To the Danish Immigration Appeals Board and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees,

 

We, the signatories of this petition, humbly request you grant Nacer Amari asylum in Denmark, where he currently resides. Nacer is an openly LGBTQ ex-Muslim atheist from Tunisia and his own family members belong to ISIS and want him dead, and have made credible threats against his life, which is just one of the reasons he initially fled Tunisia.

His initial appeal was denied by the Danish Immigration Appeals Board and it was their conclusion that returning an openly LGBTQ, vocal apostate to his home, where he would be surrounded by close family who belong to ISIS and other radical Islamic groups, would pose no danger to his person. This finding is not only contrary to common sense, it is in contravention of The 1951 UN Refugee Convention, which obliges participating states to grant asylum and shelter refugees.

Nacer is a ‘Refugee’

The 1951 UN Refugee Convention defines a ‘refugee’ in the following words:

‘A refugee, according to the Convention, is someone who is unable or unwilling to return to their country of origin owing to a well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group, or political opinion.’

Nacer produced more than enough evidence in court to safely satisfy the above test and it is both the opinion of the signatories and that of Atheist Alliance International that Nacer is, according to international law, a refugee.

Denmark’s Obligations to Refugees Under International Law

Denmark has ratified The 1951 UN Refugee Convention and therefore Nacer is legally entitled to seek safe harbour in Denmark. According to Article 33 (1): Prohibition of Expulsion or Return (“Refoulment”):

‘No Contracting State shall expel or return (“refouler”) a refugee in any manner whatsoever to the frontiers of territories where his life or freedom would be threatened on account of his race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion.’

Based on the above, we humbly beseech you to grant Nacer Amari asylum in Denmark in accordance with Denmark’s obligations under international law.

 

Sincerely,

The Signers of this Petition and Michael Sherlock, Executive Director of Atheist Alliance International

 

Email: exec@atheistalliance.org

Website: atheistalliance.org

Facebook: facebook.com/AtheistAllianceInternational