# Babi's been detained. Demonstrate tomorrow



## Dic Penderyn (Sep 16, 2008)

Babi got arrested this morning when he went for his regular signing at the UK Border Agency Offices in Cardiff. At the time of writing he is at Rhymney Police station, though he may be moved to a immigration detention centre at any time. More information will appear on the No Borders blog when it's known.

This means we'll be making a much bigger noise at the picket TOMORROW AT 12 NOON outside the UK Border Agency Offices at 31 -33 Newport Road, Cardiff. These protests generally only last one hour so people can come along in their lunch-break from work / uni. Please come along and tell as many people as possible! If anyone can make any banners or signs in support of Babi that would be great.

background info on babi


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## Zachor (Sep 16, 2008)

I concur that it is wrong of the UKBA to refuse this asylum application.  Its pretty well documented about the adverse conditions facing LGBT people in Azerbaijan and similar countries.

Surely if the HRA can be used to allow  scumbags like Abu Hamza etc to remain in the UK then why can't it be used to defend people like this man who are genuinely fleeing oppression.  It is offensive and patronising to tell people in this situation to just move. to another part of their country or nail themselves into the closet.


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## Col_Buendia (Sep 16, 2008)

Totally gutted that Babi's been snatched. Will be there tomorrow.


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## Udo Erasmus (Sep 17, 2008)

_Email from No Borders Wales_

Whilst attending the Border Agency offices in Cardiff today for his weekly signing, Babi Badalov was detained and taken to Rumney Police station in Cardiff, while friends waited outside for him. He has removal directions for 20th September. 

http://noborderswales.wordpress.com/campaign-to-stay/keep-babi-safe-in-cardiff/
For those not aware of his case, Babi Badalov has experienced persecution and abuse in Azerbaijan because of his homosexuality and his radical art, which has been critical of the government there. Despite wide support and Babi's great contribution to the arts in Wales, his claim was refused.

Before being detained today, Babi was in the process of collecting further evidence of his poor treatment in Azerbaijan and had been awaiting neurological and psychiatric assessments which his solicitor was arranging. This information was to be used as a basis for a fresh claim for asylum. 

Please attend TODAY's picket of the Border Agency, 31-33 Newport Road, from 12 noon to protest at the Home Office's treatment of Babi and other migrants who seek a better life in the UK. 

Write to the Home Office please! Use this model letter:
http://noborderswales.files.wordpress.com/2008/09/babi-badalov-model-letter-update-169081.doc

and post, fax, e-mail to:

Rt Hon Jacqui Smith MP
Secretary of State for the Home Department
3rd Floor Peel Buildings
2 Marsham Street
London
SW1P 4DF

-Fax: 020 8760 3132 (00 44 20 8760 3132 if you are faxing from outside UK)
-E-mail: jacqui.smith@homeoffice.gov.uk

Please help to keep to our friend Babi safe in Cardiff.


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## Dic Penderyn (Sep 17, 2008)

Fuck, my workmate's called in sick so I won't be able to get out of work at lunchtime. Hope lots of other people can make it. 

There has been plenty of coverage of this on the blogsphere (more would be good though, hint, hint ). Thought nothing in the news at all (as of yet anyway).

I've gotta say I'm really fucking angry, more that being someone I'm involved in campaigning for, Babi is a mate. I wasn't really involved in No Borders until I started hanging out with Babi. The UKBA are fucking scum.


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## Udo Erasmus (Sep 17, 2008)

Dic Penderyn said:


> There has been plenty of coverage of this on the blogsphere (more would be good though, hint, hint ). Thought nothing in the news at all (as of yet anyway).



a little more blogosphere here

it is terrible news and very depressing


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## Dic Penderyn (Sep 17, 2008)

Just heard on the phone that ITV Wales are filming the protest now, hopefully them covering it will mean some other news media pick up the story.


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## Udo Erasmus (Sep 17, 2008)

Good news, unfortunately I couldn't get down there (taken too much time off work recently)


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## lewislewis (Sep 17, 2008)

I was there! A surreal joint anarchist-Plaid demonstration. 

