thank you to the fischerman of skala sikaminias for rescuing the baby marila

the graves of drawned refugees in lesvos are up to now nameless ,having only the date and a number.
but the family members that survived the accident of the 26.10.2009 in lesvos in the aegean sea, had the oportunity to give names to their dead.



and the only child that survived the 8 month old Marila is standing with her mother among the graves and does not know that it was her father and one fischreman who jumped in the sea to rescue her!
but her parents will never forget !
and want again to thank the fischerman from Skala Sikaminias for his courage.
rescue is a human right!

17.11.2009, borderline Sicilia

2,5 Jahre Haft für Menschenretter

Heute hat das Gericht im sizilianischen Agrigento die Menschenretter zwar vom Vorwurf der Beihilfe zur illegalen Einreise freigesprochen, aber die beiden Kapitaene der „Morthada“ und der „Mohamed El Hedi“ wurden vom Gericht zu 2 Jahren und 6 Monaten Haft verurteilt, weil sie angeblich Widerstand gegen die Staatsgewalt und gegen eine Kriegsschiff leisteten. Am 8. August 2007 hatten sie 44 Migranten aus Seenot gerettet, 2 Jahre Prozess wegen Beilhilfe zur illegalen Einreise folgten. Bei aufgewuehlter See versuchte die Marine an jenem 8. August 2007 gefährliche Manoever, um die Fischer aufzuhalten, die die Migranten, unter ihnen zwei schwangere Frauen und ein behindertes Kind in schlechtem gesundheitlichen Zustand nach Lampedusa bringen wollten . Die nötigen Ausweichmanöver seitens der Tunesier wurden ihnen nun als Widerstand gegen die Staatsgewalt und gegen ein Kriegsschiff ausgelegt. Die Verteidiger Leonardo Marino und Giacomo La Russa kündigten an, in Berufung zu gehen. Naechste Gerichtsinstanz ist Palermo.

trial of the 7 tunesian fischermen today RESCUE IS A HUMAN RIGHT

everything else is murder!

and to remind of solidarity actions in Hamburg 2007 .

a tale of migration to the free world

A tale of migration to the “free world”

This piece describes a generic journey that (mostly) young males from Afghanistan & NW Pakistan experience on their way to claiming asylum in the EU, and invariably Britain.

The details of this blog piece have been taken from second-hand, research,

listening to the stories that migrants in Calais have told me, as well as my own first-hand experience.

**THIS BLOG PIECE IS BEING CONTINUALLY UPDATED FOLLOWING ONGOING DISCUSSIONS WITH MIGRANTS**

http://newleftglobaljustice.wordpress.com/2009/11/14/a-tale-of-migration-to-the-free-world/

120 times this poster was seen in athens

the true face of migration policy.

the murderous actions go on

during the international migration forum

02-05.november in athens.

in the black poster one can read names of migrants that died in the aegean or in evros or other european borders.

the last insident mentioned is the death of the 8 afghan women and children that drawned

very near to lesvos in oktober.

proces against 7 tunesian fischermen on the 17.11 in italy

Borderline Sicilia
ASGI Sezione Sicilia
borderline-europe

Agrigent, 12.11.2009

Menschen-Fischer
Der Fall der 7 tunesischen Fischer: am 17. Novembre wird das Urteil erwartet

Am 8. August 2007 wurden 7 tunesische Fischer auf Lampedusa verhaftet.
Ihnen wird von der Staatsanwaltschaft Agrigento Beihilfe zur illegalen Einreise vorgeworfen.
Die Fischer hatten 44 Migranten gerettet, deren Boot havariert war.
Die Flüchtlinge kamen aus dem Sudan, Eritrea, Äthiopien, Marokko, Togo und der Elfenbeinküste.
Die Fischer befanden sich ca. 40 Seemeilen vor Lampedusa.
Nachdem sie ein SOS abgesetzt hatten nahmen sie die Flüchtlinge an Bord -
- unter ihnen 2 schwangere Frauen und ein behindertes Kind,
die sofort mit dem Rettungshubschrauber ins Krankenhaus nach Palermo geflogen werden mussten.
Nach der Ankunft auf Lampedusa wurden die 7 Fischer verhaftet
und saßen wochenlang im Gefängnis von Agrigento.
Nun riskieren sie 3 Jahre Haft und eine Geldstrafe von 440.000 Euro!

