Olga Novoselova must stay!

We are extremely concerned about Miss Olga Novoselova (dob 22/07/1957) of Flat 3, 98 Wadham Road, Liverpool, L20 2DE – now detained at Yarl’s Wood immigration detention centre. Olga is a talented musician and is actively involved with the Roman Catholic Church of St Anne and St. Bernard, Edge Hill, Liverpool, where Olga is the church organist and has attended regularly since October 2005.

Olga has travelled the length and breadth of the North West region involving herself in Russian cultural events all over Merseyside and as far afield as Preston, Leyland, Lancaster, Altrincham and Manchester. The news of her arrest and detention by the UK Borders Agency on January 18, 2011 for an alleged breach of UK immigration law came as a great shock to everyone who knows Olga.

Whilst it is true that Olga is still married, her husband’s whereabouts are unknown. Olga suffered domestic violence during the marriage and ever since December 2008 she has lived in Bootle with her current partner, Mr Aleksandr ("Sasha" - who is a citizen of Lithuania and therefore the EU) Charchenko and his son, Aleksandras, where the three of them have formed a cohesive and functioning family unit.

We ask you release Olga immediately so that she can be reunited with her family and friends on Merseyside.