FIRMIN GNALI is an Ivorian asylum seeker currently facing deportation. The Home Office turned down his final leave to appeal in May of this year. The only chance of overturning that decision is through a judicial Since Ivory Coast gained formal independence from France in the 1960s, it has remained under a military dictatorship, propped up by the French government. Firmin campaigned for democracy in the Ivory Coast through the FPI (Front Populaire Ivoirien) and through the FESCI (Federation Estudiantine et Scolaire de Cote d'lvoire).
In 1991 and 1992 Firmin was arrested. detained and tortured for his political activities and in 1993 he lost his teaching job and was forced into hiding. He fled the country in that year and arrived in Britain in January 1994 when he made his original asylum application. Since living in Britain Firmin has been working as an actor and musician with the Banner Theatre, a socialist theatre group.
Kidnappings, arbitrary arrests, torture and corruption are rife in the Ivorian dictatorship.
If Firmin Gnali is deported his life may well be in danger as a result of his past political activity. Firmin Gnali Support Group is demanding that Firmin be given full refugee status and that all racist Immigration and Asylum legislation be scrapped.
Firmin Gnali Support Group c/o Friends Institute, 220 Mosley Road, Highgate, Birmingham. B12 ODG and Newham Monitoring Project have initiated a national campaign calling for CS spray to be banned from use permanently. The campaign has set up a national telephone line to record incidents where the police have used the spray.
To record any incidents or to affiliate to the campaign contact: Newham Monitoring Project, PO Box 273, London E7 or telephone 0181 - 555 8151
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