Guy next to me: "It's the politicians we need to get rid off...oh, sorry!"


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## Zachor (Sep 17, 2008)

lewislewis said:


> I was there! A surreal joint anarchist-Plaid demonstration.
> 
> Guy next to me: "It's the politicians we need to get rid off...oh, sorry!"



Thats bad.  I thought No Borders were doing well in getting wide spread support?  Its worrying when such an important case like this just attracts the activists and usual suspects.

My first thought at your post is 'must try harder'.

FFS not only do those poor basstards claiming asylum have to face a kafkaesque asylum process, piss poor legal representatives and a hostile populace you now have to add piss poor support groups as well.

I thought NB was better organised than that.


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## Udo Erasmus (Sep 17, 2008)

Bethan Jenkins AM 
Plaid Cymru – The Party of Wales

 Wednesday  September 1 7 th 2008

EMBARGO:  For immediate release

   Plaid AM  calls for Babi Badalov not to be deported  

Plaid Cymru Assembly Member for South Wales West, Bethan Jenkins  has today  written to the Home Office to request that Babi Badalov, an asylum seeker from Azerbaijan is not deported. This is in light of Babi's recent detention in Cardiff, with removal directions given for the 20th of September.   Babi, an artist from Azerbaijan has endured persecution due to his sexuality and the radical nature of his creative activities by the government in Azerbaijan, and his brother has threatened to kill him due to the fact that homosexuality is deemed unacceptable to many in the country.

Speaking from  her office in Neath today, Ms Jenkins said:

" I  met Babi when I spoke at an event to display his art in Bute Street Art Centre, Cardiff earlier this year. He has contributed so much to the community here in Wales, and I have therefore written to Jacqui Smith MP at the Home Office to appeal against his now imminent deportation. If he is forced to return to Azerbaijan, he faces an unhappy and unstable future, with his own family threatening to kill him due to his sexuality'.

Bethan Jenkins added:

'We must support asylum seekers such as Babi, and there is an obligation on the Westminster government to defend those people who face persecution in their respective countries. Wales has welcomed Babi with open arms, and it is deeply frustrating that the National Assembly for Wales does not have the powers to overturn decisions to deport asylum seekers who are clearly in danger.'

' I have helped with the cases of many asylum seekers in my region, and throughout Wales. I intend to raise this issue with the First Minister at the National Assembly to encourage him to liaise with his Westminster colleagues on this urgent matter.'


ENDS


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## lewislewis (Sep 17, 2008)

Zachor said:


> Thats bad.  I thought No Borders were doing well in getting wide spread support?  Its worrying when such an important case like this just attracts the activists and usual suspects.
> 
> My first thought at your post is 'must try harder'.
> 
> ...



It wasn't a problem, he was polite- I saw his point to be honest. We could do without the Westminster ones at least.

There were lots of cars beeping in support as they went past.


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## Zachor (Sep 17, 2008)

lewislewis said:


> It wasn't a problem, he was polite- I saw his point to be honest. We could do without the Westminster ones at least.



I think some westminster ones we could well do without as well.  Fair do's if he was polite about it.  It just screamed to me that it was just the usual suspects and that NB wasn't getting the support for the detainee.  I'm assuming that all the proper stuffs being done and that he has decent legal rep as I know that piss poor lawyers cause people who are genuinely in danger to be deported.  


lewislewis said:


> There were lots of cars beeping in support as they went past.



Good sign.  I shudder to think what the response would be in some areas though.

Slightly off topic have you come across this org who may be useful http://www.biduk.org/
Doing good work intercepting people who are about to be deported.


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## lewislewis (Sep 17, 2008)

Zachor said:


> I think some westminster ones we could well do without as well.  Fair do's if he was polite about it.  It just screamed to me that it was just the usual suspects and that NB wasn't getting the support for the detainee.  I'm assuming that all the proper stuffs being done and that he has decent legal rep as I know that piss poor lawyers cause people who are genuinely in danger to be deported.
> 
> 
> Good sign.  I shudder to think what the response would be in some areas though.
> ...



