Outrage! Petitions for Algerian Asylum Refugee
Gay.com UK,
November 26, 2004
A gay Algerian refugee is in danger of deportation back
to his home country, where a serious danger exists that he could be murdered
by Islamist fundamentalists.
Outrage! are backing Ramzi Isalam’s claims for refugee
status in the UK and has written to the Home Secretary, David Blunkett
supporting his case.
Two of Isalam’s gay friends were murdered by the
Islamic fundamentalists of the GIA (Group Islamique Arme) in 1994 and 1996. He
grew up in a district that was a stronghold of the GIA, where, according to
Outrage! gay people live in fear of torture, beatings and murder.
“I fled Algeria because the Islamisists beat me and
threatened to kill me,” said Isalam. “Being deported back to Algeria would
be a nightmare. It is a very dangerous place for lesbians and gay men. People
like me get killed. I could not cope with always looking over my shoulder,
fearful of being murdered because of my sexuality.”
Outrage! say that due to the fact that Isalam avoided
military service, his return to Algeria would result in two years’
imprisonment in a military prison, where brutality is universal and gay
inmates suffer routine queer-bashing and sexual assaults.
Brett Lock from Outrage! said: “Algeria is a very
repressive homophobic Islamic state. The armed insurrection and terrorist
campaign by Islamic fundamentalists poses an extreme danger to every lesbian
and gay Alegerian. Gay people are targeted for assasination and extra-judicial
killing. The Algerian state offers no protection and, in fact, criminalises
homosexuality with inprisonment.”
The gay rights’ group are urging people to support
Isalam by writing to the Home Secretary urging him to grant Isalam asylum or
leave to remain in the UK on compassionate grounds.
Letters should be sent to Isalam’s solcitor so he can
present them to the Home Secretary: Pierre Makhlouf, Hackney Community Law
Centre, 8 Lower Clapton Road, London E5 0PD.
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