Wer Leben rettet gehört nicht auf die Anklagebank!

demand of a proper investigation to the cause of death of 77 asylum seekers, why they were not rescued and who is accountable for their death?

Council of Europe Commissioner
for Human Rights council of Europe
F-67075 Strasbourg Cedex, FRANCE

Dear Sir/ Madam

We are the family members and friends of the refugees who perished in the Mediterranean sea in August 2009. We request an investigative into the failure of the EU member countries Italy and Malta to rescue the 77 Africans who perished in the coastal waters of Europe.

As you are well aware of that the 77 asylum seekers were part of 82 African asylum seekers

who sailed from Libya on July 28, 2009 on board of a crowded rubber dinghy. Among the 77 refugees who died in the sea, includes 25 women of whom the two where pregnant. Most of the victims were Eritreans, but there were also Ethiopians and Nigerians amog them. The poor immigrants instead of rescue and protection they were accorded with cruel death sentence in the European sea.

The refugees after one day departing from Libya, their boat ran of out fuel, leaving the helpless asylum seekers in distress at sea for three weeks. The families alerted many NGOs. On August 14, 2009 one of the NGOs, Flüchtlingsrat Cologne, Germany, alerted the Honorable Carmelo Mifsud Bonnici Minister for Justice and Home Affairs of Malta by email regarding the situation of the refugees. However, no one came to their rescue, not from passing ships or from Malta authorities which has an obligation under the law of sea nor from the FRONTEX which heavily monitors European borders and seas.

According to accounts given by survivors, while the asylum seekers were in distress and fighting to stay alive, from a distance, they saw many ships passing by them without rendering help. Three refugees in desperate attempt to call for help jumped to sea and swam towards the ship to call for help. However, the ship kept running way from the refugees playing cat and mice game to the life of the refugees. The three brave refugees disappeared swallowed by the wave of the sea. In addition one refugee swam and climbs to a ship to alert the crew, but later he was mercilessly thrown back to sea. As a result of extreme temperatures, thirst, hunger and intentional negligence the 77 asylum seekers including 25 women two of them pregnant died agonizing death in the sea of Europe.

On August 20, 2009 after three weeks in distress at the sea, in desperate and extreme determination to stay alive, emaciated five asylum where rescued by the Italians. The five survivors give the shocking news to the world. Although, survived the horrifying ordeal, they will carry psychological trauma for the rest of their lives.

Why was the immigrant boat stranded for more than 20 days in the European waters not detected and rescued? In this age where countries are in high alert because of fear of terrorist attack and sea pirates, it is more likely that the boat where monitored by radar systems and satellites. The surveillance system was particularly designed to detect small boats used by migrants attempting to cross from Africa. And we find it impossible to believe that the military bases and coast guards were unaware of the immigarant boat in distress. Therefore, we request access to the surveillance data.

In light of the increasingly restrictive asylum policies of the EU in general Malta and Italy in particular, we strongly believe that the 77 asylum seekers lost their lives due to intentional negligence. Their lives could have been saved if the refugees where seen as human beings not as ‘illegal African immigrants”. The sad thing is that to sit and watch while your fellow human beings are in distress at sea fighting to save their lives is not only a violation of right to life and violation of the law of sea, but also an uncivilized act belonging to the dark ages.

We therefore, demand a proper investigation to the cause of death of these 77 asylum seekers, why they were not rescued and who is accountable for their death?

Sincerely yours
Family and friends of the Refugees in question
from Africa, Australia, Europe, Canada and USA

(boatpmalital@rocketmail.com)