ABCF UPDATE QUARTERLY PUBLICATION OF THE ABCF Winter 2007 "Any movem: ot support their political internees is a s ement.”- 0. Lutalo Tssue #46 WHAT IS THI The Anarchist Black Cross (ABC) began shorly after the 1905 Russian Revolution. It formed afer breaking from the Poliical Red Cross, due to the group's refusal to support Anarchist and Social Revolutionary Political Prisoners. The new group, naming itself the Anarchist Red Cross (ARC), began to pro- Vide aid to_those Politcal Prisoners who were refused support by the PRC In the carly decades, the organization had chapters. throughout Europe and North America. These chapters worked together to provide assistance o prisoners only in provide support to those who were suffering because of their political beliefs In 1919, the organization’s name ch tothe Anarchist Black Cross to avoid confu- sion with the_International Red Cross. Through the 1920s and until 1958, the organ- ization worked under various ofher names but provided the same level of support a the other groups warking as Anarchist Black Cross, After 1936, the ABC expanded it aid to places such as Greece, laly and Spain. In 1958, the organization collapsed but reemerzed in 1967 in London, England. Once again ABC chapters spread throughout the globe providing support for imprisoned comrades. Sadly, by the end of the 1970 only a handful of ABC chapters still existed. Russia. Soon other groups, such as the Latvian Anarchist Red Cross, emerg provide aid in other Eastem Etropean coun- tries. Armed with the deas of mutual aid and solidarity, these groups worked tirelessly to Introduction: “Crucally important to maintaining the anarchist integrity of this organization s the fact that Branch Groups and Support Groups are freely autonomous to take on whatever nitiatives they can to further the Unity of Purpose of the ABCF. So long as these initiatives do not contradict any preexisting agree- ments (Tactical Unity) that have been made by the ABCF, it is not necessary for all groups to approve of and/or agree with programs, projects or work of other ABCF collectives.” [from the ABCF Constitution and Structure] The following definitions are used to describe the below terms whenever they appear in the ABCF Update or any other ABCF literature. Political Prisoner (PP): A person incarcerated for actions carried out in support of legitimate struggles for self determination or for opposing the illegal policies of the government andor its political subdivisions. [Special Interational Tribunal on the Violation of Human Rights of PPPOWS in US. Prisons and Jails, Dec. '90] Prisoner of War (POW): Those combatants struggling against colonial and alien domination and racist regimes captured as prisoners are to be accorded the status of prisoner of war and their treatment should be in accordance with the provisions of the Geneva Conventions Relative to the Treatment of Prisoners of War of 12 August, 1949 (General Assembly resolution 3103) T the 80, however, the ABC began (0 gain popularity again in the US and Europe. For years, the ABC's name was kept alive by a humber of completely autonomous groups scattered throughout the globe and support- ing a wide varicty of prison issues. In May of 1995, a small group of ABC collectives merged into a federation whose aim was 1o focus on the averall support and defense of Politcal Prisoners and Prisoners of War. Various groups have since merged in numerous networks throughout the globe working on various prisonissues. The Anarchist Black Cross Federation (ABCF) has continued its mission to focus on the aid and support of Political Prisoners. We take the position that PP/POWSs demand our top priority. We strive to continue with the same dedication and solidarity to our fallen com- rades as those before us have shown. The ABCF is: PRISONER’S COMMITTEE OJORELUTALO BILL DUNNE 50860 /Box 861 10915086 Trenton, NJ 08625 Box 2068 Inez, KY 41224 USF Big Sandy HANIF BEY 205933 Box 759 Big Stone Gap, VA 20218 SEKOU KAMBUI 113058 / BOX 56 SCC (B1.21) Eimore, AL 36025 JAAN LAAMAN Wiis14 [ Box 100 ‘South Walpole, MA ABCF GROUPS NI AB PHLLY ABS Now Adoss POk 255 IS s N JAX ABC totot Saoniie e VNNPEG ABC 22360382 Winnipeg, Manitoba, ontnenLase MO 1%, i P05 42053 SUCC Joamne Mance Monireal OC H2W 273 Canada LAABC PO BOX 11223 Whiter, CA 90603 A Statement from the ABCF Regarding the Warchest Fund To Our Friends and Supporters, We are wriling this letter to explain a significant gap in reports for our Warchest program, which is intended to provide monthly financial support to several PPIPOWSs. We have detailed financial reports and receipts for all years preceding 2004 and from 2005 until the present, but are missing reports from 2004, Neil Batelli, a member of Jacksonville ABCF, coordinated the Warchest for several years, taking funds from ABCF collec- tives and other donors, and distributing them on a monthly basis to the PPPOWSs who receive the funding. During a move to a new home, Neil misplaced the records from the period in question. It is important to note that we do not in any way question Neils use of incoming funds during this unaccounted period. He ran the Warchest reliably for years and often used his own money to cover shortages. The Warchest continues to be a core component of the work of the ABCF. Transparency is a key part of this fundraising, and we felt that it was necessary to be honest about this interruption in our accounts. FuNds in and out of the program are now handled by Philadelphia ABCF, and monthly reports resumed as of January 2005, Signed by the Federation Council of the ABCF www.abcf.net GREEN SCARE REPORT Friends and supporters, We would like 1o inform everyone about the evens in court today. Afier months of negotiations and consideration, Daniel, along with Jonathan Paul Joyanna Zacher and Nathan Block, pled guily 10 some of the many charges. We cannot emphasize enough what an extremely dif- eult decision this was for Daniel and we will continue to give him our full support. We do ot wan there to be any confusion about Daniels plea agree- ment 50 we have posted i here. Daniel agreed to plead guilty with the understanding that he would not implicate or denify anyone other than himself. The other three remaining co-defendants entered pleas with the same terms. Daniel has done everything possible to mainiain his inegri- ty. and he wants to be as open about his agreement as possibl. We have also provided Daniel’s statement to Judge Aiken and Daniel’s lawyer’s statement belov. As we already stated, we will continue t0 support Daniel completely. He and his family have been through an extremely diffcult time and deserve to get through this with the best possible outcorme. ‘We will be posting information shorty about how others can contin- e to help Daniel by submitting lettrs o the judge. Please keep in mind that ur fight is not ver. We willsill need your Help and support inthe coming moriths,in order to fight for the leat pos- sible sentence for Daniel Thank you for your continued support, Family and Friends of Daniel McGowan UPDATE:On December 14, in Eugene, Oregon, Federal Judge Ann Aiken set sentencing dates for the ten individuals who have pled guilty to charges stemming from the FBI's “Operation