Young lesbian faces death

A YOUNG LESBIAN who fled Uganda in 2004 after her father threatened to kill her faced deportation from the UK on Monday night.

Faridah Kenyini was only 17 when she arrived in Britain. She settled in Newcastle, where she met her partner, security guard Sarah Garanette, 25.

At an earlier asylum hearing, the judge implied that she was lying about being a lesbian and the danger she faced. Consequently, her plea for asylum was refused.

An attempt to deport her last week failed because of an administrative error

Garenette, Kenyini’s partner, has voluntarily offered to travel to Uganda with her following the registration of their civil partnership.

Uganda’s record of persecuting homosexuals is well documented. The country's president, Yoweri Museveni, once proposed the arrest of all homosexuals. He has also called for a return to days when “these few individuals were either ignored or speared by their parents.”

Kenyini dreads returning to Uganda.

“I am afraid that my removal documents will have details about my sexuality and that I will be handed over to the police and abused,” she said.

***

More details can be found at UK Indymedia.

Comments

g-man said…
Reminds me of a case in Australia a couple of years back where it took a high court appeal for a Bangladeshi couple to be granted asylum. The Refugee Review Tribunal had ruled against them in favour of Ruddock because disclosure was a choice for these two boys. They chose to be ostracised, to be beaten and threatened.
14/11/06 19:26
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