EMBASSY REFERRAL FOR ALPHA OUMAR BARRY

UNCLAS ACCRA 001717 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS FOR PRM/A E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREF GH GV SUBJECT: EMBASSY REFERRAL FOR ALPHA OUMAR BARRY ¶1. (SBU) Summary: Embassy Accra hereby refers Alpha Oumar Barry, a citizen of Guinea, born 26 April, 1974, in Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire, for refugee processing. Barry worked as a driver and distributor of publications for Human Rights Watch (HRW) in Guinea. He also assisted HRW in identifying victims and witnesses of human rights abuses. Because of these activities, he was allegedly harassed, beaten and detained by the police. The police also questioned and beat his relatives when searching for Barry. One of the relatives died as a result of injuries sustained in the beatings. The police also threatened an American neighbor of Barry, saying they would make life difficult for him if he did not reveal Barry's whereabouts. Barry fled Guinea on July 4, 2007. End summary. ¶2. (SBU) This Embassy referral is for: Alpha Oumar Barry, DPOB: 26 APR 1974, Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire. Note: Applicant provided information that his actual year of birth is 1972, and not 1974 as it appears on the passport. ¶3. (SBU) Barry worked for Human Rights Watch (HRW) in Guinea. He was a driver, distributed HRW reports about human rights abuses in Guinea and helped HRW identify victims and witnesses of such abuses. Government authorities discovered his involvement with HRW. On the night of June 27, 2007, police came to his house, asked about HRW and beat him with a rifle butt. They detained him overnight at the police station without allowing him any drinking water. ¶4. (SBU) A family friend who is a military official arranged for him to be released and brought to a hospital for treatment of the wounds sustained in the police beating. ¶5. (SBU) Barry went into hiding in Conakry. On June 28, his family notified him that the police had come to his house, summoning him for questioning. ¶6. (SBU) Barry decided to leave the country and managed to fly to Dakar, bypassing police and customs security points. Barry fled Guinea on July 4, 2007. ¶7. (SBU) Family members later told Barry that the police beat two of his cousins on July 4, 2007 while questioning them about Barry's activities with HRW. One of the cousins, Boubacar Barry, died on the night of July 9-10, 2007 of internal bleeding sustained in the beating. ¶8. (SBU) Human Rights Watch has contacted us about this case and validates Barry's information. Barry has provided convincing evidence to us that he fled Guinea because he had a well-founded fear of persecution as a result of his human rights work. BRIDGEWATER