November 20, 2017

#OuryJalloh – It was murder!

tags:	#institutional racism, #Oury Jalloh, ##OuryJalloh, #Das war Mord!, #police violence, #crime, #Dessau, #Saxony-Anhalt, #racistically motivated crime, #murder
located:	Germany
by:	Deniz Zehra Tavli

Oury Jalloh's name can be found on many walls in Germany - mostly with the title next to it: "It was murder!" The case of Oury Jalloh occured in 2005, when his burnt body was found in the cell of a police station in Dessau, Germany. According to the police officers who had detained the man from Sierra Leone, Jalloh set himself on fire and could not be safed on time. According to a new survey led by the prosecution it is more likely that Jalloh was killed since experts on fire safety, medicine and chemistry all came to the conclusion that Jalloh's death was caused by a third party.

The irregularities in the official account have led to 12 years of campaigning (!) by the Break the Silence initiative, which has financed investigations and successfully pressured prosecutors to keep the case open. Though new documents are now to be added, the case is about to be closed, since it was handed over to a different prosecution department which declares it as sufficiently "clarified".

Mouctar Ouldadah Bah, a close friend of Oury Jalloh, fights since more than ten years for an in-depth investigation and a resumption of the case. With the impending closing of it, he is asking for support and started a petition on change.org. Feel encouraged to support the family members and friends of Oury Jalloh, set a clear sign against institutional racism and sign and spread the petition against the closing of his case!