An appeal concerning the threatening expulsion of Mr Benotmane

dublin | racism & migration related issues | press release Monday August 08, 2005 05:17 by Astrid Essed

To prevent the threatening expulsion of the Algerian refugee to a dangerous situation, I appeal to you to mail the deporting flying company, Alitalia, not to take him as a passenger

Dear Indymedia-readers,

As a member of the solidarity group D. Benotmane, hereby want to ask you to show your solidarity concerning the deportation to Algeria of Mr Dahou Benotmane dd monday the 8th of august.

I therefore appeal to you to join a mailng-action against Alitalia, the flying company which is deporting him to Algeria.
Not only he has been tortured there and is still at risk by arrival, also the human rights situation is very alarming.
It goes without saying, that his deportation to Algeria is utterly inhuman and irresponsible.

Background:

Mr Benotmane has asked asylum in the Netherlands in 1999 after being abducted and tortured by a militant islamic group, probably the GIA.
Also he has been witness of the killing of his friend.
Very traumatic has been also the killing by electrocting of his sister and her husband, who didn't want to cooperate with the GIA

In the Netherlands he married in 2002 and became the father of a daughterm with whom he has a very close bond.'
Regrettably he came into trouble and was held three months in pre-detention by the police.
Because of aroused tensions because of the uncertainty of his situation, a quarrel with his wife let to his definitive arrest and declaration of ''persona non grata''
Since then he has been detained in Schiphol.

Happily he has been in the opportunity to say goodye to his daughter, which has been denied him by the youth-protection at first, but due to a humane and responsible head of one of the departments, he was able to see and embrace her at last.

Not only his rights have been denied, but also his daughter, who has the right, not to be parted from her father.

Unvalid travel-document

Another point of concern stems from the fact that mr Benotmane may be deported with an unvalid travel-document.
After months-long refusals of the Algerian authorities to grant to him a valid travel-document, suddenly the IND [the Dutch Immigration and Naturalisation Directorate] alleged that there was an ''Algerian Representative'' who granted him a valid travel permit.
However, the experience with the IND concerning the handing over of unvalid travel-documents [for example the so-called illegal ''EU-documents'', which caused the arrest and mistreatment of several deported Somalian asylum-seekers] is confirms my fear, that this travel-document is unvalid also.

The consequence of arriving with an unvalid travel-document is, especially concerning the bad human rights situation in Algeria the arrest of Dahou with all the humanitarian risks involved, especially

To prevent this deportation to his homeland, where he not only has been tortured and is still at risk, but also the human rights situation in general is very alarming, I want to do an appeal to your solidarity to participate in a mailing-action against Alitalia, the flying company which is deporting him from the Dutch airport Schiphol to Algiers.

Information:

In this respect I want to ask you to urge on Alitalia, to refuse him as a passenger.
By taking him as a passenger, the flying company is cooperating with the deportation of somebody to a possible dangerous situation, which may lead to the violation of the absolute prohibition of refoulement

As you'll know, refoulement means the deportation of a refugee to a country, where he is being persecuted on the grounds of race, descent, political and religous conviction or sending a refugee back to a country, where he is in danger to be tortured.
Also sending back to an ''unsafe country'' is prohibited.

The prohibition on refoulement is being confirmed in article 33 of the UN- Convention relating to the Status of Refugees [dd 1951], article 33 of the Convention against Torture and article 3 of the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms.

In the case of mr Benotmane there can be the violation of the refoulements-prohibition because of sending him back to a country, where his safety is at risk, due to his background.

Flying information:

Dahou is being deported monday [today] at noon dd 11.55 in the direction of Milan with Alitalia, flight AZ 117

He is deported from Milan at 15.00 with flight AZ 872 to Algiers

Arrival at Algiers at 16.10

Facts concerning Alitalia

The faxnumber of Alitalia is +31(0)20 675 62 86

It is also possible to contact the director Press Relations, Mr P. Cambria

His e-mailaddress is cambria.paola@alitalia.it

Underlying I link to some information concerning the current human rights violations in Algeria, as well from the security-governmentstroops as from militant islamic groups like GIA

I thank you in advance for your solidarity with mr Benotmane

With many regards of solidarity

On behalf of the solidarity-group D Benotmane:

Astrid Essed

Other members are:


Mrs Zijlstra-de Roos
Frank Rochette
Wietse Potijk
Joke Kaviaar [see her website against the deportation-policy of the Dutch Immigration Minister Verdonk: http://www.jokekaviaar.nl]
Cor Groenendijk



Human rights violations in Algeria


Human Rights Watch:

http://hrw.org/english/docs/2005/06/23/uk11219.htm

http://hrw.org/english/docs/2005/06/22/algeri11201.htm

http://hrw.org/english/docs/2005/04/14/algeri10485.htm

http://hrw.org/english/docs/2005/03/04/algeri10260.htm

amnesty International:

http://web.amnesty.org/library/Index/ENGMDE280062005?open&of=ENG-DZA

http://web.amnesty.org/library/Index/ENGMDE280052005?open&of=ENG-DZA