Backfire" prosecutions. “The 2007 dates are: Stanislas Meyerhoff (snitch), April 10; Kevin ‘Tubbs (snitch), April 17; Chelsea Gerlach (saitch), April 18; Darren ‘Thurston (snitch), April 19; Suzanne Savoie (snitch) and Kendall ‘Tankersley (snitch), April 20; Nathan Block and Joyanna Zacher, ‘April 25; Daniel McGowan, April 26; and Jonathan Paul, April 30. Despite the fact that none of the defendants in the case were ever chargd with the crime of terrorism, federal prosecutors have announced that they will seck terrorism sentence enhancements of | up 10 20 years at the time of sentencing for all the defendants. (It has never been alleged that any defendant injured another human or animal as a result of their politically motivated acts of sabotage.) A discussion of the overarching issues regarding the constitutionality of the proposed terrorism enhancement, as it applies 1o all defen. dants, will tentatively take place during MeyerhofT's hearing. Other Sentencing hearings may be pushed back as result. An additional status hearing was set on March 2 to check-in with the court and parties to determine if the dates sct will still be viabl. McGowan’s Trial Statement Your Honor, “Thi plea agreement s very important to me, because it allows me t0 accept fullresponsibility for my actions and at the same time remain rue to my strongly held belie, Ihope that you will see that my actions were not those of a ter- orist but of a concened young person Wh was deeply troubled by the destructon of Oregon's beauiful old-growth forests and the dan- gers of genetcally modifid trees. Afer taking part in these two actions, 1 realized that burning things down did not it with my Visions or belief about how 1o create a better world. So 1 sopped commiting these crimes. "This las year has becn a very trying time for my family and [ would lke t0 extend my decpest love, admiration and appreciation {0 them for standing by me through & very difiult time. | would also like to apologize to the workers of the companies 1 targeted. never intended to hurt people, so when | ead about things like fam- ily photos being desttoyed. 1 flt great emorse. 1 am truly somy for the harm that 1 cavsed ‘Your Honor, after May of 2001, 1 put myself back on the path of open and positive activism. Since then | have focused on helping victims of domestic violence, campaigning for the environment, and advocating for prisoners. While my commitment to pursuing a bet- ter world has not and will not change, | have changed the way | am pursuing those goals. My agreement with Mr. Pau, Mr. Block and Ms. Zacher to come together and resolve this case by taking respon- sibility for what we did is an importan step in moving forward to have what | hope will be a positive impact on my community. Thank you for allowing me a few moments to speak to you this morning with a newspaper article. He wanted to know how I felt about it. tors and cowards amongst us. Thave had the honor and pr give him a strong embrace now. him how much | love him and how proud I am of him. ‘my heantfelt gratitude for all they have done. you. ‘With my deepest respect and admiration, Jeff “Free” Luers, November 12, 2006 1lcamned the fate of my friends and allies during a visit few hours after the pleas were entered. Then last night a guard came by It breaks my heart when I think about how this all could have been avoided. I'm outraged and saddened that there are so many trai- “The four people who pled guilty November 9, 2006: Jonathan Paul, Nathan Block, Joyanna Zacher, and Daniel McGowan, are vie- tims of these traitors. Yet, despite the betrayal of their comrades, they have continued 1o act with honor and di For those of us who have chosen the path of resistance, ther i o greater test of character than standing in the courtroom, There is no greater test of honor and integrity than facing the consequences of that resistance. lege of briefly knowing Nathan. | smile knowing that I once shook this man's hand. I wish I could ‘Daniel is one of my closest friends. Since his arrest I have been unable to communicate with him. I have not had the chance to tell 1 have not et had the honor of meeting Joyanna or Jonathan. 1 look forward to the day when I can look them in the eye and express. ‘Daniel, Nathan, Joyanna, and Jonathan: carry yourselves proudly. Your bravery wil never be forgotten. You are all heroes. I salute. Exiled Black Panther Dies i in Cuba William Lee Brent, a former Black Panther and political exile, died in Cuba on November 4th. According to reports, Brent died from bronchial pneumonia. He was 75 Brent had been living in Cuba since he fled from prosecution for a 1968 shootout with police. In November 1968, he and two accomplices in a van marked "Black Panther Black Community News Service" robbed a gas station in San Francisco of $80. Police Caught up 1o him, prompting shootout. While on bail, Brent hijacked TWA Flight 154 from San Francisco to Havana on June 17, 1969. His family, who was unaware that Brent was even sick, learned of his death through telephone calls and messages from friends and acquaintances. They had not seen Brent since he fled to Cuba, but had stayed in con- tact with him through e-mails and telephone calls. Brent lived a relatively isolated life dur- ing his nearly four decades in Cuba, spend- ing much of his time in his later years lis- tening to his beloved jazz music collection in his apartment. Ina 1996 interview with The Associated Press, he said he missed the United States. and the American black community. But he was unwilling to return home to face cerlain life imprisonment for aircraft piracy and kidnapping. and had resigned himself to never sceing his country again. I miss my people. the strugale, the body language.” Brent told the AP. "The black ‘community in Cuba s very different” Still, he said he had no regrets about hijacking the plane. "1 was a soldier in the war for black liberation,” he said. A decade ago, Times Books published his memoirs, "Long Time Gone,” which told of his coming of age on Oakland’ streets and of joining the Black Panthers when he was 37, rising to become a bodyguard for leader Eldridge Cleaver. In his book, Brent chronicled a July 1968 police shootout in which twa police officers were eritically wounded. Cleaver ordered him kicked out of the Black Panthers. Brent fled to Cuba because he believed he would be treated sympathetically o5 a militant black lefist. Once he exited the plane, he was taken away in custody. ‘Although never formally convicted, he spent 22 months in an immigration jail while ‘Cuban authorites tried to figure out what to do with him. Eventually they let him stay to live out his exile Brent camed a Spanish literature degree from the University of Havana and taught English at junior and senior high schools. He never became a Cuban citizen. Important Victory in the Angola 3 Case Dear_Friends and Supporters of the Angola 3, ‘With great joy, we can announce that we have just received an opinion from Commissioner Rachel Morgan of the 19th Judicial District Courtin Baton Rouge rec- ommending that Herman Wallace's 1974 murder conviction be reversed. The opin- ion is the result of an evidentiary hearing held inside the Louisiana State Penitentiary