We were welcomed! Even though we are political types.

I don't think any other parties or AMs would be seen with anarchists though.


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## penderyn2000 (Sep 17, 2008)

A couple of pics and report of the picket at www.radicalsocialist.org.


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## llantwit (Sep 17, 2008)

lewislewis said:


> We were welcomed! Even though we are political types.


Yeah... we're actually political types, too, y'know.


lewislewis said:


> I don't think any other parties or AMs would be seen with anarchists though.


Not strictly true. Plaid have been great working with No Borders, and have prolly done the most of all the big parties. But Babi's campaign has had some support from the Lib Dems and Labour, too. Rodney Berman, the Cardiff Council leader and Jenny Willot the Lib Dem MP have publicly supported him. From Labour, there's been Chris Bryant the Rhondda MP and a few others.


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## llantwit (Sep 17, 2008)

Zachor said:


> Thats bad.  I thought No Borders were doing well in getting wide spread support?  Its worrying when such an important case like this just attracts the activists and usual suspects.
> My first thought at your post is 'must try harder'.
> [snip]
> I thought NB was better organised than that.


Zachor: I think you jumped the gun a bit here.

I'm sure I'm a bit touchy and emotional today anyway, what with a good mate being banged up for no good reason and trying every trick in the book to make sure he doesn't get deported, but keyboard warrior stuff like that based on one post on a BB is a bit difficult to swallow, to be honest.

For the record, No Borders has a lot of anarchist support, and it's organised and run along libertarian principles, but we work with everyone who's progressive and who'll pitch in with our campaigns. We've worked with plenty of other types (loads of migrants irrespective of politics (of course), religious peeps, NGOs, major parties, the socialist parties, ethnic groups, community groups, etc, etc).

By the way Zachor - you seem pretty clued up about this stuff - we're a shoe-string operation with no resources and just a few commited activists... fancy coming along and getting involved?


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## llantwit (Sep 17, 2008)

Zachor said:


> I'm assuming that all the proper stuffs being done and that he has decent legal rep as I know that piss poor lawyers cause people who are genuinely in danger to be deported.


He's got one of the best solicitors that he could have at this point - very good firm, very experienced in this kind of case, and very well-resourced. We helped Babi change a few months back after his last legal rep coasted through his case not doing anything and refusing to communicate with him at all.



Zachor said:


> Slightly off topic have you come across this org who may be useful http://www.biduk.org/
> Doing good work intercepting people who are about to be deported.


BID are great. One of the other people we're working with from Cardiff, Jean Pierre, is being helped by them at the moment as he tries to get out of that hell-hole Campsfield.


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## llantwit (Sep 17, 2008)

lewislewis said:


> I was there! A surreal joint anarchist-Plaid demonstration.


I wish I'd known you were there, mate. Would've introduced myself (I was the tall one with floppy hair and glasses handing out a lot of leaflets).


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## llantwit (Sep 17, 2008)

*What you can do to help Babi Badalov:*

At the moment one thing that everyone can do (as well as writing to the home office, signing the petition, etc - details here) is e-mail, telephone, semaphore, etc your MP and ask them to write to Jacqui Smith urging her to delay the deportation to allow the evidence for Babi's fresh asylum claim to be gathered. This process was well underway when Babi was snatched, and has now been interrupted. More info on this will be posted on the South Wales No Borders blog later tonight.


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## Col_Buendia (Sep 18, 2008)

Zachor said:


> Thats bad.  I thought No Borders were doing well in getting wide spread support?  Its worrying when such an important case like this just attracts the activists and usual suspects.



That's pretty wide of the mark, Z. As Llantwit said, it's hard to be polite when it's a mate who has been snatched from under your gaze (I had an email off Babi about an hour and a half before he was lifted, letting me know about his upcoming art exhibition that he was getting excited about), but your comments seem well out of place. No Borders got over 40 people onto the streets at approximately 12hours notice to protest outside the Borders Agency. There were people of many different political stripes, and trying to stereotype them as "the usual suspects" ain't helpful. If you're Cardiff based, why not pitch in with the campaign, you seem to care enough about it?


