Jean Pierre was detained on Monday 19th December whilst reporting in his home town Cardiff, he was to be removed on the 22nd December but refused to fly.

Jean Pierre whilst in Cameroon was a member of Southern Cameroon National Council (SCNC). As an active member of the SCNC Jean Pierre helped SCNC to distribute tracts and leaflets in Cameroon. He attended several rallies and demonstrations in support of the SCNC. He was empowering his fellow Cameroonians to fight for the Anglophone problem (Authorities arbitrarily arrest and detain anglophone citizens advocating secession) and restore social equality and equal opportunity amongst all Cameroonians.

He was imprisoned and tortured in Cameroon for his political actions/opinions. In prison he was subjected to *Bastinado, suffered sleep deprivation and incurred head injuries.

Bastinado: A form of torture which consists of beating the soles of the offender's bare feet with a cane or rod. This torture is extremely effective due to the clustering of nerve endings in the feet and the structure of the foot, with its numerous small bones and tendons.

He fled to the UK and arrived on the 27th of August 2003 and made an asylum claim. He was diagnosed with hepatitis C, but he and his friends felt he did not receive adequate treatment. Some of his friends helped him to get to Belgium where he was accepted by a university hospital for treatment. Jean Pierre then made an asylum claim in Belgium but the Belgium authorities would not accept the claim as he had already made a claim in the UK. He was returned to the UK in November 2006 as a Third Country Returnee and immediately put in Wandwsorth prison for two months, whilst there he received no treatment for his illness. His asylum claim was refused on the 21st of February 2007 Jean Pierre appealed several times and a final refusal was served on the 23rd of October 2007.

U.S.A: Report Human Rights Practices - Cameroon 2006
The government's human rights record remained poor as did its understanding of human rights, and it continued to commit numerous human rights abuses. Security forces committed numerous unlawful killings; they regularly engaged in torture, beatings, and other abuses, particularly of detainees and prisoners. Impunity was a problem in the security forces. Prison conditions were harsh and life-threatening. Authorities arbitrarily arrested and detained anglophone citizens advocating secession, local human rights monitors and activists, and other citizens. The government restricted citizens' freedoms of speech, press, assembly, association, and harassed journalists. The government also impeded citizens' freedom of movement. The public perceived government corruption to be a serious problem. The government restricted worker rights and the activities of independent labor organizations, and child labor, slavery, and forced labor, including forced child labor.

Jean Pierre lost his asylum claim because the Home Office does not believe that members of the SCNC are persecuted in Cameroon. A genuine newspaper reported that 40 SCNC militants in Cameroon were arrested, brutalized and detained on January 2007. Similarly the Home Office Country of Origin Information published on the 28th of August 2007 made clear that authorities of the Gendarmerie Legion at Up-Station, Bamenda, handed over the first 13 detainees to the Bamenda Central Prison on Monday 22nd August 2007.

Jean Pierre does not currently have a solicitor to help him defend his case, as he cannot afford to pay the fees.

In the UK Jean Pierre was living in Cardiff where he has established a strong and positive link with his community. He is well integrated and well known to his community. He was working as a volunteer at the local British Red Cross. Simultaneously, he worked as volunteer at Cardiff city Council. Jean Pierre is also a member of the refugees voice Wales in Cardiff.

In the light of the current situation facing members of the SCNC in Cameroon, and Jean Pierre health status, he should be offered protection in the UK and seek your support to stay the removal and for his immediate release from Dover IRC to rejoin his friends/community in Cardiff.

What you can do to help:
All day today Thursday, onwards to Sunday
1) Fax Willie Walsh, Chief Executive Officer British Airways and urge him not to carry out the forced removal of Jean Pierre Gueutchue - Attached model fax JeanPierreBA.doc to British Airways (you can copy/amend/write your own version. Please include all the details. Forced Removal of Jean Pierre Gueutchue on British Airways Flight BA302 leaving Heathrow at 06.20 on Monday 31st December 2007 to France Charles De Gaulle airport for onward transit to Douala/Cameroon.

Fax: 020 8759 4314 - from outside the UK + 44 20 8759 4314

2) Send urgent faxes immediately to Rt. Hon. Jacqui Smith, Secretary of State for the Home Office asking that Jean Pierre Gueutchue be granted protection in the UK. Attached model letter JeanPierreJS.doc to Secretary of State you can copy/amend/write your own version (if you do so, please remember to include the HO ref M1206111).

Fax: 020 7035 3262 (00 44 20 7035 3262 if you are faxing from outside UK)

Please notify the campaign of any faxes sent to Jacqui Smith or British Airways:

 camerounsn@yahoo.co.uk

Friends of Jean Pierre Gueutchue
Cameroon Support Network (CSN)
C/o NCADC
110 Hamstead Road
Birmingham
B20 2QS
End of Bulletin:

Source for this Message:
Friends of Jean Pierre Gueutchue
--