on September 19, and gives us new hope that Herman, who is 63 years old and has now been in solitary confinement for 34 years, may soon win his freedom. There are, However,still struggles ahead. “The Commissioner found that the prose- cution violated Herman's due process rights by hiding from the jury and defense Lawyers the fact that it hiad provided prison informant Hezekiah Brown, their key wit- ness, with the promise of a pardon from a life Sentence as well as a carton of ciga- retes per week and a private room with a television on prison grounds. Under the law, this constitutional violation requires that Herman's conviction for the 1972 mur- der of a correctional officer be overturned. “This case, like so many others, involved an incompetent and biased investigation focusing on innocent men and prosecutors who lied and cheated to win convictions. ‘We are stillseveral steps away from this decision resulting in Herman's release. The Commissioner's recommended ruling will now be presented to the distriet judge, who has the power to adopt it as is (which rou- tinely happens). amend it, or order further hearings. We are hopeful. given the strength of Herman's case and the reason- ing of the opinion, that the court will adopt the Commissioner's recommendation as it is written and overtum Herman's convic- tion, I the court overturns Herman's convic- tion, it is likely that the Baton Rouge dis- rict attorney's office will appeal that deci- sion 1o the Louisiana Court of Appeal and Supreme Court,a process that could take as long as two years. 1t s also possible that the state could seck to retry Herman, but we would vigorously challenge a retrial at this late stage as a violation of Herman's constitutional rights. Moreover, consider- ing the weakness of the states evidence, it is difficult to envision a retrial resulting in any verdict other than acquittal. ‘We spoke atLength with Herman and his codefendant Albert Woodfox today. They are both overjoyed. Herman was able to personally notify several of his family ‘members and friends, and he asked us to thank all of the dozens, if not hundreds, of people who have contributed to this case over the years. Albert is hopeful that suc- cess in Herman's case will help him, as he is just beginning the process of litigating a federal habeas corpus petition, We still have a long way 10 go before Herman and Albert are freed. We will keep everyone informed of developments in the case. In the meantime, check out this new ‘music video dedicated to the Angola 3 case, produced by Dave Stewart of Eurythmics at v youtube.com/waich?v=Y ByERaS XiGA Check out the AP article on the new decision at. (http:/scatilepi.nwsource com/nation- alI110AP_Black_Panther_Case.himl) Best toall, Nick Trenticosta and Scott Fleming Attorneys for Herman Wallace and Albert Woodfox. Where is the Justice? Anti-Castro Terrorist Gets Only 4 Years By Gloria La Riva, National Committee to Free the Cuban Five A man like Santiago Alvarez, who can be heard on a telephone calling on one of his underlings to throw C-4 explosives ino Havana's Tropicana nightclub and "do away with all that"--all that being hundreds of people--a man like Santiago Alvarez, who had machine guns, bazookas and grenades in a massive Miami arsenal, has been sen- tenced this week to fouryears by a southern Florida federal court. et the Cuban Five, five men who were in Miami working to prevent a terrorist like Alvarez from killing innocent people, who never possessed a weapon, who never engaged nor intended to engage in the "espi- onage conspiracy” they were falsely con- victed of, received 15 years to double life after thei 2001 tral, and the added punish- ment of being denied family visits. Alvarez and his accomplice Osvaldo Mitat were allowed to plead guilty only to one charge of weapons possession. Before their sentencing, federal judge James Cohn said, "This court recognizes the ultimate objective and goal of Mr. Alvarez and Mr. Mitat has always been a free and democrat. ic Cuba. This court does not question the altruistic motive here. However we are a nation of laws." ‘The impunity granted to the Miami ter- rorist by the government and the courts is becoming more and more blatan. “Almost every day it seems, more news is coming to light in Miami of the vast and deep network of rightwing Cuban-American terrorists and their murderous plots: Antonio Llama, Roberto Ferro, Alvarez, Mitat, and of course, the most dangerous of them all, Luis Posada Carriles. Posada’s. cohort, Orlando Bosch, ges to appear regularly on Miami TV, itching to admit his atrocious crime of the 1976 bombing of Cubana Flight 455 that killed 73 people. Bosch and Posada warked hand-in-hand in the plane bombing. ‘Where s the justice? Last Aug. 9, 2005, an historic_and unprecedented ruling was made by a panel of three judges in the case of the Cuban Five. With a powerfully-worded 93-page decision granting the Five a new trial, the 11th Circuit Courtjudges ruled that the situ- ation in Miami was "perfect storm” efec- tively denying Gerardo Hernindez, Ramon Labaiino, Antonio Guerrero, Fernando Gonzilez and René Gonzilez the constitu- tional right o due process. Partof that "perfect storm” described by the judges was the evidence of terrorist plots the Five had gathered while infilrating the extremist Miami_organizations. The trial judge, Joan Lenard, denied much of that i~ dence as irelevant, A new trial outside of Miami for the Cuban Five would have undoubtedly exon- erated them. However, the hand of the Bush administration intervened last year when US. Attomey General Alberto Gonzales appealed the Five's victory in an offort 1o overtum the panel's ruling for a new tria, Unfortunately, the en bane panel of the L1th Circuit Court of Appeals set aside the Cuban Five's victory. It ruled ignominiously on Aug. 9, 2005, that he Five received a fair trial in Miami, and that Judge Lenard prop- erly denied them a change of venue out of Miai, While George W. Bush unleashes bombs and destruction causing the deaths of Iragis, ‘Afghanis and U.S. soldiers-in the name of & war against terror--he has remained com.- pletely silent about the rightwing Cuban- American terrorists who reside i the United States. This silence is tacit support. U.S. Homeland Security waited two full months before arresting Luis Posada Carriles afer he illegally entered the United States last year. When DHS was finally forced to detain Posada on May 17 because of a public press conference he held that moming, Homeland Security_prosecutors avoided charging him with more serious crimes,like the Cubana plane bombing Instead, Posada’s only formal charge to date is illegal immigration entry. To the extent that federal authorities may be inves- tigating him for his role in several 1997 Cubanhotel bombings, it is probably to avoid prosecuting him for the plane bomb- ing. That is because Bush Sr. was CIA direc- tor at the time of the Cubana bombing; Posada was a longtime CIA operative. It is more than an oversight by Bush and previous presidents that Miami terrorists have existed, organized plots, and carried out atacks with total impunity. ‘The Miami terrorist phenomenon is financed, armed, nd given a green light by the CIA, FBI and other ams of the govern- ment, “There is mounting evidence that proves without a doubt, terrorism against Cuba is partof U.S. government policy I the govemment won't listen to justice and reason in the case of the Cuban Five, if it instead chooses to vengefully prosecite them 10 keep them lacked up for years for daring to defend their homeland of Cuba, then it is up to the peaple o fight ever more for their freedom. The Cuban Five's mis- sion was not only saving Cuban lives, but protecting all potential victims of the Miami mafia, including U.S. citizens. ‘The American people would embrace the Five if they were only aware of their cause and mission. September 11 and Oklahoma are permanent reminders of the horror of ter- rorism. Terrorism against the Cuban people is 10 less crininal. More than 3,400 Cuban people have died from U.S.