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## Udo Erasmus (Sep 18, 2008)

As Col_Buendia says, over 40 people at very short notice on a weekday is very impressive and shows the level of support Babi has in Cardiff. 2 friends of mine who only checked their emails after the protest had happened and said they would have been there.

Re. Llantwit's post, I have just emailed my MP who is Jenny Willot, but if anyone has a more direct contact details it might be useful.

http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-9021.html


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## Udo Erasmus (Sep 18, 2008)

I got an automated reply from J Willot MP at the LibDem conference, but it suggested ringing her constituency office on 02920 668 558 if  it was an urgent matter, which it evidently is.


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## llantwit (Sep 18, 2008)

If people have the time please e-mail your MP about this.
Babi's had an indication they want to remove him on the weekend - but an enquiry to the Home Office from an MP can significantly delay a deportation.
We all need to pressure our MPs to look into this!
Here's what I wrote to my MP if people want to use it as a template (also Jenny Willot btw):


> Dear XXXX XXXX, b,
> It has been brought to my attention that you might be able to aid the struggle of your constituent artist and asylum seeker Babi Badalov to be granted leave to stay in the country (HO ref: B1234623).
> Babi has been working with his solicitor to gather evidence for a full and fresh claim for asylum to be lodged. As you may know, he was detained by the UKBA on tuesday, and is now in Campsfield detention centre, and this process has been interrupted.
> Babi, his solicitor, and his supporters feel that the Home Office need to hear his case based on new evidence (psychiatric and neurological assesments yet to be carried out, and new witness statements from people who saw first-hand the abuse Babi suffered in Azerbaijan).
> ...


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## Zachor (Sep 18, 2008)

Col_Buendia said:


> That's pretty wide of the mark, Z. As Llantwit said, it's hard to be polite when it's a mate who has been snatched from under your gaze (I had an email off Babi about an hour and a half before he was lifted, letting me know about his upcoming art exhibition that he was getting excited about), but your comments seem well out of place. No Borders got over 40 people onto the streets at approximately 12hours notice to protest outside the Borders Agency. There were people of many different political stripes, and trying to stereotype them as "the usual suspects" ain't helpful. If you're Cardiff based, why not pitch in with the campaign, you seem to care enough about it?



Fair point.  I'm not Cardiff based but I'll do what I can.  Is there anything that I can distribute around the religious orgs in my are that work with refugees in London?


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## penderyn2000 (Sep 18, 2008)

Babi's now in Campsfield - details of flight, airline, email protest link etc at www.radicalsocialist.org.


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## Dic Penderyn (Sep 18, 2008)

had a few texts of Babi today, you can read em on the No Borders blog


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## Dic Penderyn (Sep 18, 2008)

Just got off the phone with Babi - fucking hell he's in a VERY fucking bad way. he's not coping at all well.


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## softybabe (Sep 18, 2008)

penderyn2000 said:


> Babi's now in Campsfield - details of flight, airline, email protest link etc at www.radicalsocialist.org.



blocked by work filters 



Dic Penderyn said:


> Just got off the phone with Babi - fucking hell he's in a VERY fucking bad way. he's not coping at all well.



(((Babi)))

Wot's happening is inhumane


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## Dic Penderyn (Sep 18, 2008)

softybabe said:


> blocked by work filters



all the info is here if work will let you view that.


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## penderyn2000 (Sep 18, 2008)

If not, email protests to the airline at london@azal.co.uk.  I think we should make it clear to the airline that a boycott campaign will be launched against them if they play any part in Babi's deportation.


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## llantwit (Sep 18, 2008)

Model letter here.#
Boycott threat a good one - don't have time to incorporate into letter at the moment, though. Will do it later.


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## Col_Buendia (Sep 18, 2008)

http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/09/409014.html

Video of demo.

Not entirely sure yet if my upload worked. And apols for the format - I don't even know what "m4v" is.

