Free Moses Yen

[Michael Fisher]

This is a weird request, but I need some help.

Recalling this info from a prior post about someone I met in jail:

Moses Yen - Driving without license.  Brought to the USA by the United Nations.  A "UN Citizen" brought here by Michael O'Keefe.  Has been jailed for many, many months, transferred between jails, and did not know why he's still in jail.  Hardly speaks any English.  After I talked to him about independent living and freedom, he just wants to return to Sudan to live a simple life and live off the land, if he ever gets out.

Apparently, Michael O'Keefe was the Commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Human Services
http://www.dhs.state.mn.us/main/groups/agencywide/documents/pub/dhs_Home_Page.hcsp

Unfortunately, he is no longer in their directory, so he must not work there anymore.

Moses was brought here as a part of a UN program to "improve the lives" of some people from his country.  He wants to go back to Sudan, but he cannot get out of jail, and he does not know who to talk to if or when he is released.  He is constantly transferred between jails and nobody seems to know what to do with him.

Moses hardly speaks any English so he does not have a chance on his own, but I spoke to him for hours and strongly believe he has a good heart and would only be happy back in Sudan.

I need help finding out who to talk to about this.  I do not even know where to begin.  Should I call the MN Department of Human Services?  The UN?  The NH gov?

This is a small project that I feel requires my immediate attention.

Help!

[Michael Fisher]

He was booked into the Merrimack County House of Corrections on the night of Monday, May 9, if I remember correctly.  He actually has 5 names, but he goes by Moses Yen and the jail had his locker marked by that name.

[Michael Fisher]

I just e-mailed Ken Tota, Chief of Operations, of the Office of Refugee Resettlement, part of the US Department of Health and Human Services and asked him for help.  Hopefully he'll reply.


Hello,

I was in jail for one night at the Merrimack County Department of Corrections in New Hampshire and met a refugee named Moses Yen, a young man from Sudan brought here by the US and the United Nations.  He claims to have been brought here from Sudan by Michael O'Keefe under some sort of US/UN program to help people from that country to find a better life here in America.

My research shows Mr. O'Keefe was the Commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Human Services:
http://www.dhs.state.mn.us/main/groups/agencywide/documents/pub/dhs_Home_Page.hcsp

Moses does not speak English very well, does not understand our laws, and has been jailed continuously for many months.  He only wishes to go back to Sudan and live a simple life, even if there is a war in his home country.  He does not want to live in America anymore - you can ask him yourself.

Here is the contact info for the Merrimack County Department of Corrections:
Dept. of Corrections
Carole Anderson
326 D.W. Hwy.
Boscawen, NH
Phone: (603) 796-2107 

Please help.  I do not know who else to contact.  You may be his only chance to be free in his home country once again.

Thank you very much for your time.


Mike Fisher
Newmarket, NH
603-498-7935

[Michael Fisher]

This letter was also sent to the new Commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Human Services.

[Kat Kanning]

I'll help.  Do you know what he was in jail for?

[John]

Maybe the Embacy of Sudan?  They must have one in DC. 

[Kat Kanning]

Yes:

http://www.sudanembassy.org/
The Embassy Address and Phone Number:

2210 Massachusetts Ave. NW
Washington, DC 20008
Tel: (202) 338-8565
Fax: (202) 667-2406

To send a letter, email info@sudanembassy.org.

[Michael Fisher]

I'll help.? Do you know what he was in jail for?

He had no clue at first.? He was transferred to Merrimack DOC from Rockingham DOC because some "weird shit" was going on there.? Maybe they were full.? Later that morning, they apparently told him he was in jail for driving without a license months ago.? He has been in jail constantly, and the conclusion we all reached was that the government just didn't know what to do with him, so they keep jailing him repeatedly.

He told us one story about getting into a fight.? The first time, he refused to fight back because he didn't want to break the law.? So he went to the police station with blood running down his face and asked for help.? They told him that they couldn't help him and he should fight back next time.

The next time he was attacked, he fought back like they told him to and he was jailed for a long time for defending himself.

I know Moses has a geniunely good heart.? There must be a way to get him out.

I've sent that the letter to the embassy as well.? Thanks, Kat.?

[Russell Kanning]

I bet the guy would be better of staying in America. Does he have family in Sudan that he wants to get back to?
Why did they bring him here in the first place? Most Africans dream of coming to America and send letters begging for airfare.

[Russell Kanning]

Maybe we can help him stay out of jail once he gets out. What language does he speak?

[Michael Fisher]

Maybe we can help him stay out of jail once he gets out. What language does he speak?

I'm not sure, but it's probably one of the major languages spoken in Sudan:

Arabic (official), Nubian, Ta Bedawie, diverse dialects of Nilotic, Nilo-Hamitic, Sudanic languages, English

He speaks and understands English, but its very difficult to understand him.

Trust me about his intentions because I've spoken with him for hours about this.? He now realizes that this is not a free country and he definitely wants to go back to Sudan, even if there is a war.? He does not like this country at all and I do not blame him.

[Kat Kanning]

How do you explain to a person like that the million things that it's illegal to do here?  He probably thought you could just buy a car and drive it 

[Michael Fisher]

How do you explain to a person like that the million things that it's illegal to do here?? He probably thought you could just buy a car and drive it?

I did explain it to him.  That's why he wants to move back to Sudan.
"And they call this a FREE country?  I'm in jail for selling a MANICURE!!!" 

I've never believed in miracles before.  Or fate.  Or synchronicity.  Now I'm beginning to wonder after the events of the past week.

On May 7th, at dinner with my wife, a journalist, and her husband, we were discussing the civil disobedience event.  Everyone's trying to talk me out of it.  When we were about to leave, I looked down into my fortune cookie...  It said:

"Trust your intuition.  The universe is guiding your life."

I still have that little piece of paper in my wallet, and I still stare at it and wonder about the extremely low probability of receiving it that day.

[John]

Fortune cookies?  They are very general, you know, so as to apply to most people who wish to make then apply.  My brother and his wife have this thing where whatever the mesage in a fortune cookie is they add "in bed" to the end of it.    

BTW Mike, You have helped to guide the "universe"!  A force comming at you is very hard to stop, but use just a little nudge at the right time and that force can be redirected.  Sometimes it comes right off the freaking rails.
Your timeing on this could not have been better my friend.

[FTL_Ian]

Since the press seems to have a lot of respect for you, Mike perhaps this would make a good press release from you:

"Outlaw Manicurist reveals shocking Concord jail conditions!"  Maybe they'd cover it!