- Target:
- Liam Byrne - Minister for immigration, UK Home Office
- Region:
- United Kingdom
- Website:
- www.tamesideadvertiser.co.uk
June 8, 2006
Innocent Nkung, a teacher and human rights campaigner, arrived in the UK in May 2005 after fleeing for his life from the "Democratic" Republic of Congo where he had been demonstrating for free elections and for an end to the large-scale attrocities and human rights abuses that the Congolese people are currently facing.
He is being supported by local people who have helped him in his campaign to stay in the UK. We have been raising awareness of the issues in Congo by arranging Congolese social evenings for the community with traditional food and music.
Here we have discussed such topics as the reasons for the poverty in Africa and the refugee crisis and why globally we are all responsible. Innocent has given so much to our community in terms of devoting the majority of his time to volunteering for good causes and in providing unpaid french tuition to school children and we continue to support him in his aim to present 5,000 signatures to the UK Home Office to support his application for asylum.
He has also gained the support of our local media, our MP and the UK Respect Party. At present we have 3,000 signatures and we hope to reach our target by the end of July when we shall present them to the Government.
If we fail and the Government decide to ignore all the current evidence of what awaits those deported back to Congo, this warm and amiable man will certainly be murdered upon his return.
We, the undersigned, ask the Immigration Minister to show compassion to Innocent-Prosper NKUNG EMPI (HO Ref. N1106895) and allow him to stay safely in the UK.
Innocent is a 35 year old Teacher from the Democratic Republic of the Congo and a member of the Christian Union for Renewal and Justice (UCRJ) in Kinshasa.
On 10th January 2005 when his homosexual partner died, his family attacked and tried to kill him on his way to a demonstration he had helped to organize against the Government's refusal to allow democratic elections. Because of the incident the authorities found political leaflets on him and arrested him.
When he was detained, Innocent had to "choose" between a 15 year jail sentence and "volunteering" for Secret Service Training. As part of this Training, he was ordered to kill prisoners. He has witnessed acts of decapitation and cannibalism and suffered rape, beatings, torture, malnutrition and a lack of health facilities. His medical assessment describes his condition as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder with symptom such as inability to sleep, eat, concentrate as well as depression.
Despite his terrible experiences and the dismissal of his asylum case, Innocent is doing voluntary work such as English and French interpretation and translation, French lessons, and attending Church services etc. He is also a member of the Tameside Credit Union and the Tameside African Refugee Association, where he is the Secretary. Innocent has integrated well into the Tameside Community in Greater Manchester. We would ask you to use your discretionary powers of compassion and allow Innocent to remain in the UK.
You can further help this campaign by sponsoring it
The Innocent Must Stay Campaign petition to Liam Byrne - Minister for immigration, UK Home Office was written by Eden Sharp and is in the category Human Rights at GoPetition.