Immediate release of Ibrahim Alfa, Sebabe-Gueffe Tchassanti and Abdoul Razak Boukari

deutsch: Sofortige Freilassung von Ibrahim Alfa, ...

Hamburg, 13.03.2022

for justice
Immediate release of
Ibrahim Alfa, Sebabe-Gueffe Tchassanti and Abdoul Razak Boukari

Dokument als PDF

My father, Ibrahim Alfa, has been in prison in Togo since January of this year for no known reason and without charge. In the following you can read how it came about and what the current situation is and afterwards you can see two short protest letters addressed to the Ministry of Justice and the German Embassy in Lomé. Please send these letters by e-mail or fax to the above-mentioned offices.

Thank you for your support.

Nawal Traore
E-Mail: Nawaltraore at outlook.de

# # # # # Appeal by Nawal Traore # # # # #

Dear Ladies and Gentlemen,

May good things come to you.

I am Nawal Traore, born 14th April 2003 in Hamburg, Germany, and I live there with my family. I am the daughter of Alfa Ibrahim. My father was arrested during his visit to Togo and has now been in prison in Togo for almost two months without having done anything wrong. I have written to the German embassy, but so far it has not led to us being able to embrace our father.

I now turn to all the public and ask everyone with a heart for justice to support me and my family so that our father is released and also his two acquaintances who are in prison with him.

Yours sincerely
Nawal Traore

E-Mail: Nawaltraore at outlook.de

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Immediate release of
Ibrahim Alfa, Sebabe-Gueffe Tchassanti and Abdoul Razak Boukari

For the attention of the public, human rights organisations,

Amnesty International, UNHCR and calling to campaign for their release from prison

On 27.01.2022, Ibrahim Alfa, Sebabe-Gueffe Tchassanti, Abdoul Razak Boukari and two others were stopped by police officers in the Togolese capital Lomé. They were accused of being involved in a dispute over political views. Without further clarifications, they were detained and taken to the Prison Civil de Lomé. Later, two persons were released, Ibrahim Alfa, Sebabe-Gueffe Tchassanti, Abdoul Razak Boukari have been in detention since then. No charges have been brought against them, they have not been brought before any magistrate and there is no evidence of any criminal wrongdoing. The lawyer of the three detainees has not yet been granted access to the files. All three detainees are members of the legal opposition PNP (Pan African National Party) and this appears to be the motivation for the continued unlawful detention. We call the detention unlawful and illegal firstly because the law is not being followed, secondly because detention on the basis of political opinion is against the law and thirdly because no one who has not committed any crime should be deprived of their liberty.

Because Ibrahim Alfa is a German citizen, the German diplomatic mission in Togo has an obligation to intervene in a targeted manner. This is in particularly true against the background of the 'reform partnership' promoted by the Federal Foreign Office and agreed upon by the BMZ with the Togolese government, which is justified by the 'progress of the democratisation process' and sets priorities such as 'good governance'. Thus, the case of the politically motivated imprisonment of Ibrahim Alfa, Sebabe-Gueffe Tchassanti, Abdoul Razak Boukari becomes a touchstone for both partners.

Adding to the situation of Alfa Ibrahim:
Ibrahim Alfa lives with his family in Hamburg/Germany. He travelled to Togo with his three-year-old son, Fatihoulah Alfa. Since his father's arrest, the little boy has been alone in a strange environment with relatives. Ibrahim Alfa needs regular check-ups due to a heart disease and the current situation is a high critical burden of which all responsible persons must take note.

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Sender:
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To the Ministry of Justice of Togo
Ministère de la Justice et de la Législation
Pius Kokouvi Agbetomey
03. Rue de l’Ocam, BP 121 Lomé-Togo
Tel: +228 22 21 26 53
Fax: +228 22 21 54 91
E-Mail: secretariat.ministre@justice.gouv.tg

Honorable Minister of Justice, Pius Kokouvi Agbetomey,
I, ______________________________ have learnt of the detention of Ibrahim Alfa, Sebabe-Gueffe Tchassanti, Abdoul Razak Boukari and that they have been held in the Prison Civil de Lomé since 27/01/2022 without having committed any crime. Political oppositional opinion or legal political work is constitutionally enshrined and failure to respect these principles is considered political persecution and breaks the law.

Please take the case of Ibrahim Alfa, Sebabe-Gueffe Tchassanti, Abdoul Razak Boukari under your responsibility and decide according to your position and the constitution of the country and the rights of the citizens.
Awaiting your reply

Sincerely,

______________________________
Date, signature

# # # # # Sample letter To the German Mission in Lomé/Togo # # # # #

Sender:
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To the German Mission in Lomé/Togo
Head of Embassy Matthias Veltin
Ambassade de la République fédérale d'Allemagne
B.P. 1175, Lomé, Togo
Telefon : +228 22 23 32 32
E-mail : info@lome.diplo.de

Honorable Ambassador
I, __________________________________ ask you by virtue of your office to make every effort to ensure the safety and release of the German citizen Ibrahim Alfa and the Togolese citizens, Sebabe-Gueffe Tchassanti and Abdoul Razak Boukari.

Against the background of the 'reform partnership' between the German and Togolese governments with its focus on 'good governance', I would like to underline the urgency and importance of my request.

I have learned of the detention of Ibrahim Alfa, Sebabe-Gueffe Tchassanti, Abdoul Razak Boukari. They have been held in the Prison Civil de Lomé since 27.01.2022 without having committed any crime. The mere fact that they belong to the political opposition is used as a reason to persecute critics of the government and deprive them of their freedom.
Please keep me and the general public informed of developments.

respectfully

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Date, Signature