Edson Cosmas is a gay man who was born in Tanzania in 1982.
Throughout his life in Tanzania, Edson experienced beatings, stoning and other assaults for his sexual orientation. His family disowned him, in part to protect themselves from persecution.
In 2006, in spite of officially disowning him, his family helped him escape to Britain, where he lived as an undocumented immigrant for several years.
For the past year, he has been an active member of Movement for Justice, a civil rights organization that has been fighting to win asylum for LGBT refugees in Britain. MFJ has been successful in winning asylum for a number of political and LGBT refugees, which inspired Edy to make the fight for himself.
A recent British law requires the Government to grant asylum to anyone who is gay and would face political persecution for being gay if they were returned to the country they were born in.
On 9th May, 2011 Edson Cosmas went to the Home Office in Croydon to submit his initial claim for asylum in Britain and to go to a screening interview. At the end of the interview, Eddy was stunned to be told that he was going to be taken into detention.
Edy was interrogated by immigration officers for over 20 hours over 2 days, without an attorney or representative present.
On May 18, 2011 the Home Office issued a ruling denying Edy asylum. Their decision is attached to this email.
Edy will be appealing his denial of asylum. His appeal hearing is likely to occur as early as next week.
If Edy returns to Tanzania, he will face imprisonment, torture and possible death, which has been the fate of many other LGBT people in Tanzania.
What you can do IMMEDIATELY:
GET OUT THE WORD THROUGH FACEBOOK, TWITTER AND OTHER OUTLETS
Sign the Online Petition: http://bit.ly/j1GRQf
Email: britishembassyenquiries@gmail.com or public.enquiries@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk
Fax: (310) 481 2960 (LA Consulate) or (212) 754-3062 (NY Consulate)
Call: British Embassy in Washington DC (1)(202) 588 6500
FOR MORE INFORMATION GO TO WWW.BAMN.COM OR www.movementforjustice.org
More information is available on the Movement for Justice Website at: http://www.movementforjustice.org./
Sincerely,
Donna Stern
BAMN National Coordinator
