Olga Novoselova Back in Bootle Where She Belongs
We are delighted to announce that 24 hours ago, at approximately 5:00 pm on 12 April 2011, domestic violence survivor Olga Novoselova was released from a period of three months' detention at Yarl's Wood Immigration Removal Centre.

Olga has now been reuinted with her family in Bootle, Merseyside where she is continuing her fight against the threat of deportation.

Olga (holding tambourine) with the congregation at the Church of St Anne and St. Bernard, Edge Hill, Liverpool

The UK Borders Agency brought tremendous psychological pressure to bear on Olga, even trying to get her to sign papers agreeing to deportation to Russia and threatening her with a two year prison sentence. Olga's refusal to give in to this intimidation is testimony to her strength of character and the great support she has received from organisations as varied as Manchester Trades Council, Merseyside Socialist Party, Freemovement, the Association of London Speaking Women, Manchester Russian Albion and the congregation at her local church, the Catholic church of St Anne and St Bernard, Edge Hill, Liverpool.

Congratulations, "supporters" and well done Olga!!!

Elena <russianlancashire@gmail.com>

Olga Novoselova Must Stay! - Online Petition

Olga Novoselova (left) celebrating New Year at Formby

Target: Theresa May MP, Secretary of State for the Home Department and Damian Green MP, Immigration Minister

Olga a resident of Bootle and a prominent member of the Russian-speaking community in Merseyside, has been arrested for an alleged breach of UK immigration law and is currently being held at Yarl's Wood IRC.

The campaign to have Olga released from detention and freed from the threat of deportation has now secured the backing of the following groups and individuals: more than 100 parishioners at New Martyr Orthodox Church on the Wirral (who have signed a separate paper petition), Merseyside Socialist Party, Manchester Trades Council, Albion Manchester Russian Speaking Community Association (formerly Yalta Manchester) (Jason Hunter (regional organising assistant, Unison NW region - personal capacity), the prominent Russian physicist Dr Boris Krippa (personal capacity), Dr Michael Loughlin (Reader in Applied Philosophy at MMU - personal capacity) and the Association of Russian-speaking Women in London (Club Sputnik).

Background (Preamble):
We are extremely concerned about Miss Olga Novoselova (dob 22/07/1957) of Flat 3, 98 Wadham Road, Liverpool, L20 2DE - now detained at Yarl's Wood immigration detention centre. Olga is a talented musician and is involved with the New Martyr Orthodox church.

She has travelled the length and breadth of the North West region involving herself in Russian cultural events all over Merseyside and as far afield as Preston, Leyland, Lancaster, Altrincham and Manchester. The news of her arrest and detention by the UK Borders Agency on January 18, 2011 for an alleged breach of UK immigration law came as a great shock to everyone who knows Olga.

Whilst it is true that Olga is still married, her husband's whereabouts are unknown. Olga suffered domestic violence during the marriage and ever since December 2008 she has lived in Bootle with her current partner, Latvian (and thus EU) citizen Mr Aleksandr Charchenko ("Sasha"), and his son, Aleksandras, where the three of them have formed a cohesive and functioning family unit.

We ask you release Olga immediately so that she can be reunited with her family and friends on Merseyside.

Petition:
Please immediately release Olga Novoselova (dob 22/07/1957) of Flat 3, 98 Wadham Road, Liverpool, L20 2DE - now detained at Yarl's Wood immigration detention centre (Home Office Ref: 1111897/ Port ASC 785013) and instruct the UK Borders Agency to desist from any attempt to deport her from the United Kingdom.

You can sign the petition here . . . .

Please fax letters of protest (for a model letter click here . . . . explaining why Olga should not be deported
to: Home Office Detention Caseworker, Reliance House, Liverpool (Fax 0151 237 0474) Re: Olga Novoselova (dob 22/07/1957), Home Office ref: 1111897, Port ASC -785031

Web site: http://russianlancashire.wordpress.com

Inquiries/further information:
"Elena & Andy Russian Lancashire" <russianlancashire@gmail.com>

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