HELP FREE ABDOUL GOMA UNJUSTLY IMPRISONED IN TOGO

We have launched this fund to raise money to pay for the legal fees of Abdoul Aziz Goma.

After over three years in captivity – without any trial whatsoever, in inhumane and degrading conditions, including torture – it is high time that Abdoul be released from prison and returned to his family in Ireland and the UK.
Can we count on you to help us in this effort?

Abdoul Aziz Goma, an Irish citizen of Togolese origin, was arrested arbitrarily in the street in Lomé, Togo, on 21 December 2018 while visiting the country on business. Falsely accused of attempting to destabilize the country as a result of his having associated with members of the opposition who were organising a peaceful protest against the Togolese government, Abdoul was imprisoned, without trial, where he has been subjected to torture and cruel, inhumane and degrading treatment.

 

In July-August 2019, the 67th session of the UN Committee against Torture examined the case of Abdoul and other people who were arrested on the same day as him, and declared (Article 35) that “as a matter of urgency, [the Togolese government] should…

- release all persons who remain in custody for having defended their opinions or demonstrated peacefully, and guarantee the payment of compensation to victims of arbitrary detention

- ensure that political opponents, human rights defenders and other representatives of civil society are protected from acts of intimidation and violence to which they may be exposed because of their activities

- ensure that impartial and effective investigations are conducted without delay into any allegation of excessive use of force, torture, ill-treatment or extrajudicial executions targeting political opponents, human rights defenders and members of civil society organizations, and bring proceedings as necessary.”

 

The Togolese government, despite being publicly condemned by the United Nations Human Rights Committee and by Amnesty International for their ongoing violations of human rights (see links below), have refused to follow up on these recommendations, and have refused to release Abdoul. It has intimidated anyone (journalists and local human rights associations) who tries to draw attention to the fate of political prisoners in Togo by arresting and detaining them.

 

Abdoul’s health has been deteriorating rapidly. He has lost the use of both his legs and cannot walk. His deteriorating health is a consequence of several things:

- firstly, the treatment he was subjected to at the hands of the Togolese police at the time of his arrest in 2018 and on subsequent occasions. In particular, he was subjected to a method of torture called Falanga (whipping of the feet), which can cause severe nerve injuries as well as serious malformation of the feet.

- secondly, the conditions of his 3-year detention (Dec 2018-Dec 2021) in the secret prison of the Gendarmerie Nationale in Lomé without access to legal counsel and without being called to trial. Abdoul and 100+ political detainees were kept locked up in extremely cramped conditions for 24 hours a day in this prison, with no access to fresh air or sunlight, and no possibility of physical exercise. They were fed once a day with a gruel-type food and as a result suffer from malnutrition and general ill health. There were seven deaths among these detainees from 2018-2021.

- thirdly, his transfer at the end of January 2022, along with the other detainees, from the secret prison (Gendarmerie Nationale) to the civil prison of Lomé. This prison was built to accommodate a maximum of 600 inmates, but now holds over 2000. The number of inmates in the overcrowded cells varies between 40-100. The state of Abdoul’s health is aggravated by such conditions, where cells contain nothing on which to sit or lie, where detainees sleep on a hard floor, in squalor and in close proximity to others who have contagious respiratory and dermatological illnesses.

 

We have identified a French human rights lawyer who is prepared to defend Abdoul and fight for his release. Having an international lawyer is important in these types of cases, as they cannot be intimidated in the same way as local lawyers or campaigners, and can put pressure through the courts on the Togolese authorities.

However, this effort is going to cost money. As well as the time that he will spend on the case from his base in France, the lawyer will need to travel to Togo to represent Abdoul. While the Irish authorities have intervened through diplomatic channels to petition Abdoul’s release, they have said that on principle they cannot pay for legal costs of Irish citizens overseas.

 

We have launched this GoFundMe page to raise money to finance his legal representation.
We would be very grateful if you could contribute whatever you can.

 

For further information:

An article was published in the Irish Times on 27 December 2021 about Abdoul’s case:
https://www.irishtimes.com/news/crime-and-law/irish-citizen-imprisoned-without-trial-in-togo-for-three-years-1.4763993

 

For more information about Togo’s human rights record:

- The Report of the Committee against Torture, 67th session (22 July-9 August 2019), 68th session (11 November-6 December 2019)
https://digitallibrary.un.org/record/3884636?ln=fr

- The UN Human Rights Council’s report on the occasion of the Universal Periodic Review on 24 January 2022:
https://www.ohchr.org/EN/HRBodies/UPR/Pages/TGindex.aspx

- See also Amnesty International’s report on human rights in Togo:
https://www.amnesty.org/en/location/africa/west-and-central-africa/togo/report-togo/

 

For more information on falanga, the torture suffered by Abdoul

See the factsheet from the Danish Institute against Torture:
https://www.dignity.dk/en/dignitys-work/health-team/torture-methods/falanga/

 

Contact:
Bairbre Ní Chiosáin (on behalf of the International Collective for the Liberation of Political Prisoners in Togo)
[email redacted]