Monday, November 06, 2017

Libyan Coast Guard killing refugees on Europes demand

Dramatic first rescue operation for Sea-Watch 3

The violent and reckless behavior of Libyan Coast Guards has caused at least five deaths on the Central Mediterranean Sea this morning, as the crew of the Sea-Watch 3 was called to their first rescue mission by the Italian Maritime Rescue Coordination Center. A helicopter of the Italian Navy had to intervene to prevent more fatalities. 58 people are now safe aboard the Sea-Watch 3, despite all efforts, our medical team was not able to revive an infant in our clinic. The Libyan Coast Guards forced a few of the passengers on their vessel and took them back in direction Libya. By interfering in the rescue operation, the Libyans clearly violated international law: The incident took place at 30 nm off the coast, in international waters far outside of Libyan territorial waters.

At approx. 7 am, the crew aboard Sea-Watch 3 received a call of Rome MRCC. North of Tripoli a sinking inflatable boat in international waters had sent a distress call. The Sea-Watch 3 crew arrived on location at about the same time as a Libyan Coast Guard patrol boat and started boarding of people in distress. The Libyan Coast Guard approached the boat as well and took over people from aboard the boat, however beating and threatening them. Onboard panic started and a numerous refugees fell overboard. The Libyan ship took off with inappropriate speed while people were still latching onto the side, being dragged by their vessel. After Sea-Watch had already repeadtedly alarmed the Libyans about their life-threatening practice, an Italian Navy helicopter had to intervene, briefly stopping the Libyan ship, to prevent further deadly maneuvering. At least 5 people were killed in the boat’s sinking, among them a child whom the medical crew onboard Sea-Watch 3 was not able to reanimate.
“Probably, nobody would have had to die today if only we had the possibility to operate reasonably in a calm environment. Instead of coordinating the rescue operation with the vessels present such as a ship of the French Navy, the Libyans tried to take as many people as possible back to Libya – and accepted the loss of several lives”, says head of mission Johannes Bayer. “These deaths have to be blamed on the Libyan Coast Guards who have obstructed a safe rescue with their brutal behavior. The responsability is on the side of the European Union, however, who trains and finances these militias. They act in the EU’s will. The European governments finally have to draw conclusions from this incident and stop the collaboration with the Libyan Coast Guards. The EU has to stop to rate migration control higher than human rights!”
Libyan Coast Guards have clearly breached international law by bringing an unknown number of people onboard their vessel, probably with the goal to take them back to Libya. “We were at high seas, outside of libyan territorial waters, about 30 nm north of Tripoli – even outside of the consecutive zone. There, the Libyans have no sovereign rights whatsoever”, says Sea-Watch captain Pia Klemp.
Almost a year ago, October 21 2016, in a similar disastrous event many people died when, during a rescue operation of Sea-Watch 2, the so-called Libyan Coast Guard had tried to displace refugees back to Libya from international waters.
All 58 survivors are now safe aboard the Sea-Watch 3. We will post updates here!
Photos: Lisa Hoffmann / Sea-Watch

Friday, November 03, 2017

In memory of Lamin, killed by Suisse police

"Last time I was sleeping on a wall next to Ouchy, police on bicycle draw me back from the wall and throw tear gas in my sleeping bag, on my face."

"They stop me in the street, ask me to come inside their bus, put handcuffs on my hands, they closed its windows in order that nobody could see or hear me, they beat me badly without no reason. After this they brought me to a place I didn't know and drop me there."

We are standing for our brother that passed away.
In the night of the 24th October 2017, Lamin Fatty passed away at the age of 23 in between the walls of the police station of Lausanne.












On the 7th October 2017, a black man was killed in Ticino under the bullets of the police.
Last year Herve Madundu was shot down by the police, in Bex.



Each and every one of us could have been victims of their own cases.
We don't want to wait to know who will be the next one to die in their hands.
Police brutality is increasing against blacks and immigrants.
Police brutality on black people in the streets and in the police stations has to stop, now.
Police have to stop to beat us and to take our money.
We need free movement and the respect of our basic humanity.
We ask the autorithies to let the family and friends see Lamin. We ask that the authorities stop blockinf the access to the investigation. We ask justice for Lamin.

