A Sierra Leonean refugee named Oury Jalloh burned to death in Cell No. 5 in the city of Dessau, Germany.
The date: January 7, 2005
Police at the station have called it a simple case of suicide.
His friends and fellows have raised serious and disturbing questions, such as: how do you tie your hands and feet, and burn yourself to death?
Since that day to this, friends of Jalloh and anti-racist organizers have been trying to build a movement against racist violence, often perpetrated by the State, especially against African refugees like Oury Jalloh.
Jalloh was 21 years old.
His case has raised that of similar incidents, of clashes between Black immigrants, and the German police. Like that of Dominique Kuomadio, another African refugee, who was shot and killed by German police on April 14, 2006.
When the German General Public Prosecutor was given the case, the conclusion was all but pre-ordained: self-defense.
Anti-racist Germans and refugee support groups there have organized to demand and fund an x-ray of Oury Jalloh’s corpse. This x-ray found that he suffered a broken nose, and serious trauma to his middle ear.
Earlier requests for such an examination were turned down by the State Prosecutor—who said it wasn’t necessary.
And while the cops who may’ve murdered—burned to death—a Black immigrant in a holding cell, face an almost certain impunity, activists who have spoken out against the cops are being sued now for libel and defamation.
Remember Oury Jalloh!
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