Home | Friday 26th September 2008 | Issue 648
WHO LOVES YER, BABI
On 20th September at 3.15pm, gay radical artist Babi Badalov was deported on a BMI flight to Azerbaijan.
Babi sought asylum in the UK in 2006 following years of persecution because of his sexuality. His own family had threatened to kill him - one attack left him with only eight teeth.
His art and poetry, which mocked Azerbaijan's ruling elite, got him targeted for repression. Most famous was a photographic piece, parodying the abundance of public statues of the Azerbaijani president. This led to threatening visits from the Ministry of National Security (MNS), Azerbaijan's version of the KGB.
After arriving in the UK, Babi was dispersed to Cardiff and quickly immersed himself in activism. He regularly helped out Cardiff's social centre P.A.D and despite his precarious immigration status was in the thick of campaigning and active member of No Borders South Wales.
Babi was snatched on Tuesday attending his weekly signing at the UK Border Agency building in Cardiff. Informed that he was going to be detained and deported Babi said, "I feel sick". The UK Border agent told him, "Well you make us sick, you're going back where you belong". Under cover of darkness he was taken to Campsfield detention centre.
He was able to send this message: "PlizPLIZpliz i wontWONTwont GO back. i WANT die HERE THAN AZERBAIJAN. HELL O FAKING 21st Century! Can I stay in UK? Can I live 5 year happy here? FAK THE LAW MAKER! humanity"
Whilst in detention Babi was given a medical exam - the subsequent report strongly recommended he be given a proper psychiatric evaluation.
Babi was due to be deported at 8pm on Saturday the 20th on a flight to Baku. However, following a huge amount of harassment from friends and supporters from around the country, Azerbaijan Airlines caved in and refused to carry him. But the Home Office rescheduled his deportation to a British Midland Airways (BMI) flight at 3.15pm the same day. This time despite a huge struggle, which continued up until the last minute - Babi was eventually deported.
Friend and No Borders South Wales activist, Noah Moore told SchNEWS:
"While Babi is currently safe, if anything happens to him the state and BMI will have blood on their hands. His deportation has left a huge hole in all his friends lives and demonstrates the brutality of immigration controls. He was ripped away from his new home, friends and people that loved him just so the government can keep its deportation statistics up. We didn't fight to keep Babi here out of compassion or because he had suffered. We don't care why Babi came. We fought for Babi because but he was one of us, a fighter for freedom of movement, for equality and a world without borders."
* See www.noborderswales.wordpress.com/fest
Babi sought asylum in the UK in 2006 following years of persecution because of his sexuality. His own family had threatened to kill him - one attack left him with only eight teeth.
His art and poetry, which mocked Azerbaijan's ruling elite, got him targeted for repression. Most famous was a photographic piece, parodying the abundance of public statues of the Azerbaijani president. This led to threatening visits from the Ministry of National Security (MNS), Azerbaijan's version of the KGB.
After arriving in the UK, Babi was dispersed to Cardiff and quickly immersed himself in activism. He regularly helped out Cardiff's social centre P.A.D and despite his precarious immigration status was in the thick of campaigning and active member of No Borders South Wales.
Babi was snatched on Tuesday attending his weekly signing at the UK Border Agency building in Cardiff. Informed that he was going to be detained and deported Babi said, "I feel sick". The UK Border agent told him, "Well you make us sick, you're going back where you belong". Under cover of darkness he was taken to Campsfield detention centre.
He was able to send this message: "PlizPLIZpliz i wontWONTwont GO back. i WANT die HERE THAN AZERBAIJAN. HELL O FAKING 21st Century! Can I stay in UK? Can I live 5 year happy here? FAK THE LAW MAKER! humanity"
Whilst in detention Babi was given a medical exam - the subsequent report strongly recommended he be given a proper psychiatric evaluation.
Babi was due to be deported at 8pm on Saturday the 20th on a flight to Baku. However, following a huge amount of harassment from friends and supporters from around the country, Azerbaijan Airlines caved in and refused to carry him. But the Home Office rescheduled his deportation to a British Midland Airways (BMI) flight at 3.15pm the same day. This time despite a huge struggle, which continued up until the last minute - Babi was eventually deported.
Friend and No Borders South Wales activist, Noah Moore told SchNEWS:
"While Babi is currently safe, if anything happens to him the state and BMI will have blood on their hands. His deportation has left a huge hole in all his friends lives and demonstrates the brutality of immigration controls. He was ripped away from his new home, friends and people that loved him just so the government can keep its deportation statistics up. We didn't fight to keep Babi here out of compassion or because he had suffered. We don't care why Babi came. We fought for Babi because but he was one of us, a fighter for freedom of movement, for equality and a world without borders."
* See www.noborderswales.wordpress.com/fest