Stop stressing us
Stop beating us
Stop killing us

Supported by:
AFU - Association Féministe UNIL
Allianz Gegen Racial Profiling
À Qui Le Tour
Bla*sh
Collectif Afro-Swiss
Collectif Faites des Vagues
Collectif R
Collectif Sans-Retour
Droit de rester pour tou-te-s
Groupe Regard Critique UNIL
l'Amar
Perce-Frontières
Sankofa -Platform for People of African Heritage
Sleep-In
SolidaritéS Vaud
SUD Étudiant.e.s et Précaires









PRESS RELEASE � 29.10.2017 (Lausanne)
Lamin, died in the hands of the police because he was black
He came from Gambia and had left his life there to try building a new one and getting medical care. It is in a cell of the police center of Bl�cherette in Lausanne that Lamin died, left alone, on the october 24th. He was 23 years old.
We met Lamin before, we knew he was sick and he has just left the hospital after undergoing a serious brain surgery from which he had a visible scar on his skull. The population office (SPOP-in charge of deportation) was aware of his situation and knew that Lamine needed regular medical controls and that he was unable to travel at that time.
Without having committed any crimes, Lamin was arrested at Lausanne station by border guards, real ��cowboys�� who act in a total opacity and are regularly using force, undermining the freedom and integrity of people
.
Lamin was black, considered illegal, despise his inscription in the population office (SPOP) and the asylum seekers assistance institution (EVAM). He was part of this ��deportable�� category of people, volontarily isolated from the rest of the population and victim of police violence on a daily basis, which is considered as normal�toward � non-white�� individuals.
According to the little informations we have, Lamin was taken by the police to the emergency services of CHUV (hospital) after loosing consciousness and, no one in CHUV opposed to his incarceration back to police station of Blecherette after examination. It is surprizing, as we all know he was recently hospitalized for serious health reasons�! Where is the coherence in medical officials who provided important health care to Lamin and who, at the other hand, gave a green light for his detention and expulsion�?
His death gave place to a brief information from the police, picked up by the medias, but presenting surprizing contradictions and aiming to criminalize Lamin.
No, Lamin was not just in violation of foreign law, he was receiving emergency help from the state and was in possession of the attestation of it, issued by SPOP. He was hosted in a EVAM center and was then available to the autorities at all times.
No, Lamin was not to be deported to Lucerne Canton. He had been assigned to Canton of Vaud and registered at the SPOP as his papers attested.
No, Lamin was not isolated, he had friends here and he was in contact with some collective organizations fighting for immigrants rights.
What really happened to Lamin between Sunday and Tuesday�? Too many unspoken words, contradictions, silences around his death.
Is it because � he�was just an illegal immigrant��,�Madam Procuror?
Why did you delay the recognition of the corpe�until Monday without any explanation?
According to today's statement by the Procuror, the border guards would have mistaken him with another person, which they had only realized on Friday�! If that is true, that emphasizes the way police (border guards, canton police, etc) commits constant negligence, bad treatments and abuses on black people or ��people without the right paper��, with serious consquences that can lead to death. Lamin had a document with him attesting that he had been assigned to Canton of Vaud and was presenting visible health problem. How could he have been mistaken for someone to be deported in Lucerne and moreover, how could he not have bee subjected to any precaution related to his health�!
Clearly he has not been heard and his individual situation was not considered�: all this because his words did not hold the same value as any other citizen who can claim his rights in the eyes of police.
We demand now that the veil be lifted on all those shadows�!
Because everything is incomprehensible and scandalous in his interpellation and in his death.
Because this is really a sadly emblematic case of the treatment reserved to immigrants in ��irregular situation�� and of the lack of attention given to them
Because this is showing the absurdity of the criminalization of non-authorized stay
Because the word ��illegal�� is not harmless�: it produces and spreads a message that this category of people are ��sub-citizens��, without rights and upon whom the autorities have all rights�!
Because violence against immigrants, and especially against black people, is still invisible, trivialized and without limits..
Because illegal immigrants� life matters. Asylum seekers�s life, rejected on not, matters. Black people life�s matter�!
We demand a public debate on police violence so that the autorities have to come out from the shadow and impunity in which they operate in a total indifference.
To say goodbye to Lamin, to show solidarity with his family and relatives, to show solidarity with every other black and immigrant people whatever their permit, who have been victims of police violence�:
We call for protest
(authorized demonstration, anyone can come, no matter ��illegal�� or not)
Wednesday november 1th, 17pm, Place de la Riponne, Lausanne

Collectif R