Urgent Action 3-12-10

URGENT ACTION APPEAL
- From Amnesty International USA

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http://www.amnestyusa.org/urgent/newslett.html
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For a print-friendly version of this Urgent Action (PDF):
http://www.amnestyusa.org/actioncenter/actions/uaa05910.pdf

12 March 2010

UA 59/10 Risk of torture/ medical concern

TOGO Augustin Glokpon (m)
Jacob Benissan (m)
Gerard Adja (m)
Emmanuel Atayi (m)
More than a dozen political activists

More than a dozen political activists arrested around the time of the Togolese presidential election, which saw Faure Gnassingbe reelected, are at risk of torture and other ill-treatment in prison. Two of them are in urgent need of medical attention, which they are not receiving.

Augustin Glokpon and Jacob Benissan were arrested on 3 March, the day before the election, as they were bringing election campaign materials to the town of Vogan, 45 km east of the capital, Lome. Both are members of the main opposition party, the Union of Forces for Change (Union des Forces de Changement, UFC). They were held for a week at the gendarmerie in Lome, and then charged with “an attempt on the security of the state” (atteinte a la surete de l’Etat). The investigating judge remanded them to the civilian prison in Lome, but the security forces took them to the prison in the town of Kara (420 km north of Lome). This makes it much more difficult for their families and lawyers to visit them. Augustin Glokpon suffers from blood pressure problems and Jacob Benissan is diabetic: they are running out of the medicines they had on them when they were arrested, which they need to take every day, and they have been given no medical treatment in prison.

Another dozen opposition activists were taken to the Kara prison the same day, charged with the same offense. Two are members of the opposition party Organization to Build Togo in Solidarity (Organization pour batir dans l’Union un Togo solidaire, OBUTS): Gerard Adja and Emmanuel Atayi were arrested a few days after the election with leaflets disputing the reelection of Faure Gnassingbe. The others are members of a political movement, Citizens’ Movement for an Alternative (Mouvement Citoyen pour l’Alternance, MCA), including Fulbert Attisso and Guillaume Coco, were also arrested in Lome.

Amnesty International receives regular reports of detainees, especially members of the opposition, being tortured and otherwise ill-treated in the prison in Kara. The town is the stronghold of President Gnassingbe’s ruling party, the Togolese People’s Rally (Rassemblement du peuple togolais, RPT).

BACKGROUND INFORMATION
The incumbent, Faure Gnassingbe, won Togo’s presidential election on 4 March 2010. He had been appointed to the government in 2003 by his father, General Gnassingbe Eyadema, who ruled the country for more than 40 years, until his death in 2005.

The 4 March election took place amid allegations of widespread fraud, condemned by opposition party leaders speaking to demonstrations, which were banned or dispersed with teargas.

RECOMMENDED ACTION: Please send appeals to arrive as quickly as possible:
- Calling on the authorities to release Augustin Glokpon, Jacob Benissan, Gerard Adja and Emmanuel Atayi immediately and unconditionally, as they appear to be prisoners of conscience;
- Calling on them to ensure that Augustin Glokpon and Jacob Benissan receive the medical attention they need
immediately;
- Calling on them to ensure that all the detainees are protected from torture and other ill-treatment, and have regular access to their families, lawyers, and any medical attention they may require.

APPEALS TO:

Minister of Security and Civil Protection
Colonel Atcha TITIKPINA
Ministre de la Securite et de la Protection Civile
Ministere de la Securite et de la Protection Civile
BP 12175, Lome, TOGO
Fax: 011 228 222 61 50 OR 011 228 222 21 84
Salutation: Dear Minister/ Monsieur le Ministre

Minister of Justice
Kokou Biossey TOZOUN
Ministre de la Justice
Ministere de la Justice
BP 121, Lome, TOGO
Fax: 011 228 222 29 06 OR 011 228 221 54 91
Salutation: Dear Minister/ Monsieur le Ministre
COPIES TO:

Embassy of Togo in France
Tchao SOTOU BERE
Ambassador of Togo in France
8 rue Alfred Roll
75017 Paris, FRANCE
Fax: 011 331 43 80 06 05
Salutation: Dear Ambassador/ Monsieur l’Ambassadeur

Ambassador Akoussoulelou Bodjona
Embassy of the Republic of Togo
2208 Massachusetts Ave. NW
Washington DC 20008
Fax: 1 202 232 3190

PLEASE SEND APPEALS IMMEDIATELY.
Check with the AIUSA Urgent Action office if sending appeals after 23 April 2010.

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This Urgent Action may be reposted if kept intact, including contact information and stop action date (if applicable). Thank you for your help with this appeal.

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Email: uan@aiusa.org
http://www.amnestyusa.org/urgent/
Phone: 202.544.0200
Fax: 202.675.8566
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END OF URGENT ACTION APPEAL
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