Losing life or spending in jail": a choice offered to foreign student by Ukrainian Themis Appeal in relation to the trial Olaol
by Підтримаємо Олаолу Фемі | Lets support Olaolu Femi on Friday, August 24, 2012 at 1:42pm ·
Twenty-six years old Nigerian Olaolu Sunki Femi came to Ukraine in 2007 to pursue higher education. He graduated from the three full courses of Luhansk National University named after Taras Shevchenko. This year like his classmates Olaolu Femi was supposed to get a bachelor's degree. But when the other Nigerian students participated in solemn graduation ceremony –he already was in prison for more than six months. Classmates are trying to help his friend, and the rector of Luhansk National University confirms that the University does not abandon his student. However tragic incident thathappened to Olaolu, not only can wipe his bachelor's degree, but the whole life. As well as cause doubts among other international students about the decision to come to study in Ukraine.

For the whole life Femi and his friend Eniola Sudadi will remember the night of November 5, 2011 whenat the entrance of an apartment building where apartment was rented by another Nigerian student, theybecome victims of racially motivated attack of five young people. Being affected by alcohol attackers first nsulted Nigerians, and later knocked down and started beating them. Eniola was unable to rise from the ground, and Femi found possibility for defense, namely confronted attackers with neck of a broken glass bottle. As a result, three attackers - V. Haman, D. Lemenchuk and A. Loboda received wounds of hands, neck and head, and the attackers friend I. Pashkova, who participated in the incident, received facial and head injuries.

The next day Olaolu Femi was detained by the court and imprisoned in Luhansk pre-trial detention center
where he is up to date.

Olaolu Femi was charged under Article 115, Part 2, Part 4, and 296 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine - the attempted premeditated murder with the motive of hooliganism. According to investigators, he "with the motive of clear disrespect for society" carried out the attack with previously prepared instrument of crime - a broken glass bottle. Other, more comprehensible and explicable motives of alleged night attack of a Nigerian student on group of local youngsters has not been found by the investigators. Despite the fact that the injuries inflicted to the attackers are considered "light injuries" and the fact that its character does not evidence that Olaolu was attacking himself but not protecting from attack, Femi is charged with "complete" attempted murder and might face life imprisonment.

The only evidence for the charges is testimony of the victims. Investigating authorities declared that it is impossible to find and interrogate the taxi driver, who drove Nigerian students to the building and, according to Nigerians, saw the beginning of the incident. Results of the medical expertise, which showed that Haman,Lemenchuk and Loboda were in a state of alcohol intoxication are not added to the court file. The number of "victims" in the investigation strangely reduced from 6 to 4. Suddenly, for the defense, in the case file appeared "unidentified firearms" from which, according to the testimony of "victims", Femi allegedly made a shot in the leg of lying Vadim Haman after applying to the "injured" neck of the bottle and before leaving the scene. However traces of a firearm shot are not found on clothes of the “victim” by the expertise. The testimony of the accused and the witness - Eniolu Sudadi - about the racist motive for the attack on them, as well as about insults and threats (including threats of usage traumatic gun) by the “victims” have strangely disappeared from the court file. We have the reasonable doubt, that fact that the mother of one of the “victims” is working in the Leninsky district police department, whose staff conducted pre-trial investigation of the case, might have a significant impact on the determination of the status of citizens of Ukraine involved in the incident as "victims", as well as the entire course of the investigation.

The investigating authorities made some gross violations during the pre-trial investigation. Though Olaolu Femi is not fluent in Ukrainian and Russian, investigations were carried out in the absence of a qualified interpreter. During the pre-trial investigation Femi did not receive procedural documents on the case in the comprehensible language. He was able to see the translated documents only after transfer of the case to the court.

Date of the hearing of the criminal case was postponed several times over several months due to the fact that the prosecution could not provide an interpreter. Only in May this year, the court hearings started. However, at the next session of the court of the prosecutor requested a replacement of the judge with the panel of three judges. The petition was granted and the new composition of the court is going to start to hear the case in effect until September. The accused is detained for 9 months already. It is possible that the case is delayed deliberately in the hope that Femi, pressured by the conditions and length of stay in the pre-trial detention center, will be ready to take the blame for his alleged crime.

We appeal to the Ukrainian human rights protection organizations and activist groups to take part in the dissemination of information and draw attention to the situation of Olaolu Femi. Every Ukrainian might accidentally become a victim of injustice, cruelty and corruption, deeply rooted in the law-enforcement authorities of Ukraine. Each one of us might appear in Olaoulu’s place.

We appeal to the foreign diplomatic missions with the request to monitor the progress of the trial over Olaolu, keeping the situation under scrutiny. Students from many countries are studying in Ukraine. Unfortunately, many of them are victims of discrimination and aggression by racists. Other countries are hosting many international students, including those from Ukraine, and basing on own experience can evaluate poor conditions of protection of foreign students in Ukraine.

We appeal to the international community and international organizations to take all possible measures to
highlight the situation and put pressure on the Ukrainian government authorities demanding the immediate restoration of the rights of Olaolu Femi - his release from custody, and the repeated transparent and effective investigation of the circumstances of the case.


SELF DEFENSE - not a crime!

Initiative "Justice for Olaolu"

“Justice for Olaolu” Initiative is an association of non-governmental organisations and individuals, concerned with criminal prosecution of Olaolu Sunkanmi Femi, which appears to be biased and fabricated. Initiative was launched in order to gather and distribute information regarding his case, to defend Olaolu's right to access to justice, and to restore justice in his case.

