Open
World Conference of Workers
In Defense of Trade Union Independence & Democratic Rights
Urgent Appeal Issued by
INTERNATIONAL LIAISON COMMITTEE OF WORKERS AND PEOPLES (ILC)
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Immediate and Unconditional Freedom for Claude Ameganvi,
Spokesperson for the Workers Party of Togo!
Update: Overturn the Unjust Sentencing!
Press Release from the September 6 trial
Background Information on Claude Amganvi's case
On the afternoon of August 8th , after 48 hours of detention at the
police station without either his lawyers or his wife able to speak to
him, Claude Ameganvi -- spokesperson of the Workers Party (PT) of Togo,
West Africa, and a leader of the International Liaison Committee in Africa
-- was taken before a hearing judge who stated that Ameganvi was being
accused of "distributing false information, defamation and
disturbance of the public order." He was then taken to the prison in
the capital city of Lomé, where he is currently held in "preventive
detention."
What are the facts?
On August 6, 2002, at 4:40 p.m., as he left a formal hearing with
General Akawilou Sizing Walla, Togolese Minister of the Interior, Claude
Ameganvi was detained by the police.
Ameganvi had been received by the Minister of the Interior in the
aftermath of the detention of two professors, Djaoura Tiguena and Takana
Badjessa. They had been detained for "possession and distribution of
leaflets" published by the broad political regroupment "What
Solution For Togo?" -- a regroupment established at the initiative of
the Workers Party. These documents had been widely distributed around the
country.
According to the police and a memo from the Minister of the Interior, on
August 5 a director of a newspaper was detained for distribution of
information considered false and defamatory regarding the personal fortune
of Togolese President Eyadema.
According to the police, this newspaper director cited Mr. Ameganvi as the
author of the article in question, a statement rejected by Ameganvi in
front of the police as well as in front of the hearing judge. Ameganvi is
the principal spokesperson of the Workers Party of Togo, which publishes
the newspaper Nyawo, which expresses his positions and those of the
party.
The entire government-police operation seeks to politically eliminate the
main public figure of the Workers Party and to threaten all the activists
of this party. This is also what was behind the detention of the two
professors. The party is currently working to regroup activists and
workers within the "What Solution for Togo?" political
regroupment with the objective of fighting against the dislocation of the
country and opening a path to a positive solution that serves the
interests of the Togolese people.
Claude Ameganvi, aside from his responsibilities in the Workers Party, was
one of the promoters of the International Tribunal to Judge Those
Responsible for the Deadly Evolution That Threatens the Very Existence of
the Workers and People of Africa, whose first session was held in Los
Angeles in February 2000.
The international campaign for the immediate release of Claude Ameganvi
must continue and expand!
We note here that a delegation composed of all of the opposition parties
of Togo went to the Minister of the Interior to demand the freedom of
Claude Ameganvi.
We already have news of the first endorsements of the appeal to free
Claude Ameganvi taken on an international scale:
- Union of Workers of the University of Burundi
- Editorial Committee of the British newspaper The Link
- Movement for a Workers Party of Guadalupe
- Martinique Support Committee for the Africa Tribunal
- Representatives in the National Assembly of the Workers Party of Algeria
- Socialist Party of Azania (SOPA) of South Africa
- Movement in Defense of the Workers of Belgium
- Julio Turra, member of the executive board of the CUT of Brazil
- M. Mercadante, representative, Secretary of International Relations for
the Workers Party of Brazil
- International Liaison Committee of Workers and Peoples, Denmark Group
- Organizers of the Berlin Conference Against Deregulation (Germany)
- In France, National Bureau of the Workers Party, Railroad Workers Union,
Union Federation of Mail and Telegraph worker of the FO, section of the
CGT of the Center for Postal Classification of Bobigny, unionists from the
Museum of Man, La Libre Pensée, Jacques Girod, Secretary General of the
Media Workers Union of the FO, and other messages from unionists and union
authorities that had met Claude Ameganvi at international conferences.
A first delegation went on Wednesday, August 7th, to the embassy of Togo
in Paris. The person who greeted them indicated that the ambassador could
not receive them because he was not informed of the case, and that he
would get back to them. After no further response, the delegation returned
to the embassy on Friday, August 9th. The same person declared that he
could say nothing, not even set a date because the ambassador was absent,
and that he would call them to set a date for an interview.
Trial Begins August 23rd!
The trial of Claude Ameganvi was set to begin on Friday, August 16th
but was immediately postponed for one week, with a new date set for August
23rd. Meanwhile, Claude Ameganvi has had to remain in prison.
Supporters of Claude Ameganvi in Togo have received two signed messages
from the coordinators of two web pages published by sectors of the
Togolese opposition abroad announcing, and demonstrating, that they were
the ones who on luly 26th uploaded onto their respective web sites the
article which is the object of the case against Ameganvi.
These messages mention the name of the author of the article and list the
Internet web site addresses, thus corroborating what Claude Ameganvi has
stated from the beginning; that is, the accusation that he was the author
of this article is false.
The legal proceedings against him should therefore be dropped immediately
and Claude Ameganvi must be freed!
An international delegation led by Daniel Gluckstein, coordinator of the
International Liaison of Workers and Peoples, has decided to travel to
Togo to observe Claude Ameganvi's trial.
-----
YOUR PROTEST LETTERS ARE NEEDED URGENTLY!
The ILC calls on all supporters of labor and democratic rights the world
over to send letters of protest to the authorities in Togo to demand the
immediate release of Claude Ameganvi.
The ILC also asks you to endorse the international delegation by adding
your names [see coupon below] to the following mandate:
"Considering the imprisonment of Claude Ameganvi and the struggle
for his freedom, we support the international delegation headed by Daniel
Gluckstein that wishes to be present at the trial of Claude Ameganvi in
order to demand his freedom in the name of the all the signatories of the
appeal for his freedom
Please send your letters of protest to:
* Mr. Gnassingbé Eyadéma
President of the Republic of Togo
Palais présidentiel
Avenue de la Marina - Lomé (Togo)
Tél. : (228) 221 19 51/221 27 01/221 34 05
Fax : (228) 221 18 97/221 32 04
E mail : presidence@republicoftogo.com
* Général Akawilou Sizing Walla
Minister of the Interior and Security
Ministère de l'Intérieur
Rue Albert Sarraut - Lomé (Togo)
Fax : (228) 222 16 96/221 36 30
E mail : info@republicoftogo.com
Please send copies to:
- International Liaison Committee,
87, rue du Fg-St-Denis - 75010 Paris - France
Fax : (33 1) 48 01 88 36
Mail : eit.ilc@wanadoo.fr
and
- Open World Conference,
c/0 San Francisco Labor Council
1188 Franklin St., #203
**********
COUPON OF ENDORSEMENT OF INTERNATIONAL DELEGATION
TO DEMAND FREEDOM FOR CLAUDE AMEGANVI
ˆ Please add my name to the list of endorsers of the international
delegation to Togo headed by ILC coordinator Daniel Gluckstein with the
purpose of demanding the immediate release of Claude Ameganvi
NAME
UNION OR ORG & TITLE (for id. only)
CITY
COUNTRY
EMAIL:
(please return a.s.a.p. to OWC at ilcinfo@earthlink.net
)