ETA: or try here for an online version:


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## Udo Erasmus (Sep 19, 2008)

llantwit said:


> Model letter here.#
> Boycott threat a good one - don't have time to incorporate into letter at the moment, though. Will do it later.



I emailed the airline yesterday, but will call up later to ram the message home. Just heard that Jenny Willott is on the case.


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## llantwit (Sep 19, 2008)

Please telephone as many times as possible, and write as many e-mails from however many differet e-mail addresses as possible, too.
We want them to be so inconvenienced by this that they think twice about taking a removal flight in the future.


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## Udo Erasmus (Sep 19, 2008)

One thing might to be to make clear that they have no legal obligation to carry a removal passenger therefore their reputation will be tarnished. Wasn't Virgin trying to palm off people that they couldn't break the law etc.


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## Udo Erasmus (Sep 19, 2008)

This comment was just posted on our blog:

"Let Babi stay in UK!
Support from Berlin
kitup"

several times!


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## Udo Erasmus (Sep 19, 2008)

http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/w...-life-on-return-to-azerbaijan-91466-21852091/

http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-9042.html

http://gayarmenia.blogspot.com/2008/09/report-babi-to-be-deported-saturday.html

MEDIA RELEASE
For immediate use
18 September 2008
gayasylumuk@gmail.com

Two gay asylum seekers at serious and real risk of attack, imprisonment and possible killing are currently at the last stage before being deported by the British government.

gayasylumuk has been notified that gay Ugandan John Bosco Nyombi has been transferred from a detention centre to Heathrow. Azerbaijani Babi Badalov has been transferred to a detention centre with a flight booked for this Saturday.

The government plans to return Nyombi to a country which actively - led by its President - persecutes LGBT. Newspapers print the names and addresses of gays and lesbians and demands 'action' is taken against them.

Badalov has been threatened with death by 'honour killing' and his sexuality has already led to persecution and would definitely lead to more persecution if he is returned.

The answer of the British government to this: "be discreet" Seriously. This is the position of the British government.

In reality the policy is to refuse the maximum number of asylum applications on the most spurious of grounds. In reality the British Home Office, which manages asylum seekers, is rife with homophobia.

When he was informed that he was going to be detained and deported Babi responded by saying "I feel sick" To which the UK Border agent told him "well you make us sick, you're going back where you belong."

Recent LGBT asylum cases such as that of the Iranian Mehdi Kazemi have highlighted the absurd and shameful attitude of the British government to LGBT asylum seekers. It is an embarrassment to all right-thinking British people and it is therefore no surprise that support for LGBT asylum seekers has come from across the political spectrum.

gayasylumuk calls for two things:

1. maximum embarrassment and a collective 'turning of the back' by UK LGBT and all right thinking people, particularly as the governing Labour Party conducts its annual conference in Manchester next week 
2. signatures to the petition initiated by the Rev. Walter Attwood to Gordon Brown [http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/Stopdeportinggay/]

We also reiterate our call earlier this year that:
"We hope that gay and lesbian Labour voters in particular will consider changing their vote if the policy isn't changed before the next election. This is one way to get the message through on their hypocrisy regarding lesbian and gay rights issues — when embassies in other countries are flying the rainbow flag they aren't doing this in
Tehran, Kingston or Kampala."

PLEASE CIRCULATE THIS INFORMATION

Further information
Museveni launches campaign against gays
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/460216.stm
Human Rights Watch adds Home Office to 'Hall of Shame'
http://madikazemi.blogspot.com/2008/05/human-rights-watch-adds-home-office-to.html
gayasylumuk condemns "inhumane, anti-gay" Labour government
http://madikazemi.blogspot.com/2008/06/gayasylumuk-condemns-inhumane-anti-gay.html
Babi campaign
http://noborderswales.wordpress.com/campaign-to-stay/keep-babi-safe-in-cardiff/
Bosco campaign
http://www.savebosco.net/

18 September 2008 23:31  

Veteran British gay rights campaigner Peter Tatchell sent out a letter tonight to the office of Equalities Minister, Harriet Harman MP.

