Mr
Henri Hourcade
UK & Ireland General Manager
Air France
Warwick Street
London, W1B 5LZ 19th January 2012
Dear Mr Hourcade
RE: Forced removal of Bernard Batey
and Lydia Besong on AF1481, 21/01/2012
I write in protest against Air
France’s involvement of the UKBA’s forced removal from the UK of the human
rights campaigners Bernard Batey and his wife Lydia Besong who are booked on
Air France flight AF1481 at 08.20 hrs on Saturday 21st January 2012 from LHR
via Paris to Yaoundé, Republic of Cameroon.
Whatever the decision of the court and UKBA, Lydia and Bernard
cannot go back because groups loyal to the government are monitoring the
situation and the flight details are in the public domain. They know that the
couple have continued to raise awareness about the situation in their country,
with Lydia's new play about President Paul Biya, 'Down with the Dictator',
currently in production. You would be placing these two courageous people in
serious danger.
There is a big national
campaign to halt this deportation, so unless the booking is cancelled Air
France is likely to attract a great deal of negative attention, including at
local branches. Celebrity support for Lydia and Bernard includes many
A-list writers, playwrights, journalists, MPs
and church leaders. they include Michael Morpurgo, Helena Kennedy QC,
Monica Ali, Hanif Kureishi, Nick Hornby and Alan Ayckbourn and the
Bishop of Manchester.
Please see this article in Tuesday's
Guardian
www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2012/jan/17/authors-activists-deport-cameroonian-playwright?newsfeed=true
I strenuously urge Air France NOT to facilitate the UK’s enforcement
policies of forced removals; a barbaric practice which has been highly
criticised by the UK national media, many UK MP’s, human rights organisations,
including Amnesty International as well as a growing number of members of the
UK general public.
Thanks in advance for showing
compassion and solidarity.
Yours
Sincerely,
Name:
Address:
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