Report about the hearing of human right activist Salomon Wantchoucou in Amtgericht Dessau, february 24th, 2012

Administration district Wittenberg, Sachsen-Anhalt
Blackmailing habitude of embassy hearings accused

Report about the hearing of human right activist Salomon Wantchoucou in Amtgericht Dessau, february 24th, 2012

Salomon Wantchoucou, who lives in the isolation camp Möhlau for several years, plays a major role in the coordination of local refugee resistance and embeds the refugee initiative Wittenberg into the over-regional network of the caravan, which already forced the local authorities to change their treatment of refugees. Meanwhile, he had to attend forced hearings in the embassies of Benin and Nigeria, because his identity and clearly confessed background of Benin is officialy not recognized. Despite his participation in the racist hearings, in language examinations etc. and in spite of his efforts to attain a birth certificate from Benin, his anyhow insufficient social benefits were shortened. The accusal is, that he didn't fulfill his duties in the process of clearing his identity.

Against this shortening of benefits, the activist is processing in the Amtsgericht Dessau, which led to a non-public hearing with representatives of the Landratsamt on february 24th. Since Salomon Wantchoucou is at the same time appealing his rejection of a secure residence status, the judge at first proposed to simply wait for the result of the other trial, which would anyways lead to a new determination of social benefits. Due to the reason that the decision about the legality of the embassy hearings and the connected shortening of benefits will have an impact on the trial for a secure residence status, Mr. Wantchoucou and his lawyer rejected this proposal. During the hearing, the judge clearly doubted the legality of the benefit shortening, because after his first
impression, the authorities did not require Salomon Wantchoucou's contribution to clearing his identity in a formally correct way.

A sentence in this process is to be expected this summer.

The fact, that refugees of black colour are randomly forced to attend embassy hearings of Central- and Southanfrican states, by otherwise shortening the anyhow insufficient social benefits, is carried into public once more by this trial. In the case of Salomon Wantchoucou, the authoritiy' absurd logic brings up an endless number of possible hearings, since he knows French and English, which brings any formerly direct, today indirect colonialised state in Western, Southern and Eastern Africa into consideration. His declaration of coming from Benin and his delivered birth certificate are not stopping the responsible officers from this disturbing measures, which exposes the interest to punish the activist for his unwanted political activity in the administration district of Wittenberg.

The exact date of the public process will be announced in this place. There is an explicite call for public and critical observation of this trial.

The VOICE Refugee Forum Jena process observation