Hey guys,

* Tuesday 15th February: Meeting, 5pm, committee room 1, QMU: Still Human, Still Here Campaign in preparation for the upcoming Sleepout.
* Saturday 19th February: Andy Worthington talk and screening, “Outside The Law”. Edinburgh University, 5pm.
* Friday 25th February: STAR and AIUK Sleep-Out to End Destitution! 8pm, Wellington Church Steps, University Avenue (http://www.justgiving.com/starsleepout)

For more information on the Andy Worthington screening see below the Urgent Action.

Urgent Action Needed:

A Darfuri torture victim is today set to be deported back to Sudan, where she believes she could be killed, due to what her supporters claim is a “bureaucratic blunder” by the Home Office.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/torture-victim-fights-decision-to-deport-her-back-to-sudan-2213855.html

Direct your appeal to Home Secretary Theresa May: You are asking her to exercise her discretionary powers to stop the forced removal of Abeer Awooda. You can also direct your appeal to Nick Clegg

You can see two Model Letters below . You can copy, amend or write your own version – if you do please remember to include the following: Abeer Awooda, Home Office Reference: A1435223, is currently in detention @ Yarl’s Wood IRC and due to be forcibly removed from the UK Today Monday 14th February @ 15:00 hrs.

THANK YOU – PLEASE PASS ON.

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LETTER TO THERESA. MAY

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Att: Rt. Hon Theresa May, MP
Secretary of State for the Home Office,
2 Marsham St London SW1 4DF
Fax: 020 8760 3132
Email: mayt@parliament.uk

Subject: Stop Deportation of Abeer Awooda

Dear Home Secretary Theresa May,

Abeer Awooda, Home Office Reference: A1435223, is currently in detention @ Yarl’s Wood IRC and due to be forcibly removed from the UK Today Monday 14th February @ 15:00 hrs.

Ms Awooda is a 26 year old journalist writing for a Sudanese newspaper called Al Ayaam, who has been heavily involved in the student activist movement against the regime in Sudan. She has also been seen by the NISS wearing trousers in Sudan , which is illegal under Sudanese law. Between 2008 and 2010 she has been imprisoned and tortured in Khartoum numerous times as a result of her activism.

Ms Awooda arrived in the UK six months ago, her asylum claim was rejected, she appealed the decision and has been waiting for a decision on her appeal.

This imminent deportation is of great concern as Ms Awooda is an outspoken opponent of the Sudanese government and a victim of torture at the hands of the Sudanese regime and will almost certainly be imprisoned, tortured and possibly killed if returned to Khartoum.

Several hundred people have been killed in Sudan since the start of the year. The Khartoum regime is on high alert right now because of events in Egypt and Tunisia. It has already opened fire on protesters and arrested hundreds(many were journalists) in its attempts to stem dissent in recent weeks.

Abeer Awooda is a member of the Berti ethnic group, which is recognised to be a tribe from Darfur that has been targeted by the Sudanese government and therefore will be at great risk if sent back to Sudan.

Sudan a failed state, 3rd worst country in the world A state having little or no governance, endemic corruption, profiteering by ruling elites, very poor Human Rights, the government cannot/will not protect the population from others or itself, massive internal conflict, forced internal/external displacement, institutionalised political exclusion of significant numbers of the population, progressive deterioration of welfare infrastructure (hospitals, clinics, doctors, nurses) not adequate to meet health, needs, progressive economic decline of the country as a whole as measured by per capita income, debt, severe child mortality rates, poverty levels.

Sudan’s president, Omar Hassan al-Bashir, is the only sitting head of state wanted by the International Criminal Court for war crimes and crimes against humanity

Sudan ranked as one of the worlds most corrupt states by Transparency international.

Sudan, Africa’s biggest country and a former UK Colony, has faced constant conflict since independence from Britain in 1956.

I urge you to show compassion and humanitarian understanding to Abeer Awooda. Please release her from detention and grant her indefinite leave to remain in the UK.