-originated ter- rorist attacks. Justice demands that the Cuban Five ani-terrorist activists be freed immediately. In addition, Posada should be extradited o Venezucla or prosecuted fully in the United States for the bombing of Cubana Flight 55, Gloria La Riva is coordinator of the National Committee 10 Free the Cuban Five in San Francisco. ‘She can be reached at: glorialariva@hot- ‘mail.com Government Seeking to Appeal Lynne Stewart's Sentence The US Government has announced that it has gone to the Solicitor General of the United States Justice Department for authorization to appeal Lynne Stewart’s sentence and that of her co- defendants. They are not challenging the bail pending appeal but state that they will only agree to one 30-day adjourn- ‘ment of the filing of the appeal because they want everyone serving their sen- tences as soon as possible. What does all this mean for Lynne? Lynne's attorneys are not surprised that the government wants to appeal her sentence. Although sentences are not usually appealed, it does happen. Case law in the Ind Circuit, ‘which governs Lynn’s case, shows that, although rare, when a sen- tence is appealed and the Circuit sends the case back for re-sentencing the result s a far longer sentence. We are hopeful that Judge Koeltl's meticulous sentencing decision will carry the day but we have Ro guarantees and must continue our vig- ilance in the face of this latest move by the government.Lynne's attorneys will be filing the appeal of her conviction within the year. Lockdown at the Maryland House of Corrections By Marshall “Eddie” Conway To be uprooted for destinations unknown is a most unpleasant expericnce at best; one that echoes back o another time and place where men, women and children were snatched against their will and delivered as goods into another land. Bondage. This recent experience has awak- ened in me that memory that never really sleeps but has long been hidden in my sub- conscious - what it felt like to be enslaved. I is an experience that, when coupled with what seems 10 be a secrat lottery in which a. fow prisoners are selected cach day, amounts to psychological torture. That tor- ment has become a part of the daily routine of thirteen hundred men at the Maryland House of Corrections at Jessup. Each day starts with cups of cold food being pushed into cells. These cells have been locked twenty-four hours a day for 45 days straight. Twice more before the day is done these cold cups of food will be deliv- ered. For the men who are locked in, there are o visits, no telephones, no religious services, no schools, and no_purchases from the prison commissary. Many fami- lies do not know what is happening with their loved ones, and the frequent media reports concerning violent incidents at the facility does not help the situation. The hospital s the only place where movement is allowed at all.” Prisoners receive their medications there. The lockdown has even affected those minor things that so many take for granted, such as personal hygiene: there is 10 soap, toothpaste, or deodorant Most prisoners shower only twice a week. Tempers have been flaring: anger seething just below the surface in many of Hugo Pinell Denied Parole by Gordon Kaupp, Esq. with Kiilu Nyasha The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation’s Board of Parole Hearing, for the th time, denied Hugo L.A. Pinell parole at a hearing held Tuesday, November 14, at the supermax. Pelican Bay State Prison in Crescent Cily. Apparently, 42 years in California prisons, the last 36 in solitary confine- men, including 16 in the windowless, hi- tech SHU (Security Housing Unit) with sensory deprivation in the exireme, was not_enough retribution against Hugo Pinell, nicknamed Yogi Bear. They gave him o more. Since Hugo has had a clean record--no 1155, (rule infractions) for 24 years, and bis last crime was committed 35 years ago--it was a polifical decision. Hugo was part of the Black Movement formed in resistance to the deplorable conditions of prisons and the unspeakable brutality towards prisoners. especially Blacks, in the 19605 and 70s. Borm in Nicaragua, Hugo also resisted the Mexican/Latino_segregation of Blacks, ie., he broke ranks, identifying as Black insicad of “Latino.” That made him even more of a target. I s indisputable that it was the prison- ers’ Movement led by George Jackson and W. L. Nolen, that brought attention to the appalling conditions and eventual Congressional oversight and overhaul of the California prison_system. (See The Melancholy History of Soledad Prison, by Min S. Yee) ‘The mandated changes that grew out of the men. After hours of boredom in their cells, a guard calls for attention from the prisaners. He calls out two or three names, “Moore, Washington, Miller: pack up. you're moving.” An hour later as they take away the latest victims, someone asks where they are going. “We don't know, but we will be back tomorrow for more,” the ‘guard replics. The rest of the prisoners are feminded of the slave ships that took Africans away. Later that night, most of the prisoners are asleep, however somewhere among the dirty, half-nourished and angry men lurks the dream of payback. Freedom has taken a back seat to revenge: it s a rage borne of this new degree of oppression, and once unleashed it will likely expend itself among the prisoners. Prisoners, like most oppressed people tend to take the anger out on each other. I is a seemingly unending eyele of violence. “Conway.” the guard called my name today and threw bags at me. “Pack up, you're moving.” Marshall Eddie Conway #116469, MD. Cortectional Training Center 18800 Roxbury Rd. Hagerstown, MD 21746 that struggle serve as an open and undeni- able acknowledgment of Just how bad it was: how necessary the resistance Although it's difficulf to imagine worse conditions than those in today’s S000 pris- ons and jails across the country, most grossly overcrowded - yesterday's “holes,” virulent hatred from racist guards and prisoners alike, officially sanctioned brutalty, torture, and murder comprised more horrific conditions 40 years ago. “The stance Hugo Pinell took resulied in prolonged torture and isolation, plus a long record of 115s. Hugo ofien’ intervened physically when another prisoner was being beaten, getting beat up himself and thrown in the hole. Almost any Black per- son who has suffered guard or police assault knows that when the brutality stops, i's the vietim who gets the charges of write-ups for the assault, not the oficial aggressor. “At one point in the wrbulent 60s, the Movement organized a hunger strike which lasted eight days. Hugo's file reflects cight 1155, one for cach day. Al were used against him at the hearing! During the hearing, the Commissioners Virtually ignored his 24 years of clean time. and tallied his 1155, counting well over 100. Although Hugo has not gotten a vio- lation since 1982, the Board found a way to hold that against him too. Commissioner Shelton said something like, “When I se a man as violent s you and | sce that you have nothad a 115 for 24 years it makes me. wonder, and it reminds me of a story | once heard. At a parole board hearing of an inmate who had received many 1155 carly on but hadn'treceived any in a long time, a commissioner asked him how he was able o stay out of trouble. The inmate told the Board, “It’s because I'm the shot caller on the yard and | can get anyone to take the fall for me."