He suggests that “Babi's local AM, MP and MEP need to make similar representations to
the Border Agency Minister and the Home Secretary.”

According to Tatchell, “The only strong legal basis for halting Babi's deportation is on the legal point that he is in the process of submitting a fresh asylum claim based on new evidence. This is the point that his AM, MP and MEP need to make to the Border Agency Minister and Home Secretary asap.”


To: The Office of Harriet Harman MP, Equalities Minister

URGENT ACTION - Babi Badalov - due for deportation this Saturday

When I recently met Harriet Harman, she and Barbara Follett MP said they would examine and assist the correction of any unfair treatment of LGBT asylum applicants.

Well, here is such a case and I need your help.

Babi Badalov, a gay asylum claimant from Azerbaijan, is due for deportation this Saturday 20 September at around 8pm on Azerbaijan Airlines flight J20008 from Heathrow.. He is currently detained at Campsfield Immigration Removal Centre.

He is scheduled for deportation despite him being in the process of filing a new asylum claim with fresh evidence. This new evidence includes one of his brothers threatening to kill him on grounds that he had shamed the family by being gay. There are also new witness statements detailing Babi's history of violent, homophobic persecution in Azerbaijan.

In these circumstances, his removal should be put on hold until he has an opportunity to put forward this new evidence to an asylum tribunal.

I hope you agree.

Babi is an internationally-renowned poet and artist.

I would urge Harriet and Barbara to make immediate representations to the Home Secretary or Border Agency Minister to halt Mr Badalov's deportation, pending consideration of his fresh claim based on new evidence.

Can you please liaise between yourselves and confirm to me that this will be done?

Can you also advise me when Mr Badalov's removal has been halted and how long he will be granted to prepare a new claim?

My sincere appreciation.

Please phone me if you wish to discuss this case.

Many thanks, Peter Tatchell


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## PAD1OH (Sep 19, 2008)

i couldn't make the demo but letter forwarded and sent to my full contact list asking them to contact airline and state.


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## Dic Penderyn (Sep 19, 2008)

Azerbaijan Airlines are running scared! - http://noborderswales.wordpress.com/2008/09/19/airline-caves-in-to-anti-deportation-pester-power/


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## upsidedownwalrus (Sep 19, 2008)

I thought this was about _balbi_ when I first saw the thread title!


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## Dic Penderyn (Sep 20, 2008)

URGENT! Babi’s removal directions have changed!

In a move that appears to go against their own rules the UK Border Agency have changed the details of Babi’s forced removal, he is currently being transported to Heathrow airport where he will be put on the 1515 flight bd929 British Midlands Airways (BMI) to Baku.

Please contact BMI and let them know in no uncertain terms of the huge level of damage this deportation will do to their company.
Telephone: 0870 6070 555  or +44 (0)1332 64 8181 (callers outside UK)
Fax: 01709 314993

PLEASE ACT QUICKLY! Call as many times as you can.


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## Udo Erasmus (Sep 20, 2008)

trying as we speak, taking ages to get through. hopefully it's Babi supporters clogging up the line!

Update:My mobile just ran out of credit & still waiting, will try and get to an internet cafe to send a fax.


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## Dic Penderyn (Sep 20, 2008)

you can also call on 01332854000 which is a cheaper call. 

more details on http://noborderswales.wordpress.com


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## Dic Penderyn (Sep 20, 2008)

It appears the most effective number to call is 01332854687 extension 2 and speak to press officer Rob Coveney.

Please say:

• Babi is medically unfit to travel, and is under threat in Azerbaijan.
• That Azerbaijan Airlines were orginally meant to deport later on today, but they refused for ethical reasons.
• Threaten a boycott of the company and serious finacial consquences that that will cause.
• Highlight the damage it will cause the BMI brand from the large amount of press coverage this will get (point out that there has been a large amount of press coverage of Babi’s case already)

PLEASE ACT QUICKLY!


