December 16, 2011 : Second testimony of this man (Listen to the first testimony). He was transferred to the center of Bruges. He just had his sixth attempt to be deported and was placed in solitary.
Listen to the testimony (FR):
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Are you still in the cell for the moment?
Yes, I’m still in the cell.
Was it yesterday that they tried to deport you?
Yes, they came at 11.30 a.m to tell me: “Jacques, gather all your goods and go to see the social assistant.” I went to see the social assistant who told me: “Jacques, take your stuff, you’re going to the airport, bye bye!”.
This was yesterday, right?
Yes it was. And on the way to the airport I was dying for a pee but they forbade me, they said I had to wait because we were going to reach the airport soon. I begged them, I even peed a bit in my trousers because I couldn’t control myself anymore you know… I insisted so much that they looked for a police station for me to go to pee. I entered the place handcuffed, with 5 to 6 police officers. I went to pee and then I directly went back into the car until the airport, straight to the isolation cell. There, they asked me to take off my trousers and they put me in nappies.
What? They put you in nappies?
Yes, they really did that, like if I was a baby, it terribly hurt me. At a certain moment, the Moroccans came into my cell, they had brought scotch tape, they handcuffed me and then they started putting scotch tape around my hands, hands folded so I could not move. Then they made me walk to the car and I had to wait for at least 40 minutes before going to the plane.
You stayed tied during 40 minutes?
Yes, I had my hands tied during 40 minutes. It was Moroccan policemen who had brought the scotch tape. They gave it to the Belgian policemen to tie me. They also put scotch tape around my knees, my feet, my arms… really, it was too hard. They carried me like an animal. They put me upside down, my head and my hands down and my feet high. There was no way I could move. I didn’t even shout because it hit me too much inside…
Were you allowed to speak?
Yes, I was but I just couldn’t shout because of this overwhelming emotion. They forced me to sit down and then I tried to move a little bit. They asked me: “What’s wrong with you?” and I said: “Have you seen how you are treating me? You are treating me like a criminal!”. When the operation was over, the Belgian policemen left.
You were sitting between two Moroccan police officers?
Yes I was, and one of them told me: “You’re going to leave, whether you want it or not, you’re going to leave, and when you get there you’ll see what they’ll do to you!”. One of them was an agent at Royal Air Maroc, so there was no way. Therefore I shouted very very loud, I did everything possible to have some space and when I moved and shouted, the scotch tape got a little bit loose. I shouted so loudly “You’re taking me to Morocco, but what for? You’ll put me in jail, you’ll do this and that to me…” and then they told me to shut up and not to say this kind of things.
So, you were busy shouting what they had told you, that they were going to put you in jail in Morocco. Were there passengers in the plane at that moment?
At that moment they were entering the plane, they were all standing up, at the back, they were watching. They did not understand what was going on. The Belgian policemen were asked to bring them outside. We spent almost 40 minutes like that in the plane.
Did the captain say anything?
No, he didn’t say anything.
And what about the passengers then?
The passengers were all there standing up, they were looking at me but didn’t say a word.
And after that they brought you back to Bruges, peacefully?
Yes they did. I arrived yesterday at 8.30 p.m. We are already in the afternoon and I haven’t seen anyone. My hands are swollen. I asked to see the nurse, may be for some ointment, but the nurse doesn’t come.
So, morally it is not that good for you, is it?
It’s so hard to live in these conditions, and what bothers me most is my destination, Morocco.
Why? Because they told you that they would treat you badly over there?
Yes, because that’s what they promised they would do!
Do you think you’ll be able to resist another deportation like this one?
Really… it’s too hard. I’m telling you, it’s too hard. I haven’t said no… I could resist, but it is so hard.