™ That story is incredible for several reasons: that a prisoner would even say such a thing: the fact that Hugo is never on the yard; and SHU prisoners are com- pletely isolated, no phone calls, censored mail, restricted, monitored, no-contact vis- s ‘What's more, the Board violated Hugo’s right not to discuss or even refute the crimes for which he was convicted. An in- depth look at Hugo's convictions reveals. serious questions of reliability of evidence and basic faimess in the trials, Except for the original case that landed him in prison, all of Hugo's subsequent convictions werc. for acts against prison guards, reflecting the historic struggle referred toabove. Nevertheless, one Commissioner did hold his denial against him and berated him for it, saying, “and you continue to show no remorse and you even deny doing those things.” What good is the right not o admit o something, if your lack of remorse (for something you didn’t do) can be used against you? T’ reminded of the case of Geronimo ji Jaga (Pratt), who spent 27 years in California prisons convicted of 3 murder for which he was ultimately exonerated. He faced the same reason for being repeat- edly denied parole -- his refusal 1o show remorse for 2 crime he didn’t. commit Similarly, Hugo's denial of guilt and lack of remorse was used against him, a clear vio- lation of his rights under Cal. Penal Code Sec. 3011, One of the requirements for parole is ‘community support upon release. Forty let- ters from teachers, professors, human rights advocates, social workers, friends, family, ‘and even one from the Public Defender, Jeff Adachi-- offering Hugo San Francisco's hew reentry program upon parole-- were discounted and scorned by the Commissioners Another point the Board used against Hugo was his unwillingness to “program.” Insistence on_ programming is in_ reality about domination and submission, since the extremely limited “programs™ authorities provide do not produce truly marketable skills. SHU prisoners don’t even have access to the programs available to main- line prisoners. They can only take certain correspondence courses or read self-help books to demonstrate their compliance. Hugo's lack of submission o the sys- tem’s programming has to do with his own program of survival under conditions designed to produce insanity. The super- max SHU is itself a human rights viola- tion. The United Nations and Amnesty International assert that the conditions of the SHU are inhumane and in violation of the international conventions on the treat- ment of prisoners. Psychiatrists in the field of prison mental health have docu- mented through dozens of studies since the 19705 that SHU conditions -- 23-24 hours a day in small cells with no natural light, no windows, no view outside their cells, o contact visits, prolonged isolation - are always harmful One such expert, Dr. Terry Kupers, author of "Prison Madness: ‘The Mental Health Crisis Behind Bars and What We Must Do About It evaluated Hugo's mental health in 2004 and con- cluded that he is nothing short of amazing. Hugo has been able to maintain his sanity through a strict regimen of vegetarian diet, exercise, prolific writing to relatives and friends, and other forms of self care. This. is a full time effort to be sure, and thel result is that, against all odds, Hugo remains compassionate, mentally and physically healthy and alive. It's even| more remarkable considering that in 2003, a record 44 prisoners killed themselves in| California_prisons; 70% of the suicides| were in segregated units. In a nationall study of 401 suicides in one year, 1986, two out of every three people who killed| themselves were in control units. (Hayes| and Rowan 1985) In summary, this Parole Board Hearing| was anything but fair and impartial, We sil in a room in the SHU with the Commissioners facing Hugo and 1 (his| attorey), three guards behind us and Hugol chained hands-to-waist and feet-to-waist Openly hostile, the commissioners recoun. | ed the history of 1135, alleged attacks on| uards over 33 years ago, with SHU guards| looking at us. I's unfair because the alleged offenses cannot change; only the prisoner can change. Despite their_unfaimess, despite their violation of his righs, despite their refusal 0 display humanity of common sense, and| despite their utter rudeness and contempt| for Hugo, | must say my client remained strong and upbeat. 1 felt proud of him. We were all but sure that they wouldn't ‘grant him parole before going into the hear- ing, but we knew that we had to make 2 ‘200d record so that we could move into the| second stage of the strategy to gt Hugo Pinell out of SHU, out of prison. We intend 1o file a Petition for Writ of| Habeas Corpus with an outside court to appeal the Board's denial. We are announc-| ing our search and need for a law firm with the resources to represent Hugo. If youl know any law offices or friends in firms please ask them if they would be willing tol take the case and to call or write me, his| attomey, Gordon Kaupp, 115 172 Bartlett Street, San Francisco, Ca. 94110, (415) 285 8091 For more information on Yogi, g0 to wwwhugopinell.org. Jeff Hogg Released from Jail After spending almost six months in jail without being accused of any crime, Jeff Hogg has been released from impris- onment. On May 18, 2006, Hogg was jailed for civil contempt after he declined to testify before a federal grand jury allegedly investigating "eco-sabotage” cases. His incarceration led to public out- ery and support efforts in Eugene and beyond. Hogg was released on November 15" from the Josephine County jail in Grant's Pass, Oregon, rejoining his part- ner and community. “I'm happy to be free and not to have compromised my principles in the face of the abusive grand jury system.” Jeff Hogg stated from his home in Eugene, Oregon. Hoge's attomey, Paul Loney, added, “While Jeff Hogy's Iiberty is restored, he is still subject 1o 3 new subpoena from a future empanelled grand jury as the FBI is not satisfied with the guilty pleas from all the Oregon cco-sabotage defendants. For some reason the FBI wants informa- tion Jeff does not have for cases that have been resolved. We hope that Jeff will not have to face the prospect of