Solidarity with Mbolo Yufanyi and the fight against (racist) Police brutality.
Call and Press statement of The VOICE Refugee Forum Network, Berlin, 22.04.2014
"When exposing a crime is treated as committing a crime, you are ruled by criminals." This is why we desperately need System change in Germany.
Yet again, Mbolo Yufanyi is being tried in the German courts, this time in Dessau.
We call on all activists, especially from the Black/African Community to come and observe and protest the criminalization of Mbolo Yufanyi.
Charges from the State prosecutor: Bodily Injury
Dates of trial: Tuesday, 29th of April 2014, at 13:00 hrs. and
Tuesday, 6th of May 2014, at 13:00 hrs.
Court room: 224
District Court Dessau: Willy-Lohmann-Str. 33, 06844 Dessau Roßlau
Background:
Mbolo has been charged again by another German court, this time in
Dessau, for fighting for thorough investigation into the murder of OURY
JALLOH, who has been brutally burnt to death alive in police detention
cell no.5 in Dessau on January 7th in 2005. Mbolo is one of the most
consistent activists that have been fighting from the very onset for
TRUTH, JUSTICE and Reparation for murdered Oury Jalloh and his family.
Since the "Break the Silence" Campaign started by the Initiative in memory of Oury Jalloh, Mbolo and other activists have been brutalized and charged for initiating and keeping the Campaign going all the way long.
This time, he is being charged for the alleged assaulting a police
officer together with Mouctar Bah on the 7th January 2012 at the
anniversary demonstration in remembrance of Oury Jallohs brutal death in
Dessau. Although they were the ones who actually were assaulted by the
German racist police until they both had to be sent to the hospital they
are now persecuted in the name of State. Mouctar Bah spent many days in
the hospital because of the attack (see statement and video). One week
later on January 16th 2012, Mbolo was intimidated at his home in Berlin
by 4 police officers, with the pretext of investigating the charges he
made against the police.
All charges that Mbolo Yufanyi made against the brutal and illegal
attack by the police were dropped although even from the videos one can
clearly see police officers hitting demonstrators. You also see one
policeman punching Yufanyi in the eye in the video documented by the
police themselves.
Yufanyi is going to use this court appearance once again to call for
justice for Oury Jalloh and the prosecution of the Dessau police
officers who murdered him.
Activists for Justice for Oury Jalloh have succeeded in disproving and deconstructed the absurd thesis of the state prosecutor that Oury Jalloh has killed himself, while close to 10 years of the bestial murder of Oury Jalloh by the German police, the prosecutor's office and the courts have not been willing to look for the right culprits. Instead, they have been very effective to persecute those who are fighting that justice should prevail.
Also because of the impending persecution of Mouctar Bar and himself, Mbolo Yufanyi gave a firing speech on the January 07th 2014, the 9th memorial day of the murder of Oury Jalloh in front of the Dessau court which is going to be the administrative tool to try him.
We are going to hold a Rally and Vigil in front of the court from 12 o’clock, 29th of April.
Come all to be witness of this political event of criminalizing persecution through the German courts. The persecution of migrant activists especially Black activists has spiked in the last few years in Germany in order to break down resistance and civil disobedience.
Nearly ten years since the barbaric death of Oury Jalloh in Cell No. 5 in the police station in Dessau, there is still no justice in sight.
We continue to say: Oury Jalloh - That was murder!
We will continue our demand for truth, justice and reparation and for the amendment of the indictment to murder charges.
Break the silence!
1. http://thevoiceforum.org/node/2374
2. http://thevoiceforum.org/node/2392 und http://thevoiceforum.org/node/2400
3. http://vimeo.com/79113052
4. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZVuwSmKAqzo
For queries and further information please contact:
Yufanyi Mbolo: +49- (0) 170-8788124 The VOICE Refugee Forum, Berlin.
mail: the_voice_berlin@emdash.org