background information and sample fax german english turkish french
Urgent fax campaign
Political Refugee in Belgian Custody Facing Deportation
Mr. Ömer Berber, political activist has been taken into custody by Belgium police and shall be deported to Turkey.
We demand the immediate release of Ömer Berber!
We would like to draw your attention to the fate of Ömer Berber who was accepted as a political refugee in France according to the Geneva Convention. In spite of his status as a political refugee, he was arrested in Belgium. He is now facing the threat of being deported to Turkey. More information about his detention can be found further down.
We call for your solidarity to prevent the deportation of Ömer Berber to Turkey. Please send protest faxes to the Belgium Ministry of Justice, demand his immediate release from prison, and protest against this inhuman act of the Belgium officials. A list of addresses to which the faxes can be send is presented below. Please send a copy of the fax to our office as well.
Please stand up for the release of Ömer Berber.
You can write letters or post cards to Ömer or call him as well. The Prison's adress and telephone number are:
PRISON DE VERVIERS, Chaussée de Heusy 81, 4800 VERVIRS, BELGIQUE
Tel. no.: 0032 87 22 51 26
In solidarity
AvEG-Kon
Fritz-Elsas Str. 60, 70174 Stuttgart, Germany
Tél: +49 (0) 711 227 02 05 Fax: +49 (0) 711 284 54 70
e-mail: aveg-kon@hotmail.com
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Brief background
Recently the number of migrants and refugees being controlled by the police is increasing. Official reason for the increased frequency of controls is the “home (interior) security”. On August 5th, 2005, Ömer Berber has been taken into custody during such a police control in Belgium. He and his friends were on the way to a youth camp in Belgium. During the control he had to undress himself in the cold weather and identify himself. Immediately, he was imprisoned. The attorney legalized the imprisonment. The imprisonment is based on the fact, that the Turkish state is searching for Ömer Berber. Now, he is due to be deported to Turkey.
As a political activist, Ömer Berber spent many years in Turkish prisons. After the Turkish state attacked the prisons on December 19, 2000 he was transferred to the F-type isolation prisons. There he joined the protest actions, namely the death-hungerstrikes against the inhuman attacks of the state. Due to his bad health condition he was released from prison. As it was clear that he had to go back to prison he left the country and applied for political asylum in France. On November 5, 2003 his asylum was accepted according to the criteria of the Geneva Conventions and he was protected as a political refugee. At the moment he has a residence permit for the next 10 years.
With the imprisonment of Ömer Berber the Belgian police, government and ministry of justice are disregarding the 1951 Refugee Convention and its additional protocol of 1967 and violating it.
We impeach the Belgian officials and protest against the violation of political asylum. We request the immediate release of Ömer Berber and demand them to respect and fulfil the Geneva Conventions.
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Template Fax / Letter / email
To:
Madame Laurette Onkelinx
Vice-Première Ministre et Ministre de la Justice
Fax 02/542.70.39
e-mail: info@just.fgov.be
Date: ______________
Concerns: Detention of Mr. Ömer Berber and deportation threat to Turkey
Honourable Madame Onkelinx,
deeply concerned I heard that Mr. Ömer Berber, political activist has been taken into custody by Belgium police and shall be deported to Turkey.
Due to his political activities in the past the Turkish state is in search of him. He was for years in Turkish prisons and has only been released due to his health condition. He then left the country and asked for political asylum in France. On November 5, 2003 he received political asylum from the French government according to the 1951 Refugee Convention.
The 1951 Refugee Convention stipulates that refugees should not be returned to a country where he or she fears persecution. The Belgian government has acceded the 1951 Convention and its 1967 Protocol. Hence I demand the immediate release of Mr. Ömer Berber, who has a valid travel document according to the Convention of 28 July 1951.
Regardless of any eventual, additional agreements with the Turkish state, I ask to urgently dismiss Ömer Berber from custody.
Yours sincerely
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Justizministerin Belgien
Madame Laurette Onkelinx
Ministre de la Justice
Tel.: 0032 2 233 51 11
Fax: 0032 2 230 10 67
info@laurette-onkelinx.be
Innenminister Belgien:
Monsieur Patrick Dewael
Ministre de l’Interieur
Tel.: 0032 2 504 85 13
Fax: 0032 2 504 85 00 / 504 85 80
Email : patrick.dewael@ibz.fgov.be
Commission Permanente de Recours des Réfugiés
VAN den BULCK D., (N),
Commissaire général
Tel.: 0032 2 205 51 11
Fax : 0032 2 205 51 15
E-mail : info.cgrs@ibz.fgov.be
Französisches Amt für den Schutz der Flüchtlinge
Office Français de Protection des Réfugiés et Apatrides
Tel.: 0033 15 86 81 010
Fax: 0033 158 6818 99