We are trying to bring awearness of what is going on to our fellow Negerian that is why we open this email on here for him, please spred the news,,,,,,,,,,,

Losing life or spending in jail": a choice offered to foreign student by Ukrainian Themis Appeal in relation to the trial Olaol
by Підтримаємо Олаолу Фемі | Lets support Olaolu Femi on Friday, August 24, 2012 at 1:42pm ·
Twenty-six years old Nigerian Olaolu Sunki Femi came to Ukraine in 2007 to pursue higher education. He graduated from the three full courses of Luhansk National University named after Taras Shevchenko. This year like his classmates Olaolu Femi was supposed to get a bachelor's degree. But when the other Nigerian students participated in solemn graduation ceremony –he already was in prison for more than six months. Classmates are trying to help his friend, and the rector of Luhansk National University confirms that the University does not abandon his student. However tragic incident thathappened to Olaolu, not only can wipe his bachelor's degree, but the whole life. As well as cause doubts among other international students about the decision to come to study in Ukraine.

For the whole life Femi and his friend Eniola Sudadi will remember the night of November 5, 2011 whenat the entrance of an apartment building where apartment was rented by another Nigerian student, theybecome victims of racially motivated attack of five young people. Being affected by alcohol attackers first nsulted Nigerians, and later knocked down and started beating them. Eniola was unable to rise from the ground, and Femi found possibility for defense, namely confronted attackers with neck of a broken glass bottle. As a result, three attackers - V. Haman, D. Lemenchuk and A. Loboda received wounds of hands, neck and head, and the attackers friend I. Pashkova, who participated in the incident, received facial and head injuries.

The next day Olaolu Femi was detained by the court and imprisoned in Luhansk pre-trial detention center
where he is up to date.

Olaolu Femi was charged under Article 115, Part 2, Part 4, and 296 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine - the attempted premeditated murder with the motive of hooliganism. According to investigators, he "with the motive of clear disrespect for society" carried out the attack with previously prepared instrument of crime - a broken glass bottle. Other, more comprehensible and explicable motives of alleged night attack of a Nigerian student on group of local youngsters has not been found by the investigators. Despite the fact that the injuries inflicted to the attackers are considered "light injuries" and the fact that its character does not evidence that Olaolu was attacking himself but not protecting from attack, Femi is charged with "complete" attempted murder and might face life imprisonment.

The only evidence for the charges is testimony of the victims. Investigating authorities declared that it is impossible to find and interrogate the taxi driver, who drove Nigerian students to the building and, according to Nigerians, saw the beginning of the incident. Results of the medical expertise, which showed that Haman,Lemenchuk and Loboda were in a state of alcohol intoxication are not added to the court file. The number of "victims" in the investigation strangely reduced from 6 to 4. Suddenly, for the defense, in the case file appeared "unidentified firearms" from which, according to the testimony of "victims", Femi allegedly made a shot in the leg of lying Vadim Haman after applying to the "injured" neck of the bottle and before leaving the scene. However traces of a firearm shot are not found on clothes of the “victim” by the expertise. The testimony of the accused and the witness - Eniolu Sudadi - about the racist motive for the attack on them, as well as about insults and threats (including threats of usage traumatic gun) by the “victims” have strangely disappeared from the court file. We have the reasonable doubt, that fact that the mother of one of the “victims” is working in the Leninsky district police department, whose staff conducted pre-trial investigation of the case, might have a significant impact on the determination of the status of citizens of Ukraine involved in the incident as "victims", as well as the entire course of the investigation.

The investigating authorities made some gross violations during the pre-trial investigation. Though Olaolu Femi is not fluent in Ukrainian and Russian, investigations were carried out in the absence of a qualified interpreter. During the pre-trial investigation Femi did not receive procedural documents on the case in the comprehensible language. He was able to see the translated documents only after transfer of the case to the court.

Date of the hearing of the criminal case was postponed several times over several months due to the fact that the prosecution could not provide an interpreter. Only in May this year, the court hearings started. However, at the next session of the court of the prosecutor requested a replacement of the judge with the panel of three judges. The petition was granted and the new composition of the court is going to start to hear the case in effect until September. The accused is detained for 9 months already. It is possible that the case is delayed deliberately in the hope that Femi, pressured by the conditions and length of stay in the pre-trial detention center, will be ready to take the blame for his alleged crime.

We appeal to the Ukrainian human rights protection organizations and activist groups to take part in the dissemination of information and draw attention to the situation of Olaolu Femi. Every Ukrainian might accidentally become a victim of injustice, cruelty and corruption, deeply rooted in the law-enforcement authorities of Ukraine. Each one of us might appear in Olaoulu’s place.

We appeal to the foreign diplomatic missions with the request to monitor the progress of the trial over Olaolu, keeping the situation under scrutiny. Students from many countries are studying in Ukraine. Unfortunately, many of them are victims of discrimination and aggression by racists. Other countries are hosting many international students, including those from Ukraine, and basing on own experience can evaluate poor conditions of protection of foreign students in Ukraine.

We appeal to the international community and international organizations to take all possible measures to
highlight the situation and put pressure on the Ukrainian government authorities demanding the immediate restoration of the rights of Olaolu Femi - his release from custody, and the repeated transparent and effective investigation of the circumstances of the case.


SELF DEFENSE - not a crime!

Initiative "Justice for Olaolu"

“Justice for Olaolu” Initiative is an association of non-governmental organisations and individuals, concerned with criminal prosecution of Olaolu Sunkanmi Femi, which appears to be biased and fabricated. Initiative was launched in order to gather and distribute information regarding his case, to defend Olaolu's right to access to justice, and to restore justice in his case.

We are trying to bring awearness of what is going on to our fellow Negerian that is why we open this email on here for him, please spred the news,,,,,,,,,,,