Meanwhile in Austria...

11.Nov.01 - The Nigerian author Charles Ofoedu was arrested at 8 a.m. today and taken to a deportation cell. He is now being held in the police prison at Rossauer de in Vienna. The arrest came as a complete surprise. Neither had a notice of deportation been issued to him, nor does Ofoedu's conviction on October 13th last year necessarily have to result in a deportation. Instead a judgement by the Foreigner Police excludes Ofoedu for a ten-year period. The aim of the threatened deportation is to prevent Ofoedu from taking any further legal measures.
The state persecution of Charles Ofoedu began with the mass arrests as part of the so-called "Operation Spring". Ofoedu was held on remand for three months as an alleged "drug boss". The accusations against him of drug dealing and organised crime had to be dropped. In the trial on October 13t 2000 the "anonymous witness" AZ1 appeared as a prosecution witness - as he had done in approximately 40 other cases. On the basis of his evidence Charles Ofoedu was sentenced for money laundering to ten months in prison, remitted to three years on parole. This punishment does not necessarily have to lead to a deportation. The current decision by the foreigers police (ten years exclusion from the entire Schengen area) is a massive over-reaction to the punishment handed down by the court. The foreigers police regard the author Charles Ofoedu in their words as a "danger to the order and safety of Austria". In fact it is Charles Ofoedu who is in danger: In Nigeria a new prosecution is threatened - for the same offence. For more infromation go to www.no-racism.net