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## Dic Penderyn (Sep 20, 2008)

BMI Customer Relations: 01332854321 extension 2


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## ddraig (Sep 20, 2008)

Dic Penderyn said:


> It appears the most effective number to call is 01332854687 extension 2 and speak to press officer Rob Coveney.
> 
> Please say:
> 
> ...



when i got through all supervisors were on other lines about Babi, the bloke i spoke to said they have been getting calls all day long and said 'i know' when i said that their business and 'brand' would suffer.


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## softybabe (Sep 20, 2008)

any news


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## Udo Erasmus (Sep 20, 2008)

...


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## llantwit (Sep 20, 2008)

There's no conclusive info about whether Babi was deported yet - could you edit that last post away just for the timebeing Udo?


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## Rhi (Sep 21, 2008)

*Babi was deported*

A friend spoke to him last night- he was in Azerbaijan. Apparently the news of his return is in the newspapers there.
I can't believe he's gone.


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## ddraig (Sep 21, 2008)

gutted to hear this 
what next re BMI?


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## Udo Erasmus (Sep 21, 2008)

This is terrible news.

BMI must pay for their actions, maybe some of the politicians who supported Babi can endorse the boycott. You can register some of your feelings here:
bmi@fourcommunications.com

In terms of shaming BMI maybe highlighting that the Chairman of BMI would face the same threats as Babi if he was in another country.



> the chairman of BMI (Sir Michael Bishop) is noted as one of the most influential and wealthy gay men in the UK.
> 
> http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/this-britain/gay-power-the-pink-list-406297.html
> 
> ...


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## PAD1OH (Sep 21, 2008)

terrible news.

I would suggest putting pressure on their business alliances too.

Hertz car hire
NCP Car parking
etc.


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## AnnO'Neemus (Sep 22, 2008)

Udo Erasmus said:


> This is terrible news.
> 
> BMI must pay for their actions, maybe some of the politicians who supported Babi can endorse the boycott. You can register some of your feelings here:
> bmi@fourcommunications.com
> ...


Not just the chairman, surely?

I mean I know it's a bit of a stereotype, but isn't there a significant proportion of gay male trolley dolleys in the airline industry as well?

Would they be happy if they knew what their employers were doing?

Is there an association/union of flight attendants?  With an LBGT section?

Couldn't they be alerted any time the government issues one of these deportation orders, and then the flight staff could raise ethical concerns *internally about helping to deport lesbians or gays back to countries run by brutal regimes?*


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## Udo Erasmus (Sep 22, 2008)

http://leannewoodamac.blogspot.com/2008/09/boycott-bmi.html


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## penderyn2000 (Sep 22, 2008)

BMI Baby flies from Cardiff of course. When we threatened to call for a boycott here, BMI claimed BMI Baby were a completely different outfit, which is, of course, bollocks - they're a subsidiary created by BMI.  Some adverse publicity for them here might be worth considering.
I raised Babi's case at the convention of the left this weekend - there's a report about the COTL at http://radicalsocialist.org.


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## Udo Erasmus (Sep 23, 2008)

Dear Mr. Erasmus,

Thank you for contacting me last week about Babi Badalov.  I received a vast number of calls and emails from people concerned about Babi, and unfortunately, therefore, it wasn’t possible to reply to everyone at the time.

As you may well know, I faxed urgent representations to the UKBA on Babi’s behalf on Friday afternoon, requesting that he be given time to make a fresh claim based upon the assessment by Dr. Helen Salisbury.  The UKBA replied by fax later on Friday evening, making it clear that, despite my intervention, they planned to go ahead with the removal.

I realise that a very large number of people had taken an interest in Babi’s future, and had actively campaigned to help him stay in the UK.  Having seen so much hard work, and after my own intervention, I was disappointed to hear that Babi had been removed on Saturday.

My office has been in touch with Babi’s solicitor yesterday, and it is clear that every potential avenue was explored by her and others to try and keep Babi in the UK.  Sadly, in the end, this was not possible, but I wanted to write to acknowledge how much support Babi received.

Yours sincerely,

Jenny Willott MP
Liberal Democrat, Cardiff Central


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