URGENT: LEGAL SUPPORT FOR 5 LGBTIQ REFUGEES IN KENYA

Kenya is the only East African country where LGBTIQ+ persons can apply for asylum and be recognized as refugees. As a result, there has been steady increase of LGBTIQ refugees and asylum seekers in both Nairobi and the Kakuma refugee camp, which is situated 900 kilometers north eastof Nairobi.

The outbreak of CoVID-19 has exacerbated the situation with refugee resettling countries such as USA and Canada shutting their boarders or slowing down the processes

Despite the progresses and successes, Kenya still has some of the cruelest anti-homosexuality laws in the world, and refugees are not exempt from the ostensibly targeted state repression.

Two weeks ago, Kenya police raided an emergency shelter house for Transgender refugees in Nairobi, arrested five of them and took them into custody. A day later, the five were shocked to find a person claiming they had gang reaped him. Now the face some of the gravest charges! Gang rape and Sodomy. This is nothing more than the persecution that LGBTIQ+ persons and refugees in particularface in Kenya

The court has now set bail conditions that are out of our reach.

3,000USD for each of the totaling to 15,000USD for people who have no means of earningsounds like a death sentence. But we are determined to stand with them and that’s why as Community Support Initiative for Refugees CoSIR and our partners are calling upon for support

Even if we are unable to collect the necessary bail sum, the victims of homophobic persecution still need assistance while incarcerated.

You can also support the five by signing an online petition in the link below

https://action.allout.org/en/m/d04bcc85/?utm_campaign=mgp-d04bcc85&utm_source=whatsapp&utm_medium=social

For more information about this campaign please contact the following

[email protected]

[email protected]

[email protected]

[email protected]