Samson Chukwu (also spelled Samsson) (died 1 May 2001) was a 27-year-old Nigerian asylum seeker detained in the Swiss canton of Valais in an attempt to deport him to Lagos, Nigeria via Kloten, Switzerland.[1] While detained in Granges, Valais at Crêtelongue Prison,[2] he was handcuffed lying on his stomach. A police officer rested his weight onto Chukwu's back leading to Chukwu's death by "postural asphyxiation".[3][4][5][6][7][8]
Samson Chukwu | |
|---|---|
| Died | 1 May 2001 (aged 27) Valais, Switzerland |
| Cause of death | Asphyxiation |
Before authorities were able to complete an autopsy, State Councilor Jean-René Fournier, responsible for security and institutions claimed that the cause of death was a heart attack.[9] The final autopsy results released in July 2001 confirmed asphyxiation as the cause of death.[10]
Chukwu's family filed a lawsuit against local police officials. However, a Valais court later dismissed the lawsuit citing officer ignorance of the detainment method's danger.[11]
Amnesty International used the case to urge Switzerland to reduce their program of forced deportations.[2][12] The organization has also used Chukwu's death as evidence of a larger pattern of excessive force used by Swiss police,[11] and the event lead to police reform in the country.[13] Chukwu's death was the second case in two years of an asylum seeker being suffocated to death by Swiss authorities.[10]
While large scale public protests did not occur at the time, Chukwu's name has often been cited in subsequent Black Lives Matter protests in Switzerland.[14][15]
References
edit- ^ "Il s'appelait Samson Chukwu – Portail catholique suisse". cath.ch (in French). Retrieved 2020-06-10.
- ^ a b "Geschäft Ansehen". Federal Assembly. Retrieved 2020-06-10.
- ^ "Swiss deportation measures to be changed". SWI swissinfo.ch. Retrieved 2020-06-10.
- ^ "Amnesty Switzerland pulls up the suspenders of the police". ArcInfo. August 2, 2015. Archived from the original on 2020-06-10. Retrieved June 10, 2020.
- ^ "Le CRAN dénonce une Police dressée pour casser du "Noir"" (PDF). CARREFOUR DE REFLEXION ET D’ACTION CONTRE LE RACISME ANTI-NOIR. July 14, 2011. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2016-04-08. Retrieved June 10, 2020.
- ^ Ngwa, Lydia and Wilfred (2006). From Dust to Snow: The African Dream?. p. 98.
- ^ "Death during forcible deportation: an exchange of correspondence following the death of Samson Chukwu" (PDF). Amnesty International. May 2001. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2020-03-20. Retrieved June 10, 2020.
- ^ "Amnesty International exige une enquête indépendante". Amnesty International Suisse (in French). Retrieved 2020-06-10.
- ^ "Le Nigérian décédé en Valais n'est pas mort d'une crise cardiaque ordinaire". Le Temps (in French). 2001-05-09. ISSN 1423-3967. Retrieved 2020-06-10.
- ^ a b "Autopsy reveals Nigerian deportee died of suffocation". SWI swissinfo.ch. Retrieved 2020-06-10.
- ^ a b "Swiss police criticised for excessive use of force". SWI swissinfo.ch. Retrieved 2020-06-10.
- ^ "Renvois forcés: les méthodes de la police sur la sellette". SWI swissinfo.ch (in French). Retrieved 2020-06-10.
- ^ "Le plaquage ventral, une technique policière internationalement décriée". France 24 (in French). 2020-01-10. Retrieved 2020-09-02.
- ^ "L'écho valaisan à la mort de George Floyd". Le Nouvelliste. June 10, 2020. Archived from the original on 2021-05-01. Retrieved June 10, 2020.
- ^ "PHOTOS. Suisse : un cas semblable à George Floyd revient en lumière, les manifestations contre le racisme se multiplient". France 3 Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes (in French). Retrieved 2020-09-02.