another six ‘months in jail." Hogg was released less than one week after four District of Oregon defendants, facing charges from the FBI's "Operation Backfire," resolved their cases and took non-cooperation plea deals. The "global resolution” of these remaining Oregon cases has not ended the FBI'S campaign against envi- ronmentalists, however. In Washington, Briana Waters still faces serious federal charges relating to sabo- tage at the University of Washington. Waters asserts her innocence on all counts and is scheduled for trial in May 2007. The FBI continues to search for Several other individuals they aceuse of conspiracy and arson. FARC Political Prisoner Faces Trial in U.S. Ricardo Palmera, a peace negotiator flom the FARC-EP (Colombian Revolutionary Armed ~ Forces-Popular Amy), is currendly being tried in the LS. District Court in Washington, D.C., where he was extradited from his homeland on Dec. 31, 2004, on charges of kidnapping, terrorism and drug trafficking. This case follows the new trend put forth by the Bush Administration of trying foreign citizens in US criminal courts Although widely covered by Colombian and other intemational media, news of the case has been notoriously absent from the commercial media in this country, giving the impression that there is a media white- out ‘The trial on drug trafficking will be a separate case that will be heard after the conclusion of the current case of kidnap- ping and terrorism, The charges of kidnapping against Palmera —betier known by his Simon Bolivarinspired _pseudonym, “Simon Trinidad"—stem from a February 2003 incident in which a small plane flown by USS. contractors/agents crashed in territory controlled by the insurgents in Caguets, in the south of Colombia. These contractors were among the many U.S. military or mil. itary-associated_personnel sent by the United States to Colombia to fight against the insurgency under Plan Colombia. The agents —Thomas Howes, Keith Stansell and Mare Gonsalves—have since been kept captive by the FARC. “Trinidad was extradited to the United States after Colombian President Alvaro Uribe issued an ultimatum 10 the FARC. With no possibility of negotiation, he uni- laterally demanded that the insurgents release all captives by Dec. 30, as the only condition for annulment of the extradition order. ‘Trinidad is not charged with dircet involvement in the kidnapping. Rather, the erime for which he is being tried under the new U.S. antiterrorism legal framework is “association.” H is charged with “conspir. acy” to commit the crime of hostage-tak- ing. The Colombian government accuses Trinidad of trying to force a prisoner exchange using the three captive U.S. agens, ‘The accusation_comes from a trip 1o Ecuador taken by Trinidad. He had gone to Ecuador at the réquest of the FARC (o con- tact James Lemoyne, a United Nations rep- resentative with whom Trinidad had s ken before, about possible peace negolia- tions with the Colombian government. This fact has been twisted into the accusation that Trinidad was pressuring the Colombian government to_exchange the approximately 500 FARC prisoners in Colombian jails in return for the 60 or so captives of the FARC, including the three US. agents. Even though the meeting never took place, the combined action of the Interpol, CIA and the Colombian and Ecuadorian armed forces captured-—or rather, kid- napped-—Trinidad in Quito, Ecuador, on Jan. 2, 2004. He was then extradited to Charges Against Ojore Are In a recent letter sent to Philly ABCF, Ojore informed his supporters that the infraction charge he_teceived last year, which landed him in the Management Control Unit, has been reduced to a lower chan. The charge he received on June 10th, 2005 was a §03-306--“attempt at con- duct which disrupts.” The charges were reduced 0 a 210 charge, which basically translates to_ having possession of some- thing not authorized for possession. Ojore has also been told that his “good time" that was stripped after June 10th has been reinstated (a total of | year reduction offhis sentence.) Ojore’s work credits have also been returned, which will bring his ‘max out-date to March 2009. There is also a chance that he could reduce his max out- date down to December 2008 with more work eredis. You can write to Ojore Lutalo at the fol- lowing address: Ojore Lutalo 39860 P.O. Box 861 SBI# 0000901548 ‘Trenton, NJ 08625 Colombia, where he remained in maxi- ‘mum-seeurity prison uniil being sent to the United States. “The charge of tertorism is based on U.S. President Bill Clinton's 1997 decision 10 designate the insurgent FARC as a “terror- ist” organization. Therefore, Trinidad is now charged with aiding and giving mate- il suppor to a “terrorist” group. As the trial of Ricardo Palmera contin- ues. a parade of corrupt officials and paid informants are passing through the federal courtroom here. With Judge Hogan looking on, Colonel Mora from the Colombian mil- itary took the stand. The Colombian mili- tary has the worst human rights record in Latin America. Now in its 42nd year, Colombia's civil war pits the Colombian military against the organization Palmera represented in peace negotiations, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or the FARC. Other withesses for the prosecution are nothing more than paid informanis of the cormupt Colombian goverment. There is an_assumption that such witnesses are offered money, green cards 1o the U.S., housing and other deals in exchange for testifying against members of the FARC. The trial of Ricardo Palmera will continue with more informants, spies, military and ‘zovernment officials testfying. Meanwhile, Ricardo Palmera is held in Solitary confinement, with no access o his family, friends or supporters; denied a defense lawyer of his choosing, and endur- ing endless hours of testimony from people motivated against him and his. political belif. In a leter from Palmera, which was Slipped past his captors, he wites, "Others will make use of their physical freedom to achieve our dream. IF this imprisonment is the price that must be paid for our ideals and the principles that have motivated the struggle and are the reason for our exis- tence, then I welcome prison. Reduced Shoatz Becomes Target of Prison Admmlstratlon On Monday October 30, 2006, guards at SCI Greene entered the cell of Russell Maroon Shoatz, confiscating all of his pos- sessions except his ink pen and writing paper. Maroon was told that these actions were taken against him not because of any wrongdoing on his part but because prison officils see US political prisoners s "the terrorists of the new millennium” and are planning 10 invoke anti-terrorism measures against them. ‘According to Maroon, this abuse against him is likely to be just ihe beginning of 2 larger pattern of intensified abuse against PP/POWs unless there is an immediate response from the people, leting PA govern- ment and prison officials know that their behavior is unacceptable and will not be tol- erated. Maroon called on his supportrs o con- tact prison officials and the governor 1o demand the immediate return of his posses- sions. Supporters responding to the appeal flooded prison officials with calls and emails. On November 3rd guards retumed all of Russell’s material,lterature, medical history etc., which they deemed “revolutionary material®, except for his TV, radio and reli- gious bock. He says he believes the calls to the DOC and SCI Gireene made this possible. Maroon went on to say, “The bottom line is they're trying to st me up as some kind of Homeland Security terrorist threat. That's in line with the government saying the next threats to domestic security will come from the prisons. Thats crap. They need freedom fighters like me to exploit my history of fighting oppression of black peo- ple as 2 way 10 get in the door. 