Apollo Milton Okello -Urgent Help Needed - removal tonight

Apollo is once again facing forced removal from the UK. The Home Office have ordered Kenya Airways to remove Apollo from the UK on their flight, KQ101/KQ410 to Entebbe, Uganda, from Heathrow at 20.00hrs tonight Monday 20th August.

Apollo has an outstanding Civil action against detention custody officers. Which is not expected to reach a full court hearing for 18 to 24 months. The Home Office have acknowledged the civil action, but are refusing to let Apollo remain in the UK prior to the hearing. They have told Apollo he must return to Uganda and if he is needed as a witness at the trial; he will be given Temporary admission to the UK to attend.

Apollo last appealed for your help in February and the response was overwhelming. His removal was stayed and he was released from detention in May. He lodged a fresh asylum claim but that to has been refused.

Serious abuses against human and political rights in Uganda by the Government continue unabated: Unlawful killings by security forces; disappearances; security forces use of torture and abuse of suspects; vigilante justice; harsh prison conditions; official impunity; arbitrary arrest; incommunicado and lengthy pretrial detention; restrictions on the right to a fair trial and on freedoms of speech, the press, and association; limited freedom of religion; abuse of internally displaced persons (IDPs); restrictions on opposition parties; electoral violence and irregularities; government corruption;

These facts demonstrate a very undemocratic political environment, which certainly would present serious risks to Apollo's life, in case of his return.

Urgent Action Needed:
1) Please fax/email Jacqui Smith at the Home Office (Download model letter /ApolloJSML.doc / please copy/amend/write your own version) asking him to cancel the removal of Apollo Okello Please remember to quote Home Office reference number 01104409.

Fax: 020 7035 4745 from outside the UK + 44 20 7035 4745

jacqui.smith@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk

Rt Hon Jacqui Smith, MP
Secretary of State for the Home Office
3rd Floor, Peel Buildings
2 Marsham Street
London
SW1P 4DF

2) Please fax/email Kenya Airlines (Download model letter /ApolloKenyaAirlines.doc / please copy/amend/write your own version) telling them that Apollo's life will be in danger if he is returned to Uganda tonight.  
Fax: 01784 888311
Or email: Sally Peters Public Relations Officer Kenya Airways: sallypeters@clora.co.uk

Please send a copy of anything sent to:
FriendsofApollo@ncadc.org.uk

Apollo Milton Okello back in the community

I am happy to inform you all that Apollo was granted Bail last Friday. I went to Glasgow for the Bail Hearing and we were successful. Funny enough, before the Hearing the solicitor consulted with Apollo if he wanted to cancel the Hearing because the female judge allocated to the Hearing is well know to be hard and never give bail. Surprise, surprise, we were lucky!!! Cristina Westphal for the campaign

I am so grateful for the support that I received in detention and I would like to send my gratitude to all those who were involved in saving my life and seeing me out of detention, am so happy to be out and may the lord reward you all. Apollo Milton Okello

Friends of Apollo Okello - Urgent Help Needed (Posted Wednesday 7th Feb 2007)

Apollo Okello a national of Uganda and a political activist in the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC), for which he says was sent to prison and tortured. He was helped to escape from prison and accompanied to the UK. It seems that help came from people who knew that he was in danger in prison. He managed to find a friend of his sister in the UK and stayed at her house for a few days until he reported to the Home Office, when he was taken to detention.

Removal directions have been set for Apollo this Saturday.

There is vast evidence of serious abuses against human and political rights in Uganda. The Chair of the FDC, Mr. Besigye was sent to jail in November 2005 and released just in early 2006. At the present moment eleven FDC officers, who were arrested at the same time as Mr. Besigye, are still in jail even after the Courts having issued a bail for their release (The Monitor on Line www.monitor.co.ug).

The Ugandan government not only refuses to release the FDC officers but also ordered a raid at the Judiciary offices in relation to the bails issued, showing absolute disregard for the role and independence of the Judiciary. These facts demonstrate a very undemocratic political environment, which certainly would present serious risks to Apollo's life, in case of his return.

Uganda: USA Country Reports on Human Rights Practices
The Ugandan government's human rights record remained poor; although there were some improvements in a few areas, serious problems remained. The following human rights problems were reported: * restrictions on opposition party activity * unlawful killings by security forces * disappearances * security forces' use of torture and abuse of suspects * vigilante justice * harsh prison conditions * official impunity * arbitrary arrest, incommunicado detention, and lengthy pretrial detention * restricted right to a fair trial * restrictions on freedom of speech, the press, association, and assembly * limited freedom of religion * government corruption.

Apollo says that on 3rd January 2006 he was coming back from campaigning for elections, when soldiers took him to the Directorate of Military Intelligence in Kampala and afterwards to a 'safe house' where he was badly beaten and accused of recruiting people to overthrow the president. He says he was kept in isolation and was beaten with a cane, kicked and pushed around on a daily basis by guards. Apollo says that, to his surprise, a guard removed him from the cell on the 6th August 2006, gave him a military uniform and delivered him to a man in a motorbike. He thought he was going to be killed, but to his astonishment, he was taken to a safe place for a few days, a passport was produced and he boarded a plane to UK with the unknown man who was helping him.

Apollo has had his asylum claim refused because the judge alleged that he did not believe in key elements of Apollo's story even after he presented a Ugandan newspaper article stating that 'the military is looking for him to face the law and are also investigating the circumstances under which he escaped'.

He was supposed to have arrived in a safe haven where his life would be protected. However, after being kept in Detention Centers for months, he was given a removal order to return to Uganda, where his life is clearly in danger.

We believe that by being fast tracked and in detention for most of his time in the UK, Apollo has not been able to gather further evidence to support his case and that his life will be in danger if he is returned to Uganda on Saturday.  

Urgent Action Needed:
Please fax Liam Byrne at the Home Office (download model letter apolloML.doc please copy/amend/write your own version) asking him to cancel the removal of Apollo Okello Please remember to quote Home Office reference number 01104409.

Fax: 020 7035 4745 from outside the UK + 44 20 7035 4745

Liam Byrne
Minister for State for Nationality, Citizenship & Immigration
3rd Floor
Peel Building
2 Marsham Street
London
SW1P 4DF

Please fax Ethiopian Airlines (Download model letter EthiopianAirlines.doc please copy/amend/write your own version) telling them that Apollo's life will be in danger if he is returned to Uganda on Saturday.  
Fax 020 8 747 9339 from outside the UK + 44 8 747 9339

Please send a copy of anything sent to:
Friends of Apollo Okello
C/o Megan Redmond
m_redmond@btopenworld.com

Source for this page:
Friends of Apollo Okello