By Tererai Karimakwenda
06 July 2005

There was some encouraging news for the detained Zimbabwean asylum seekers who are on day 15 of their hunger strike. One asylum seeker was bailed and released Wednesday and another was blocked from being deported Tuesday night.

Crispen Kulinji was released from custody following a hearing of the Asylum and Immigration Tribunal. He had been held at Campsfield detention centre in Oxfordshire and he said he will continue with the hunger strike until his fellow Zimbabweans have also been released. Crispin was saved from deportation last month after he won a last-minute reprieve. He feared being sent back since he was an MDC organising secretary and had already been tortured.

Upon his release Crispin urged G8 leaders to join the campaign for change in Zimbabwe and those in detention to stay strong.

Absolom Mashamba, a 34-year old detained asylum seeker on hunger strike, was saved from being deported to Zimbabwe on Tuesday. He had been removed from Campsfield House near Oxford and taken to the airport despite his protests that he feared for his life back in Zimbabwe. This was the second time Mashamba's lawyers had blocked his removal in four days. They are insisting that his case be heard at the High Court.

The detained Zimbabweans entered day 15 of their hunger strike against forced deportations. The British Home Secretary Charles Clarke refused to send 2 detainees who are nearly comatose to the hospital. According to Nobel Sibanda of The United Network of Detained Zimbabweans, Clarke said no Zimbabwean needed urgent attention.