'm absolute- lya FREEDOM FIGHTER! ~Ain't no ter- orist here! 1! The Mumia Abu-Jamal Case After 25 Years by Linn Washington, Jr. ‘Whether the fundamental errors riddling recent actions by opponents of Pennsylvania death tow journalist Mumia Abu-Jamal constitute mere mistakes or malicious mistepresentations, these errors resemble sequels to the Koystone Kops. silent film-era comedy series These error-filled antics occur as Abu- Jamal approaches the 25th Anniversary of his December 9, 1981, arrest for fatally shooting a Philadelphiapoliceman, and as a pivotal legal action moves forward in foderal appeals court revolving around whether Abu-Jamal received a fai trial in 1982, “The latest faux pas by Abu-Jamal oppo- nents regards errors in an October letter sent o officials in Paris requesting that they rescind the honorary citizenship grani- ed three years ago to the death row inmate viewed globally as a vietim of injustice in America. “This letter states that a delegation of Philadelphia City officials, including the Police Commissioner, planned a late- November irip to Faris to negotiate rescinding the honorary citizenship in exchange for these officials getting Abu- Jamal's death sentence cancelled. However, the four Philadelphia offi- cals listed as delegation members all deny knowing anything about cither the trip or the deal Further, these officials have no power to cancel Abu-Jamal's death sentence. Peter J. Wirs, the Philadelphia figure behind the delegation, says he is surprised by the errors in that letter prepared on his behalf by a lawyer in Paris. "I haven't done anything e to formal- ize the delegation or the planned trip. We haven't raised any money.” Wirs said recently, adding that he “hasn't seen” the letter sent on his behalf. Wirs also distanced himself from the deal proposed in that lettr. “An offer to pull the death penalty is so ridiculous. We have no authority 1o take the death penalty off the table." said Wirs, a minor figure in Philadelphia's Republican Party, a party that represents sixtcen per- cent of the city's registered voters. Wirs dismissed errors in that letter as minor mistakes probably resulting from “translations from English to French.” ‘That October letter also contains the erroncous claim that Abu-Jamal shot Officer Daniel Faulkner five fimes in the face, a claim contradicted by police, prose- cutors and judicial findings throughout the quartercentury tenure of this case. “That October letter prompted a written response 1o Parisian officials from Abu- Jamal attorney, Robert R. Bryan. Bryan wrote that the ltter s "appalling since it contains material misrepresenta- tions and errors." Ironically, ertors by police, prosecu- tors, jurists and other authorities during the arrest, conviction and state court appeals of ‘Abu-Jamal fuel the worldwide belief that ‘Abu-Jamal did not receive a fir trial and is thus unjustly convicted. “These errors include police failing to give Abu-Jamal the standard hand test after his arrest o determine if he actually fired a un, prosecutors failing 10 provide Abu- Jamals trial attorney with compelling evi- dence indicating his innocence and the notoriously pro-prosecution trial judge making racist remarks. “Only in America could a trial judge say “I'll help them fry the Nigger, and be considered fair” Abu-Jamal stated in a let- ter to Parisian afficials. “The trial featured lies, just as the threatening letter to you did,’ Abu-Jamal's letter stated."If the rial was truly fair, why would the Philadelphia letter propose a deal?” Prior to that error-filled October letter, Philadelphia area legislative leaders mounted equally error-riddled_actions. against the Parisian suburb of St. Denis for naming a street in honor ofAbu-Jamal. “The ani-St. Denis Resolution approved by Philadelphi's City Council at the end of May, for example, contains the erroncous declaration that “Mumia Abu-Jamal has exhausted all legal appeals." Since the federal Third Circuit Court of Appeals, headquartered in Philadelphiz, approved Abu-Jamal's request for an appeal in late 2005, it is factually incorrect 10 contend that Abu-Jamal "has exhausted all of his appeals. Not only did the 3rd Circuit agree to hear the appeal claim that prosecutors used racial discrimination while selecting the jury for Abu-Jamal's 1982 wial, the Circuit ‘Court also took an unusual step in granting, appeal on other items like allegations of judicial bias during a 1995 appeals hearing for Abu-Jamal, The intensity of the bias exhibited by Judge Albert Sabo during that 1995 hear- ing offended even Philly's normally anti- Mumia_mainstream news media to the point_of their publishing editorials con- demning Sabo for both making a mockery of justice and providing Abu-Jamal sup- porters with additional ammunition to back their claims of gross injustice. Interestingly, Peter Wirs does not dis- pute that Sabo made the racist pre-trial remark. Wirs readily admits that police did not follow proper forensic standards while investigating the murder et, Wirs contends Abu-Jamal is guilty as charged, despite seeming violations of his constitutional rights. When you look af Sabo's statements i the tial, they are not per- fect but they are fair,” Wirs claims. "The errors and problems with the criminal jus- tice system in this case do not mitigate sgainst the fact that Abu-Jamal's gun was found at the scene. That i the heart of this The fact that police could not conclu- sively match bullet fragments removed from the slain officer to Abu-Jamal's gun is immaterial according to Wirs. "This is a circumstantial evidence said Wirs, acknowledging that he is working with Philadelphia's police union, the Fratemal Order of Police (FOP), the prime group pushing for Abu-Jamal's exe. cution, That Philadelphia City Council Resolution supported a_congressional Resolution introduced in mid-May by two Philly area Congresspersons, Republican Michael Fitzpatrick and Democrat Allyson Sehwartz This congressional Resolution contains. fundamental errors. The Fitzpatrick/Schwartz Resolution, in recounting facts of the case, makes th erroneous claim that "Mumia Abu-Jamal struck Officer Faulkner four times in the back with his gur This claim contradicts the scenario pre- sented at the il by the prosccutr, as well as the version of events on the official “Justice for Daniel Faulkner' Web site. This site, according 1o its founders, exisls o provide "an accurate source of informa- tion" Rick Santorum, a Republican US sena- tor from Pennsylvania, also introduced an anti-St. Denis resolution in the Senate that ‘mimicked the congressional resolution. "No one ever claimed Mumia struck Faulkner's back