Urgent call for mobilisation – this Saturday December 8th at 04:00 p.m around Vottem. The aim is to intensify our weekly presence in order to support a person of Russian origin who has been detained for 4 months. Mr Andrey RAVEN, registered by the Foreigners Office under the name of VORONKOV, has been living in Belgium since 1998. In spite of several steps taken and because of mistakes in the procedures he still hasn’t got his residence permit.
Mr Raven is an artist, he defines himself as a Human Rights defender, already since the time of the former USSR, and is today associated to Poutine’s opposition ranks. He therefore fears serious persecutions if deported. From what we know from the current events in Russia, and from what happened recently with the trial of the Pussy Riots, we think that these fears are legitimate.
His second deportation attempt under escort was foreseen for December 10th, the day of the anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights! This second deportation in reported because a new asylum requestThe mobilisation of Saturday and a press release aim at lobbying against new deportation. Besides, different legal steps are still in progress: request for release, for regularisation, and new asylum request introduced today and more importantly, Mr Raven is 60 years old and in a bad health condition (shingles).
This is one case among many others. We particularly want to denounce the collective deportation of 24 Congolese this Wednesday, organised in collaboration with authorities of the European Union, and also the fact that Belgium signs agreements with a series of countries of origin to ease the deportations! After the regularisation of 2009 and its effects in 2010, the government of Di Rupo and his Secretary of State Maggie De Block are working hard to refuse regularisations and organise deportations.
Let’s meet around Vottem this Saturday from 4 p.m to 5 p.m. Boots or ankle-boots, scarves, hats and warm clothes compulsory! 🙂 Visé Voie 1, 4041 Vottem
On behalf of CRACPE
France Arets
