Dear Rt Hon Amber Rudd,
We are writing to you with regard to our dear friend Juliet Jaryan Kollie, known to the Home Office as Bruna Auberge Hewlet Louise. We ask that you free her from immigration detention. Having just served a four year prison sentence, from which she was released on good behaviour on 20th of July 2016, Juliet was taken straight to Yarl’s Wood IRC and has been held there under immigration powers ever since.
The Home Office claims that she is the Mauritian citizen Bruna Louise, a claim which the Mauritian government does not accept. The Mauritian government have said that they will prosecute her for identity theft should she be returned to the country. Despite this the Home Office has made two attempts to deport Juliet to The Mauritius both of which were halted, the first by airport officials and the second by the Home Office. Juliet herself has always maintained that she is not Bruna Louise but the Liberian citizen Juliet Jaryan Kollie and has provided identity documents to support this claim. Juliet cannot be removed to Mauritius because she is not Mauritian. She has neither family nor friends in the country and she may be imprisoned upon her return.
Juliet is bisexual. As a teenager in Liberia she witnessed a young woman stoned to death because of her sexuality. She herself was emotionally and physically abused by her family on the basis of her sexuality. Juliet came to the UK in 1995 fleeing the persecution that she and the LGBTQ community face in Liberia. This persecution persists today. In fact, the country has seen a sharp increase in violence against the LGBTQ community since the vehemently homophobic Prince Johnson announced his bid for the Presidency. If Juliet were forcibly returned to Liberia she would face severe persecution and her life may be in danger.
Juliet cannot and should not be removed to either The Mauritius or Liberia and must therefore be released from detention. Keeping her languishing in detention is a violation of her human rights and is having a deeply detrimental effect upon her psychological wellbeing. Her campaign to remain in the UK, Justice 4 Juliet, has nearly 150 supporters, all of whom are very keen that she should be freed. Juliet is aware that she broke the law but, like British citizens, she served her sentence. When she was released from prison the officers in charge of her case said she posed no further risk to the community. Juliet came to United Kingdom looking for safety and refuge – as the Home Secretary we ask that you uphold your duty to keep her safe and free her from immigration detention.
Yours sincerely,
Signatories
https://www.change.org/p/amber-rudd-mp-free-juliet-kollie?utm_medium=email&utm_source=notification&utm_campaign=petition_signer_receipt