denied. He was subsequently detained at Harmondsworth detention centre. Gabriel is currently detained at Tinsley House detention centre near Gatwick.
Tim Baster the co-ordinator Bail for Immigration Detainees said:
"We are all very relieved that Gabriel obtained this injunction to stop his removal. It is now time for the Home Office to reconsider its current policy of returning political and human rights activists to Cameroon in light of that country’s appalling human rights record. I hope that Gabriel will be allowed to stay in the UK.
Contact numbers:
-Tim Baster - Co-ordinator - Bail for Immigration Detainees : 0207 247 3590 (BID office)
-Media enquiries: 07833 625 033 at anytime
Bail For Immigration Detainees
28 Commercial Street, E1 6LS
Email:
bailforimmigrationdetainees@yahoo.co.uk Tel: 020 7247 3590
Fax: 020 7247 3550
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07.01.2002 16:03
internationalist
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To the Wire
12.01.2002 00:22
Gabriel Nkwelle - right to the wire
At 7.00 pm on Monday 24th December, an hour and forty five minutes before the plane was to take Gabriel out of the UK. His lawyers obtained an injunction stopping, Gabriel's deportation to allow time for an application for a judicial review of his case to be lodged by Friday 28th December at 4pm.
Campaigning had been going on from early that morning and throughout the day. One person managing to get through to 10 Downing Street (didn’t get any joy, Tony wasn’t in). Undaunted he then complained to Airport police at Heathrow, about Gabriel's imminent removal, who contacted immigration and logged the complaint.
Media coverage on the day, was wide, front page of The Independent, BBC Radio 4, various London radio chat shows.
Barbed Wire Britain, who organised a cyber action throughout the day, said the response to their fax campaign was more than positive and would like to thank all who contributed
By 6.00pm the same evening, a small group of Gabriel's supporters, were at Heathrow Airport handing out leaflets to passengers who were booked on the same flight.
Staff at 'Bail for Immigration Detainees', had worked tirelessly throughout the day, up till the injunction was granted, keeping people informed of developments and assisting Gabriel's solicitors.
Dialogue between Gabriel's solicitors and the Home Office, had carried on all day with the Home Office refusing to budge on the removal. In the end the solicitor's were forced to apply for an injunction, which was granted.
Mondays activity was the accumulation of five days of frantic activity. On Thursday 20th December, Gabriel had gone to Hatton Cross, to hear the result of his asylum appeal. It was negative and he was arrested there and then and taken to Harmondsworth Detention Centre, pending removal from the UK. Detention was not new to Gabriel as he had been held in Wandsworth, Rochester and Haslar prisons and had spent 2 months in the old Harmondsworth detention centre.
When he was an immigration detainee, Gabriel was the most fearless, outspoken and meticulous and devastating critic of detention policy. See his letters from prison to those responsible for this injustice-letters you can read on the website www.closecampsfield.org.uk
Since his release in February last year, Gabriel had worked hard with Bail for Immigration Detainees, Barbed Wire Britain, the Yarl's Wood anti detention campaign. He travelled to and spoke at demonstrations outside, detention centres
His efforts have been praised in the Lords by the former cabinet minister Baroness Williams of Crosby, who said: "If there ever was an example of the kind of person for whom most of us would use the term genuine asylum-seeker, Mr Nkwelle falls into that category."
In December Gabriel and colleagues from the charity Bail for Immigration Detainees (BID) won this year's Liberty/Justice human rights award.
Gabriel Nkwelle is from Cameroon where he was tortured for his political activity and faces the same if deported back. On Monday the 24th, in a statement to the media, he said, "I left my country for a safe country because of persecution. The death sentence has been abolished by the Cameroon constitution, but I think I will have several years in prison there because of my political activity. It is obvious I will be ill-treated if returned there."
From The Independent, Monday 24th December, 2001: Human rights activist faces deportation today
From The Independent, 05 August 2001, 'I thought prison was for criminals. It's a disgrace to treat me like this'
h
e-mail:
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