Oury Jalloh Murder Poster

Germany c. 2000s, 2010s

24 x 17 in (61 x 43 cm)

ID #FF9C-PK20-2-LZ

"OURY JALLOH / DAS WAR MORD! / ERMORDET / 7. Januar 2005 / VON DER POLIZEI IN DESSAU / Deutschland / http://initiativeouryjalloh.wordpress.com"

 

Poster spreading awareness of the murder of Oury Jalloh, protesting government failure to enact justice, police brutality, and racism. The German text reads "OURY JALLOH / THAT WAS MURDER! / MURDERED 7TH JANUARY 2005 / BY THE POLICE IN DESSAU / GERMANY".

Born in Sierra Leone, Oury Jalloh applied for political asylum in Germany from the Sierra Leonean Civil War. He was arrested on January 7th, 2005, and after revealing a BAC of 0.3% and cocaine usage, he was handcuffed by his wrists and ankles to a bed inside of a jail cell. Police officers at the station claimed that an officer had turned off an active fire alarm twice, only going to investigate after a third, different alarm played. In the downstairs cells, they found Jalloh alive and burning to death.

The police officers involved were acquitted of all charges in 2008 (causing bodily harm with fatal consequences, involuntary manslaughter). Throughout the trial, many inconsistencies were found in the officers' accounts. The reported narrative was that Jalloh had committed suicide, setting his foam mattress on fire using a lighter. No lighter was present inside of the cell. Fire experts were unable to recreate the means of death.

In 2010, the case was reopened in light of the deaths of two other prisoners at the same police station. During the new trial (2014-2017), no new convictions were made. Observations from a professional 2019 autopsy indicated that Oury Jalloh may have been tortured before his death.

Condition: Poor; many creases, crumples, tears and pieces missing.

Material: Paper

100-250 activism black lives matter german justice murder police poster protest racism size-24-x-17 vintage poster