‘In prison I鈥檒l be beaten and raped every day’
Image: Andrew Nagbe is set to be deported from Sweden. Picture: Facebook
A GAY footballer detained at Stockholm Pride is set to be deported back to Liberia – a country where homosexuality is illegal.
Andrew Nagbe was denied a residence permit after an unsuccessful trial with Swedish soccer聽club聽Ume氓 FC. He stayed on聽to play for lower division teams until he was detained in late July when he was caught聽after a random ID check.
Nagbe spoke to Swedish newspaper聽Dagens Nyheter about his聽situation.
“I want to play football and live as an openly gay man in Sweden,”聽he聽said.
The Liberian national聽feared what his openly gay聽status would mean and聽saw the聽threat of prosecution as聽a real possibility.
鈥淚n prison I鈥檒l be beaten and raped every day until I am released and leave the country again,” Nagbe said.
“Everyone I know in Liberia knows I am gay now, so they won鈥檛 hold back.鈥�
Nagbe insists聽he聽is聽already wanted by Liberian police and saw this outcome as inevitable.
Sweden’s Migration Service ruled that Nagbe’s claims聽were聽not verifiable and that he must submit new evidence in order to appeal their decision.
Michael Persson, a representative of the country’s Migration Board, said while there is the risk of harassment in Libera, there is no evidence of state-sanctioned abuse.
Nagbe is set to be deported on August 23.
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