Yours Sincerely,

Name:

Address:

City:

Date:

Postcode:

Email:

Country:

Phone:

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LETTER TO NICK CLEGG

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Att: Nick Clegg
Deputy Prime Minister’s Office
70 Whitehall
SW1A 2AS
Correspondence Section:
Tel: 020 7276 0527
Fax: 020 7276 0514
pscorrespondence@cabinet-office.x.gsi.gov.uk

Subject: Stop Deportation of Abeer Awooda

Dear Deputy Prime Minister,

Abeer Awooda, Home Office Reference: A1435223, is currently in detention @ Yarl’s Wood IRC and due to be forcibly removed from the UK Today Monday 14th February @ 15:00 hrs.

Ms Awooda is a 26 year old journalist writing for a Sudanese newspaper called Al Ayaam, who has been heavily involved in the student activist movement against the regime in Sudan. She has also been seen by the NISS wearing trousers in Sudan , which is illegal under Sudanese law. Between 2008 and 2010 she has been imprisoned and tortured in Khartoum numerous times as a result of her activism.

Ms Awooda arrived in the UK six months ago, her asylum claim was rejected, she appealed the decision and has been waiting for a decision on her appeal.

This imminent deportation is of great concern as Ms Awooda is an outspoken opponent of the Sudanese government and a victim of torture at the hands of the Sudanese regime and will almost certainly be imprisoned, tortured and possibly killed if returned to Khartoum.

Several hundred people have been killed in Sudan since the start of the year. The Khartoum regime is on high alert right now because of events in Egypt and Tunisia. It has already opened fire on protesters and arrested hundreds(many were journalists) in its attempts to stem dissent in recent weeks.

Abeer Awooda is a member of the Berti ethnic group, which is recognised to be a tribe from Darfur that has been targeted by the Sudanese government and therefore will be at great risk if sent back to Sudan.

Sudan a failed state, 3rd worst country in the world – A state having little or no governance, endemic corruption, profiteering by ruling elites, very poor Human Rights, the government cannot/will not protect the population from others or itself, massive internal conflict, forced internal/external displacement, institutionalised political exclusion of significant numbers of the population,
progressive deterioration of welfare infrastructure (hospitals, clinics, doctors, nurses) not adequate to meet health, needs, progressive economic decline of the country as a whole as measured by per capita income, debt, severe child mortality rates, poverty levels.

Sudan’s president, Omar Hassan al-Bashir, is the only sitting head of state wanted by the International Criminal Court for war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Sudan ranked as one of the worlds most corrupt states by Transparency international.

Sudan, Africa’s biggest country and a former UK Colony, has faced constant conflict since independence from Britain in 1956.

I urge you to show compassion and humanitarian understanding to Abeer Awooda.

I am asking you to intervene on his behalf and raise the issue with the Home Secretary. Sudan is one of the most dangerous countries in the world, no one should be forcibly sent there. Please ask the Home Secretary to release Abeer Awooda from immigration detention and reconsider her case with a view to granting her refugee protection.

Yours Sincerely,

Name:

Address:

City:

Date:

Postcode:

Email:

Country:
Phone:

Saturday 19th February, Andy Worthington:

http://www.andyworthington.co.uk/outside-the-law-stories-from-guantanamo-uk-tour-dates-2011-the-save-shaker-aamer-tour/

After our look at Guantanamo Bay at the beginning of this term Andy Worthington is making a one stop appearance to Scotland and has chosen Edinburgh as his pit call.

He shall be showing the film which he co-directed with Polly Nash, “Outside the Law: Stories from Guantanamo” followed by a Q&A session.

I myself, shall be going along so if anyone fancies it we can arrange to head on the train together.

The film focuses on the stories of three prisoners — Shaker Aamer, the last British resident in Guantánamo, who is still held, and Binyam Mohamed and Omar Deghayes (both released) — and features interviews with former prisoners Moazzam Begg and Omar Deghayes, lawyers Clive Stafford Smith and Tom Wilner, and journalist Andy Worthington, plus appearances from Guantánamo’s former Muslim chaplain James Yee, Imam Shakeel Begg, and the British human rights lawyer Gareth Peirce.