American seeks political asylum in Sweden, alleging torture, FBI coercion

[The Northerner]

Source: MSNBC



An American citizen who alleges that he was detained and tortured overseas at the behest of the U.S. government — and is now marooned as a result of the U.S. no-fly list — has filed for political asylum in Sweden, he announced with his lawyers on Wednesday.

Yonas Fikre, 33, says he spent more than three months in a Dubai detention center in 2011. In a lengthy Skype interview with msnbc.com, he described sleeping on the concrete floor of a frigid jail cell, and enduring regular interrogation, beatings and stress positions that caused him to collapse or black out.

He was released in September, he says, but is just now going public with his story.

Fikre’s ordeal took place outside the United States — far from his home in Portland, Ore. — but he and his American lawyer say they believe it was orchestrated by the FBI in connection with an investigation in Portland. And they maintain that Fikre’s inclusion on the no-fly list — which bars him from boarding U.S.-bound flights — has been used as a tool to coerce information, not because he presents a risk to U.S. flights.

Read more: http://usnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/04/18/11266018-american-seeks-political-asylum-in-sweden-alleging-torture-fbi-coercion?chromedomain=openchannel

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Let's hope this gains more mainstream attention and is investigated thoroughly through citizen journalism.

[Diclotican]

1. The Northerner

The Northerner

I hope he can get a asylum, and a free space to live.. It must be some irony, that an american can not fly to his own country, becouse be on a "no-fly list"...

But, this is what US have made to be....

Diclotican

[bluedigger]

2. Why couldn't he fly to Canada/Mexico and drive across the border?

Is the US Government now denying reentry to US citizens?

[harmonicon]

11. Sure, he could, but there is a better question:

should the government make two tiers of citizenship based upon whim?

[cstanleytech]

12. Good question but on the other hand I cannot help but wonder if we had

had said list before 9/11 if it might not have prevented it from happening.
But anyway regarding this guy, if hes on the do not fly list the least the government could do is provide him passage on a military flight rather than stranding him like they have.

[harmonicon]

14. The FBI was already monitoring most, if not all, of the 9/11 hijackers.

There were a million things that got fucked up which allowed that travesty to happen, but not having a police-state wasn't one of them. It's not as if people don't all go through the same security checks to get on a flight. Having a no-fly list is simply a way of punishing people for pre-crimes, and I think it's completely unjustifiable.

[muriel_volestrangler]

13. People on the no-fly list can't go from Europe to Canada or Mexico either

Unless they fly quickly to Vancouver.

One million British travellers planning to fly to Canada, the Caribbean and Mexico this year face the risk of being turned away at the airport – at the insistence of the US Department of Homeland Security.

New rules require British Airways and other airlines flying to certain airports outside America to submit passengers' personal data to US authorities. The information is checked against a "No Fly" list containing tens of thousands of names. Even if the flight plan steers well clear of US territory, travellers whom the Americans regard as suspicious will be denied boarding.
...
For several years, every US-bound passenger has had to provide Advance Passenger Information (API) before departure. Washington has extended the obligation to air routes that over-fly US airspace, such as Heathrow to Mexico City or Gatwick to Havana.

Now the US is demanding passengers' full names, dates of birth and gender from airlines, at least 72 hour before departure from the UK to Canada. The initial requirement is for flights to Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal and the Nova Scotia capital, Halifax – 150 miles from the nearest US territory. A similar stipulation is expected soon for the main airports in western Canada, Vancouver and Calgary.

http://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/planning-a-trip-to-canada-or-the-caribbean-us-immigration-may-have-other-ideas-7584912.html

[TheMadMonk]

15. WHY THE FUCK SHOULD HE HAVE TO <insert personal perjorative here>?

If you feel a need to ask this question you're (unwittingly or otherwise) a part of the problem, not the solution.

The no fly list has NOTHING WHATSOEVER to do with keeping dangerous people off planes. It's all about sending the message: "Don't piss off the PTBs. Or else!"

It's part and parcel with the stop, search, seize policies being used to steal/confiscate cash money.

It's the reason why TSA is coming to a railway/bus station near you.

It's why kids in New York can't be in the public hallways of their own apartment building without fucking PAPERS proving they have a right to be there.

It's why the Trayvon Martin case is an international media circus.

It's all about puting LESSER AMERICANS in their place and MAKING DAMNED SURE THEY STAY THERE.

[bluedigger]

16. Why the fuck are you attacking me for asking a question?

Don't bother replying. I could give a shit.

[TheMadMonk]

17. Because your question presuposes the legitimacy of the no-fly list. /nt

[leveymg]

18. Canada (and, I believe Mexico) now share the US No-Fly List.

This isn't the first time this has become an issue. This device is used as leverage to extract information or cooperation. But, there's something that seems un-American about it.

I suppose, he might be able to fly to Venezuela, and drive north. But, he shouldn't have to, and it is evidence that goes to a claim of official persecution.

[PDJane]

3. I'm not in the least surprised.

The US is, in spite of much blather to the contrary, a police state.

If you want to make enemies of moderate Islam, this is a fine way to go about it.

[splintersawry]

4. We don't torture anymore. We just have others do it for us. n/t

[Kelvin Mace]

5. OK, this is now torture happening on Obama's watch

If Romney wins in November, any bets on how long it will be before he is prosecuted for torture?

Of course, Obama gave BushCo a pass on war crimes, so I will find it hard to be outraged despite the hypocrisy.

[think]

6. What a mockery of all that America is suppose to stand for. SHAME /nt

[McCamy Taylor]

7. He should try Spain. Sweden will do what the US tells it to do.

Spain will grant him asylum in a second.

[KamaAina]

10. You're right.

Ask Julian Assange.

[fascisthunter]

8. A reaction to the Idiocy that has become Ameriklan

[KamaAina]

9. Dubai, eh?

Is the detention center a wholly owned subsidiary of Halliburton?