What if your family would be next...?
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Amnesty International Petition Campaign
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European Court of Justice
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Liberty at stake - The Sayadi-Vinck family: frozen in a timeless legal vacuum ?
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Patricia Vinck and Nabil Sayadi with their children Younes, Rouqayah, Omer and Yassine. (l to r) (Metro Times Photo/Ann Mullen)
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Welcome to the Right of Defence web site.
The address of this site is: http://www.rightofdefence.be
A summary of the Sayadi's fate is found here: "Fate & Struggle"
This site is online since March 15, 2004. Style and content are implemented by the web owners only.
Changes to the website can be made without any deliberation or approval of third parties,
including the Sayadi-Vinck family. All rights reserved.
"Right of Defence", our committee, is convinced what happened to is of interest to all democrats.
This couple lives in Flanders, Belgium. They have 4 children.
In 1995 the Sayadis started "Stichting Wereldhulp - Fondation Secours Mondial".
Because Dutch isn't so widely understood and Belgium has a large minority speaking French, the organization adopted names in both languages. The organization became the independent Belgian sister-organization of the "Global Relief Foundation".
The Sayadis vision took gradually form as they successfully collected sanitarian goods (e.g., soap, bandages), containers with medical supplies, tons of second hand material as clothes, blankets, shoes etc. and equipment as notebooks, pens and whatever available to help peoples and teachers both.
Whenever the stock of gratefully collected goods had grown so high it no longer could be pilled up in their extended garage, it was Mr Sayadi who loaded it all on a truck and drove it as near as possible to those in need. Not without risks, they delivered humanitarian aid in areas of conflict: Bosnia, Kosovo, Albania. On occasion his wife accompanied him on this often stressful and adventurous expeditions.
Returning as soon as possible to Belgium they restarted campaigning: informing people what they had experienced and seen while traveling through areas - sometimes only briefly covered in the news - where normal live was no longer possible and all aid welcome.
To improve efficiency - not different from other humanitarian non-governmental organizations - the Sayadis cooperated with other aid organizations that had come to help. To avoid, e.g., Kosovo from being flooded with, e.g., old shoes, co-ordination is needed. It may sound silly - and not all take this, willingly or unwillingly, always that much into consideration - but providing care means, besides bringing in emergency goods (blankets, tents !), also safeguarding the - hoped for - recovery of the now by disaster flattened economy! Too bad for traditional shoemakers if their skills get suffocated by 'aid'!
Such planning only can be done by cooperating with many partners, some with more experience in logistics as your own small organization. "Stichting Wereldhulp" had a good partner in their sibling, the "Global Relief Foundation".
One day, on the 31ste of January 2003 - a particular busy period as Winter is eminent and
many out there have no warm clothes nor blankets -, Ms. Sayadi was phoned at home...
A journalist asked here "What do you think about Minister Reynders's, Minister of
Finances, measure to block your family's bank account?". - ............................... -
Their fight is not only one for dignity and the restoration of their good familie's name.
Their dream was murdered without warning or possibility on compensation.
What has happened to the thousands op anonymous people who needed the goods the Sayadi's had collected during the preceding months? What has and will come of the Sayadi family itself? One day on the other their struggle to survive - without bank account and neither the right to leave small-country Belgium - hasn't become more easy.
This website will, besides on personal reports from how the family is doing, follow up on
the legal battle for justice the Sayadis have started, 26th of February 2004, by filing a lawsuit against the Belgian State. For one year the State has neglected all request to explain on what ground it takes such absurd and draconian measures towards a Belgian family with young children.
This lawsuit exposes injustice and excessive, absurd and unfounded use of power of a State towards a family. A family it considers an easy prey. One that can be played with for as long as wanted due - o, wonders of politics and international interests & justice - all these so compelling emergency measures come from a higher level, serving interests few are aware of, - and no law ever was made to protect civilians against madness. In the meantime, Belgium, can score to those who want proof the country is taking active part in the "War on Terror".
Yes indeed: the Sayadi's struggle is much larger as a lawsuit to clean their name.
Right Of Defence - Independent Information & Support group for the Sayadi-Vinck family -
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