LONDON, July 1, 2006  –  Demonstrators from a coalition of eight groups – Elizabeth-Must-Stay, GALHA, Green Party, LGBT Greens, LGCM, Medical Justice, OutRage!, and UKLGIG – staged a demonstration at the British Airways EuroPride Chill-Out Lounge.

They were highlighting BA’s role in deporting LGBT asylum seekers, returning them to the countries they have fled in order to escape persecution.

British Airways are a major sponsor of EuroPride 2006.

This afternoon, they entered the “Chill-Out Lounge” in Leicester Square with placards proclaiming “BA Does A* All To Help LGBT Deportees” and “British Airways: Stop Deporting Rape Victims”.

They then handed out flyers to EuroPride-goers explaining BA’s duplicity in presenting themselves as LGBT-friendly whilst at the same time forcibly returning LGBT asylum-seekers to countries where they have fled imprisonment and torture.

“Although the CEO of British Airways was approached about this three weeks ago, no reply has yet been received,” said one of the activists, John Hunt.

“The immorality of deporting people to countries where they have already experienced severe persecution in violation of elementary human rights cannot be brushed under the carpet.

“BA must take a corporate initiative in this – and the LGBT community must hold them and the EuroPride organisers to account.”

After 15 minutes the protestors were escorted out of the building, where they continued to distribute flyers in Trafalgar Square.

The flyer pointed out that less than three weeks ago, on June 11, British Airways ‘deported’ Elizabeth, a distraught and defenceless lesbian who had fled to the UK from Uganda, which is considered one of the most homophobic countries in the world.

She was returned to the situation from which she fled two years ago, and at risk of serious persecution on the grounds of her lesbianism, it is feared she is unlikely to survive.

“All airlines, including British Airways, have a moral duty to challenge the Home Office, to ensure that it is in compliance with international human rights law, aviation law, and even its own corporate policies,” the flyer said.  “The Nuremberg Trials established that "We were only following orders" is no defence.  Many individual airline workers already recognise this and act accordingly. Sadly, this is not yet BA corporate policy.”

■  We are still awaiting a response from British Airways. The airline was invited to comment.

LINK

Elizabeth Must Stay website.