Around the Campaigns - Tuesday 15th March 2011

Fotso Kamga didn't Fly Yesterday - Abbas Najafi wont' be flying tomorrow - Mehdi Mirzae back home in Manchester!! with discretionary leave to remain for one year - Reza Yosefi Judicial review this afternoon

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Fotso Kamga didn't Fly Yesterday
Just to update you that Fotso Kamga did not fly tonight - court stopped the removal. He is in a detention centre in England, very exhausted but relieved to be still here, still fighting.

Thanks to everybody who took time to sign the petition, to email / fax Home Secretary and Kenya Airways. The good work must continue though as the fight to stay is far from over. Fotso appreciates the effort from everyone too.

Regards and thanks

Geraldine
ANSU UK campaign group
g_macv@yahoo.co.uk

Abbas Najafi, Won't be flying on Wednesday
Monday evening† 14th March @ 18:38: We've heard from Abbas this pm that the date of the flight has been changed to Tuesday 29th March. So we now have 2 weeks to try and move this on/sort it out.

Many thanks to all who Emailed/faxed/phoned on Abbas Najafi's behalf.

Luci Woodland
luci@starfishplus.co.uk

Mehdi Mirzae back home in Manchester!! - With discretionary leave to remain for one year
After almost four months in a detention centre and the constant threat of deportation local football coach and valued community worker Mehdi Mirzae has been released and is back home in Manchester after a hard fought campaign by his friends, team mates and supporters.

26 year old Afghan national Mehdi has now been granted discretionary leave to remain by the Home Office for 1 year. Mehdi's fled to the UK and settled in Manchester in 2003 after his family were murdered by the authorities in Afghanistan and he was imprisoned and tortured. Mehdi and his supporters campaigned against his return to Afghanistan as they feared he would face the same fate if he went back.

The campaign has seen Mehdi's friends and team mates lobby local MP's for support, hold demonstrations and tournaments across Manchester and even play football outside the Houses of Parliament and collect thousands of signatures of support both in Manchester and across the country.

We don't know for sure what worked as the home office have not given the reasons for Mehdi being granted leave to remain but Mehdi is now free and back home in Manchester, which is a phenomenal achievement and makes all the campaigning and hard work worthwhile.

Mehdi had this to say to the everyone who has supported him. "I would like to say Thank You to every single one of you who has been campaigning for me. It has been a terrible time for me staying in detention for so long, but realising that I have the support of all of you has given me the extra courage and I was always looking forward to coming back and saying Thank You to you all!"

We wish everyone else currently detained and campaigning to stay strong and keep fighting!!

Mehdi, Jenny & Hassan

Background: Mehdi Must Stay! Stop his deportation!

From: Jenny Lomas <lomasjenny@yahoo.co.uk>

Reza Yosefi Judicial review this afternoon
We have some good news and some bad news; the good news is that the High Court did not refuse Reza's case, however the bad news is that we still don't have a decision. The judge decided he wanted to have an 'oral argument' to make a decision on Reza's claim. This means there will be a review of the case where Reza's barrister will defend the case to the High Court Judge tomorrow (Tues 15th) in the Leeds Courts at 2pm.

This will be a public hearing, so anyone is welcome to go and listen to the hearing, here is the information Reza's lawyer sent me.
Administrative Court In Leeds Court 17
Before His Honour Judge Behrens
Tuesday 15 March 2011 At 2 o'clock

For interlocutory hearing

CO/2314/2011 Queen on the Application of Yosefi v SSHD

We still haven't heard from the ECHR, so there is a chance they will pass a Rule 39 tomorrow which will prevent the UKBA from deporting Reza. Let's hope they do!

We will definitely be holding a demonstration today (Tues 15th) outside Sheffield Town Hall at 12:00 pm. So Please join us for as long as you can. This is Our Last Chance to try and influence the politicians and the UKBA to stop Reza's deportation, so we need as many people there as possible. Please bring banners, petitions and pictures of Reza like you did last time.

I hope to see you all there today and I hope we can celebrate a positive decision from the High Courts after 2:00 pm!

Marishka Van Steenbergen
m_vansteenbergen@yahoo.com

"We all have the right to life, and to live in freedom and safety."