Benin: Wave of arrest of Asylum Seekers

                          Case BEN 010299

The International Secretariat of OMCT requests your URGENT 
intervention regarding the following situation in Bénin.

Brief description of the situation

The Observatoire Congolais des Droits de l'Homme (OCDH), a member of 
the OMCT network, has expressed its grave concern over a wave of 
arrests of asylum seekers and refugees  in Bénin.

According to the information received, on the 29th of January 1999, 
twenty asylum seekers and refugees from Congo (Brazzaville) were 
arrested and taken to the Central Police Station (Commissariat Central).  
No charges have been brought against them. 

The detained persons are the following

1- HONJOUILA MIOKONO Joseph
2- NIATY-MOUAMBA Maurice
3- NKOUA Alphonse
4- MPIKA Marcel
5- MVEMBE Marcelline
6- PANDI Dieudonne
7- LOUFILOU CHATY (HCR GABON)
8- NZAOU Marien Paul
9- BAYEKOULA Landry
10- BANZOUZI Malela Rodrigue Cyriaque
11- MBAYA Ludovic-Olivier
12- PAMBOU Claude
13- LOUNGOUANGO-MOKOMBO
14- DIAMBOU Durville Alias Rodrigue
15- KOUNKOU Koussimbissa Yvon-Giscard
16- GANGHAT-MBIZI MEMIN Wilfrid
17- MIATHITEOLO Serge
18- TOUNTA Lucien Protais
19- TANDOU Christian
20- ZOBOKO Prisca

Action requested

Please write to the authorities of Bénin urging them to

i.- guarantee the physical and psychological integrity of all 
    detainees, including the aforementioned persons, and allow 
    detainees to have immediate access to legal counsel and medical 
    care;

  ii.-order their immediate release if they are held in detention 
    without any valid charges or, in the event that they have been 
    charged, bring them immediately before a competent and 
    impartial tribunal and guarantee their full procedural rights as 
    well as their right to legal counsel at all times, in conformity with 
    the international human rights standards;

iii.-comply with the non-refoulement provisions of Article 3 of the 
    Convention Against Torture by refraining from deportation 
    based on the current human rights situation in Congo.

iv.-guarantee all human rights and fundamental freedoms and 
    conform their actions to the human rights international 
    standards as established in international pacts and covenants.

Addresses 

Son Excellence Monsieur Mathieu Kérékou, Président de la République, 
La Présidence, Place de l`Independance, Boite Postale 08 0612, Cotonou, 
Benin

Monsieur Ismaël Tidjani Serpos, Garde des Sceaux et Ministre de la 
Justice, Ministère de la Justice, BP 967, Cotonou, Bénin, Fax          + 229 
31 34 48

Geneva,  1 February 1999

The Human Rights Action Network, a part of Derechos Human Rights, distributes appeals on behalf of victims of human rights violations. You are invited to join the network. Please check the date of the present action and do not write if it's over a month old.