Appeals
Mahoro is a 40-year-old Rwandan lady, who grew up in Uganda, returned to Rwanda in 1996 after the genocide, and fled to Britain following the murder of her husband in 2002, leaving her children behind. Mahoro’s husband was a Rwandan Tutsi soldier and gave evidence against those who committed the genocide in 1994. In 2002 he was murdered by unknown persons, whom the Rwandan government believed were Interahamwe Hutu rebels, known to be trying to silence those giving evidence. Rwanda’s military intelligence organization and police detained and interrogated her believing she was covering up for the killers as she was herself also a Hutu. During one month’s detention, she was raped and tortured.
After Mahoro came to Britain, she became ill and was then diagnosed with HIV. She is receiving a very specific combination of anti-retroviral therapy, which extensive research has shown is unavailable in Rwanda. According to her HIV consultant, she is on this particular combination due to her intolerance and resistance to multiple drugs, and her therapeutic options are limited.
In Rwanda people die daily due to HIV/AIDS; in 2005, 21,000 people died of AIDS and life expectancy dropped to 47 for women. An estimated 190,000 people are living with HIV/AIDS. (Source: 2006 Report on the global AIDS epidemic, UNAIDS/WHO, May 2006.) In addition, anti-retroviral drugs are out of the reach of most people who live in poverty, and a lot of the drugs which are available are either counterfeit or substandard.
Despite this, in June 2005 the British Home Office wrote to Mahoro to tell her that Britain was ‘not responsible’ for her treatment and she must return to Rwanda. She appealed but it was rejected. Mahoro is extremely fearful of being deported, ‘I am only 40 and will die if I am forced to return. My children will be orphaned… if I were to return to Rwanda I would die in a few months. Thus, being sent home is to sign my death warrant.’ Mahoro is currently a service user representative, VC and founder of the Baobab group at Body Positive North West, where she volunteers and helps other HIV sufferers.
Lohn Leech MP (Manchester Withington) raised her case at Prime Ministers Questions on 19 March this year and continues to campaign on her behalf.
Write letters of protest to the Home Secretary (HO ref. M1165410) and your MP, against this blatant disregard for the well-being, dignity, human rights and life of Adela Mahoro Mugabo.
(sources: letter from John Leech MP; NW Asylum Seekers Support Group website)
new page 11 May 2008