NUJ member Charles Atangana faces deportation
July 31, 2010 by Webmaster
The National Union of Journalists has stepped up its campaign to save Glasgow-based journalist Charles Atangana from being deported to Cameroon where he is likely to face detention, torture or worse.
Attend the protest at 1pm Monday 2 August in Glasgow
The protest will be on Monday 2 August outside the UK Border Agency premises in Brand Street, Govan, Glasgow. There is a map here http://bit.ly/9CzPlO
Time is running out to halt the Home Office deportation order. Several high profile politicians and campaigning groups have already called on the Home Secretary Theresa May to intervene urgently to stop his forced deportation, scheduled for Monday 2 August.
The International Federation of Journalists believes his life would be at serious risk if he was to be deported.
Pete Murray, Scottish President of the NUJ said the situation was very serious. Already, a journalist, Bibi Ngota, had died while in custody in Cameroon and the country has an appalling record as one of the worst jailers of journalists in Africa.
Several Scottish MPs have already agreed to take up the issue and Margaret Curran, Charles’ constituency MP, is contacting the Home Office as a matter of urgency.
The International Federation of Journalists has also written to Theresa May, urging her to intervene as a matter of urgency to stop Charles deportation. President Jim Boumelha said ‘’We have strong evidence that this administration routinely uses security forces and criminal laws to settle scores with the media. As a result, the number of arbitrary arrests and criminal prosecutions of journalists, and even allegations of torture of journalists has soared, raising critical questions about the rule of law and democracy in the Cameroon.’’ He added ‘’We strongly believe that the life of Mr Atangana will be seriously at risk were he to be deported back to the Cameroon.‘’ We believe that Mr Atangana should be released and allowed to stay indefinitely in safety in Scotland.’’
Asylum seeker Charles Atangana (42) has made his home in Glasgow since being forced to flee Cameroon after being harassed, detained, stripped and beaten while in custody after writing articles critical of the state authorities in his role as a professional journalist.
Pete Murray, who is himself a Glasgow-based journalist, said ‘’We believe that deporting Charles Atangana to Cameroon, where he could face arrest, detention and worse would be a grave abuse of his human rights. Charles Atangana belongs to Glasgow. Charles must stay.”
Brendan Barber, TUC General Secretary said “Charles Atangana is a brave journalist and trade unionist who should not be sent back to face continuing persecution in Cameroon.”
While in Glasgow, Charles has played a significant role in the local community both as a volunteer with the Citizens Advice Bureau in Parkhead, as an active member of the National Union of Journalists and an activist with the Maryhill Integration Network. His family has prominent historical links with the opposition movement in Cameroon and it is feared he would be subjected to violence and likely detention if he was forced to return.
Charles Atangana is a well respected journalist, specialising in economics and current affairs. He has lived in the UK since 2004, his journalistic activities having forced him to flee Cameroon following harassment, detention and torture by the regime and continuing threats against members of his family who have to remain in Cameroon. Charles has also faced continued death threats while he has been in exile.
Last month, the Home Office accepted a last-minute order to prevent Charles’ forcible repatriation to Cameroon, but now, he has been served with a further deportation order, which gives the UK Borders Agency authority to deport him on Monday 2nd August. Charles is currently detained at the Colnbrook Home Office detention centre outside London.
Judicial Review
We’ve lodged an application for a Judicial Review of Charles’ case, challenging the deportation order, because we believe it is based on an incomplete appeals procedure and that it has not taken account of substantial changes in circumstances in Cameroon, nor has it treated with any compassion Charles’ immense contribution to the NUJ network and other communities in Glasgow. To put it it simply: Charles belongs to Glasgow. His friends, NUJ colleagues and the people of Glasgow he has tirelessly supported through his work as a volunteer advisor at the Citizens Advice Bureau want him back home.
Cameroon is not safe for journalists
Following a visit to the country in May this year, the Federation of African Journalists described Cameroon as “one of the worst jailers of journalists in Africa“.
A number of prominent journalists are currently held in shocking conditions in prisons in the country. They were detained in the capital, Yaounde, following an investigation into allegations of corruption at the state-owned oil company. Tragically, one of them, Bibi Ngota, the editor of the bi-monthly Cameroun Express died in custody last April.
We believe that given the Cameroonian regime’s appalling record of detaining journalists, the detention and torture Charles has already suffered and the death threats Charles has continued to receive while he has continued his journalistic activities in exile, his life will be in grave danger, should he be deported.
What you can do
We are asking all NUJ members, campaign groups and supporters to attend the protest on Monday and also to contact their local MP, MSP and Members of the European Parliament to demand they intervene urgently and call on the Home Secretary not to enforce the removal order until there is a full Judicial Review of Charles Atangana’s case.
Contact your elected representatives via www.writetothem.com .
A model letter which you can use is here. Please feel free to adapt it, to use your own words as you wish and to send it to colleagues and supporters, urging them to contact their own elected representatives, but please send a letter or email to your local MP about Charles’ case now.
Contact the Home Secretary
Contact the Home Secretary, Theresa May, appealing to her not to enforce this deportation order. Charles’ Home Office reference number is A1227296
Rt. Hon. Theresa May MP Secretary of State for the Home Office
Fax: 020 8760 3132 (00 44 20 8760 3132 00 44 20 8760 3132
Email: [email protected] or [email protected]
Please visit Charles
We’re also asking branches, chapels and individuals to visit Charles, to provide him with some much-needed moral support. Visits need to be arranged in advance with Colnbrook Immigration Removal Centre. They can be contacted on 020 8607 5200 Details of visiting times and other visiting restrictions can be found on the centre’s website .
It sometimes seems that the greater the outcry, the more the Home Office is determined to teach us who protest against such deportations that the campaigning will not pay off. Or do they have agreements with the Government of the Republic of Cameroon (in return for e.g. oil rights or in the interests of other trade) that people seen as dissidents are returned to be put out of action?
It is so much more conducive to the stability required by trade, that political dissidents are rendered powerless, rather than being kept safe here and being able to educate others about the injustices of the dictator’s regime
So much for our much vaunted record of supporting people who speak up for democracy. Keep up the fight you journalists and people of Glasgow and beyond.