Solidarity campaign for Akalo Komi in Apolda-Thueringen, Germany

My appeal to stop my deportation to Togo!

Komi Akalo, Member of the Comité d'Action pour le Renouveau; (C.A.R), registered under L0/S/CAR 13295 of October 8th 1991.

Originally, the worrying political problem in Togo where I was an activist of the C.A.R. was the major reason why I had to flee Togo and seek refugee in Germany.

On arrival in Germany in 1994, I made my first asylum application in Mühlhausen, which was refused by the Bundesamt barely a month after. I was later transfered on the 16th February, 1995 to Apolda in Thüringen where I met other political activists and different opposition party members.

Worried about the unbearable living conditions of refugees in Germany and about the worsening situation in my home country, I eventually had to intensify my political activities. I became an active member of The VOICE Refugee Forum and the Caravan-for the rights of refugees and migrants. I participated in different protests and other activities to highlight the human rights abuses in Togo and various events of The VOICE Refugee Forum including the Caravan Tour 2002 through 37 Cities in Germany. I have also been active with opposition Togolese groups and participated in meetings, congresses and demonstrations of Togolese exiles, including other solidarity initiatives in Germany.

On August, 21st 2002, my article was published in the Togolese newspaper "L'Evenement". This is a publication close to the opposition in Togo in which I openly critized the Togolese president Gnassingbe Eyadema. I condemned the violence of the Togolese government against the people and the impunity of the perpetrators. After the publication of my article in Lomé I sent several critical letters to different Togolese authorities, amongst them the president of the national assembly Mr. Fambaré Natchaba, General Gnassingbé Eyadema, the General Secretary of the Togolese embassy in Bonn and to different other personalities of the administration in Lomé. In January 2003 one of my article on the violation of human rights in Togo through a terror regime by military forces was published in different internet pages.

The worsening situation in my country and my recent political and journalistic activities about it constituted the grounds for a second asylum application in October 2002. With the new press law, critical journalists in Togo are threatened by prison terms, fines and of course the attendant torture. Press freedom is practically abolished. According to the new press law, every person that „insults" the head of state is threatened by prison term of between one to five years in addition to a fine of 5.000.000 cfa. Who insults the prime minister, the members of the administration or the security forces, is punishable with prison term of between one to three years.

But despite all my criticism against the Togolese Government and the dangers that I am certain to face if forcibly sent to Togo, the VG Gera (Administrative Court) has not recognized my application for asylum. Last week, the foreign authorities in Apolda announced my deportation. I’m now under acute deportation threat. The OVG (Higher Administrative Court) Weimar has until now not yet decided if my application for appeal is admitted.

Togo, under General Gnassingbé Eyadema is one of the oldest and most brutal dictatorships in Africa. People that are engaged for democracy are not welcome and are very badly persecuted – with prison, torture and death. But despite the worrying situation that is prevalent in Togo, the German authorities do not want to accept the demands of our refugees for protection by sending us back to our country where we are arrested and put into prison, tortured and in many cases killed.

Therefore I launch an urgent appeal to the activists and pogressive people to participate on our just liberation struggle for Togo and to stop the unjust deportations that are being prepared in this country.

Stop deportation to Togo!

I am calling on you all – be it groups, organisations or individuals – to denounce publicly the degrading violations of human rights in Togo and the deportation threats from Germany.

I am calling on you to support our campaign for the freedom of political prisoners and for press freedom in Togo.

I appeal to human rights groups and organisations to support our commitment to continue our political and social engagements for our right to be present here, and to provide security and safety for refugees in Germany.

I am therefore appealing to you to demand that the court will take serious the persecution that I’m likely to face in Togo and that my case will be reopened in the interest of the public and in the interest of all Togolese.
Until now the Oberverwaltungsgericht Weimar has not yet decided if my application for appeal is admitted.

I am demanding an urgent appeal from the public to protest the negative decision of Gera court for the refusal of my right to asylum and to demand the reconsideration of my pending appeal to the court to reopen my asylum case. It will be wise to express your solidarity for me in your letter.

Insist in your letter to denouce the humanright abuses in Togo and that you are aware of the public interest in my political activities in exile and my appeal to stop the deportation to Togo.

Please send protest letter to the Internal Minister of Thüringen with reference to my file:
Akalo Komi, Az.:4 K 20655/02 GE)
Herr Andreas Trautvetter, Thüringer Innenministerium, Steigerstraße 24,
99104 Erfurt,Tel.: +49 ( 0 ) 361 37 900, Fax.: +49 ( 0 ) 361 37 93 111,
Mail:  poststelle@tim.thueringen.de

Please send copies to:
Ausländerbehörde Apolda, Bahnhofstraße 28, D-99503 Apolda,
Tel.:+49(03644) 540 0, Fax +49 (03644) 540 850, Mail:  Poststelle@Iraap.thueringen.de

Botschaft der Republik Togo, Beethovenallee 13, 53173 Bonn,
Telefon +49 (0228) 3676857, Fax: +49 (0228) 3676859


Yours Sincerely,
Komi AKALO,
Member of The VOICE Forum and the Caravan-for the Rights of Refugees and migrants.

Please spread my appeal to other for support, send me your solidarity letter and a copy of your letter to the authorities which can be used to prove the public interest in my case:

Mr. Komi Akalo, The VOICE Refugee Forum,
e-mail: mailto:  komi_solidarity@gmx.de, www.basicrights.de/munchen

For more information the solidarity campaign for Akalo Komi contact:
The VOICE Refugee Forum in Jena. Schillergäßschen 5, 07745 Jena
E-mail: voice_mail@emdash.org
Donation to: Osaren Igbinoba, Bank konto: 231633905, Bank Number:86010090, Postbank Leipzig code: soli-Komi