Open
World Conference of Workers
In Defense of Trade Union Independence & Democratic Rights
Overturn the Unjust Sentencing!
Committee for the Immediate Release of Claude Ameganvi,
Jailed in Togo
Contact address:
Jean-Pierre Barrois, 56, Avenue Diderot, 94100 Saint-Maur -France
Fax: 33 1 48 89 18 37 - Email: barrois@univ-paris12.fr
The National French Committee for the Immediate Release of Claude
Ameganvi met on September 16 in Paris with the participation of:
Jean-Pierre Barrois, Senior Lecturer ; Matthias Boton, trade unionist ;
Rose Boutaric, trade unionist ; Marie-Edmonde Brunet, trade unionist
teacher ; Daniel Dutheil, trade unionist ; Jacques Girod, trade unionist ;
Daniel Gluckstein, National Secretary French Workers Parti and ILC co-ordinator
; Bernard Godard, architect ; Prof. François Guérin, cardiologist;
Tristan Malle, trade unionist ; Claude Mira, trade unionist ; Dan Moutot,
Entente ILC ; Emmanuelle Stochl, actress,
The committee noted the information provided by the collective of Togolese
lawyers formed in Lomé and by Claude Ameganvi's family:
- On September 13, the Court handed down its verdict. It rejected the
accusation that Claude Ameganvi had fomented civil disorder, but it
retained the accusation of affront to the Head of State and thereby
sentenced Claude to a 4-month prison sentence.
- On September 14, the Lomé public prosecutor decided to appeal the
verdict and to request the maximum sentence.
This means that, once again, Claude Ameganvi risks spending four and a
half years in jail for acts that he did not commit and based on a legal
file devoid of the slightest piece of evidence.
- Already, more than 750 Togolese citizens have endorsed the Lomé appeal
for the immediate release of Claude Ameganvi.
The international campaign of endorsement of the Lomé appeal is
broadening by the day, especially in Africa where the following public
figures have added their endorsements:
Algeria : Louisa Hanoune, Member of Parliament Spokesperson for the
Workers Party and several members of Parliament - South Africa :
Tiyani Lybon Mabasa, President Socialist Party of Azania (SOPA) ; Patric
Bayo Mkhize, General Secretary of the Azanian Workers - Benin :
Gaston Azoua, General Secretary CSTB - Burkina Faso : Tolé Sagnon,
General Secretary of CGT-B - Burundi : Paul Nkunzimana, Dean
department of Psychology University of Burundi ; Dr. Pierre-Claver
Hajayandi, President COSYBU - Chad : Gami N'Garmadajal, General
Secretary SET - Cameroon : Benoît Essiga, President CSTC; Pierre
Essindi Minkoulou, President SYNDEBT; Gilbert Ndazana Olongo, General
Secretary CCSI - Centrafrica : Patrice Zakaria, General Secretary
SNECASU - Côte-d'Ivoire : François K. Yao, General Secretary
SYNASEG ; Flan Zran Senan, deputy, General Secretary SYNASEG - Gabon
: Camille Mombo-Mouelet, General Secretary FLEEMA/CGSL ; Léon Mebiame
Evoung, General Secretary Gabonese National Federation - Guinée
Conakry : Dr Ibrahima Fofana, General Secretary USTG - Mauritius
: Ashok Subron, Lalit - Senegal : Bayla Sow, General Secretary
Airflight Union Senegal.
The National Committee has also been informed that there is serious
concern for Claude Ameganvi's state of health. The Togolese lawyers and
Claude's family provided the information that the doctors who examined him
- including the surgeon-colonel - have diagnosed a phlebitis. In agreement
with the prison authorities he was provided with a bed.
The National Committee took note of (1) the decision of the FO Fédération
des Employés et Cadres (Social Security ) to appeal to the Union Network
International - UNI, (2) the decision of the FO National Union of
Journalists to appeal to the International Federation of Journalists , the
support of the National Education and Culture FO Federation, and (3) the
decision of Claude Ameganvi's architect colleagues to appeal to the
International Federation of Architects to launch a massive campaign around
the Lomé appeal among architects.
On the basis of the information provided, the Committee decided:
- to call upon all defenders of human rights and civil liberties to pursue
and broaden the campaign of endorsement of the Lomé appeal
- to put together a comprehensive report to keep public opinion fully
informed
- to sppeal to all civil liberties associations and organisations of all
sorts , especially in Africa.
Finally it was decided :
- that given Claude Ameganvi's state of health, an international
delegation will be organised in connection with the lawyers and his
family, in order to go to Togo and visit Claude,
- to inform the French Department of Foreign Affairs of all information at
our disposal,
- to directly address the Togolese authorities.
Even though there is absolutely no evidence against him, and that it was
irrefutably proven at his trial that Claude Ameganvi has nothing to do
with the facts he is accused of, he nevertheless still remains in jail. He
must be immediately released.
The Committee addresses all those who support this campaign to help fund
it.
Contributions should be made payable to "Comité"
Address: Comité pour la libération de Claude Améganvi
c/o Jean-Pierre Barrois, 56, Avenue Diderot, 94100 Saint-Maur,
France