four times. While this may evoke the image of a heroi¢ officer siiking back against all odds, it is sheer fantasy." noted Dr. Michael Schiffmann, the German author of @ new book on the Abu-Jamal case, "Race Against Death. Mumia Abu- Jamal: a Black Revolutionary in White ‘America. Ac rding to Schiffmann, "One might Stop the Execution N Free Mumia Abu-Jamal say such "details” are unimportant, but if they are so unimportant, why bring them up?” Dr. Schiffimann's book presents new. startling information on this controversial Schifinann provides information blow- ing big holes in the ballistics evidence pre- sented by prosecutors and police: Further, Schiffmann's book presents previously unpublished pictures taken by a press photographer who arrived at the 1981 crime scene before police photographers that show police personnel tampering with evidence and manipulating the crime Peter Wirs recently filed a lawsuit in Erance, asserting that officials in Paris and St. Denis violated French criminal law by respectively issuing the citizenship 1o a convicted murdererand giving his name to astreet, The intense reaction in Philadelphia to the street naming in far off St. Denis stuns former St Denis Mayor, Patrick Braouezec, who sees the reaction as surre- al "By doing this, we are just contributing o the possibility of Mumia having a new and fair trial and put the issue of the death penalty on the table," Braouezec said dur- Ing an September interview while visiting Philadelphia, where the city's mayor refused to meet with Braouezee about the street naming. “There was no intention on our part to provoke or offend the memory of the slain oficer or his family,” said Braouezec, cur- fently a member of the French National Assembly, the Congress of France. Patrick Braouezee finds it difficult "o conceive that with the problems in the American criminal justice system and the Abu-Jamal case that the level of resistance to this man receiving a fair trial s so intense.” The intense resistance, Braouezec said, i political. There have been lesser cases with lesser doubts that received new trials.” Few cither opposed to or supportive of Abu-Jamal remember the case of Neil Ferber; a Philadelphia man arrested six monthi before Abu-Jamal's December 1981 arrest. Philadelphia_police and prosecutors framed Ferber for 2 mob-related murder, sending him to death row for 1,375-days before his release. A court ruling in a lawsuit Ferber filed aver his false imprisonment declared that “this case presents a Kafkaesque nightmare of the sort which we normally would char- acterize as being representative of the so- called justice system of a totalitarian state. Unfortunately” it happened here in Philadelphia.* This ruling noted that a "variety of Philadelphia police” engaged in a ltany of misconduct *for the singular purpose of abtaining Ferber's arrest and subsequent conviction on first degree murder hages.” Evidence also showed that the jailhouse snitch whose testimony scaled Ferber's conviction had flunked 4 lie-detector test ordered by prosceutors but prosecutors. withheld this information from Ferber's trial attomney. Philadelphia officials bitterly opposed Ferber's lawsuit for compensation. Ferber eventually received a million dollarplus settlement for his wrongful incarceration, however, authorities penal- ized no police officer or prosecutor involved in the framing of Ferber. Didier Paillard, St. Denis' current mayor, declared during the street naming ceremony this spring that the Abu-Jamal case is not just a “symbol” in the struggle for justice.” Rather, it symbolizes “resist- ance against a system which has the arro- gance to reign over the world. Romaine (Chip) Fitzgerald has been imprisoned for the past 37 years. He has the dubious distinction of being the longest held political prisoner in the United States Held since 1969, his trial and conviction me one year after the frame up of Geronimo Fratt. Both men were members of the Los Angeles chapter of the Black Panther Party, which at the time was under siege by the Los Angeles Police Department. Like Pratt, Chip was aceused of a crime that he did not commit (the killing of secu- sty guard Barge Miller) Geronimo was released after serving 27 years when it became known that the FBI kept informa- tion away from Geronimo's defense attor- neys that proved his innocence; Fitzgerald has yet to see the same justice. tis believed that Chip was set up for the murder of Barge Miller due to his mem- bership in the Black Panthers and his involvement in @ shootout with the Califonia Highway Pairol (CHP). This shootout left both Chip and one CHP offi- cer injured. Later, the CHP o ficer admitted ‘Chip’ Fitzgerald Freedom Campaign that the police had orders to shoot members. ofthe Black Panther Party. Others involved in the shootout stated that the officer insti- gated the incident and that the Panthers acted in self-defense. The shooting of Barge Miller took place while Chip was recovering from gunshot wound to-his head- just three weeks after the CHP incident. Witnesses all verified that Chip was at home still recovering from. his wounds and never left his apartment Chip was convieted for both incidents, receiving a death sentence for the murder of Barge Miller and life for the shootout with the CHP. The death sentence was later commuted to lfe, 50 he is currently serving two-lfe sentences- one conviction for an act of self-defense- another conviction for a crime he is innocent of. In 1998, Chip suffered a massive stroke. Since, he has been denied proper medical care. He was scheduled 1o re-appear before the California Parole Board on February | 2007, but we have received new that it has been postponed. No news as to when his meeting will be rescheduled. In the past, authorities have denied all of Fitzgerald's previous release requests, asserting that he has shown no remorse for bis crime and he remains a danger 1o socic- ty. In a previous article, Mel Mason, spokesperson for the Fitzgerald Campaign, has responded to their rejections, satin "Chip has said he is extremely sorry that & person lost (his) lfe. He's as remorseful s he can be because he says he didn't murder the guard Chip has been a model prisoner with no prison record of any criminal and/or vio- ent acts. In fact, he has been a role model, mentoring young prisoners and helping 10 diffuse violen situations. He is not a threat to society and his presence is desired back amongst his loved ones. We ask that when the times comes, those reading the ABCF Update will be moved to act on Chip’s behalf. We hope that you will do what is needed to see that Chip is able to taste freedom again. 1t is time for Chip’s frecdom. Please support the. Freedom for Chip Campaign. FREQUENTLY USED Acronyms/ Terms ABCE: Anarchist Black Cross Federation - anti-authoritarian eration of ABC groups who support and defend PPPOWS. ABC-BG: Branch Giroup - ABCF group with more responsibilities than a SG. ABC than 3 BG. AIM: American Indian Movement - above ground revolutionary organization of Native Americans. Anarchism Free o libertarian socialism. Anarchists are opposed to ‘government, the state, and capitalism. Therefore, simply speaking, ‘anarchism is & no government form of socialism. Types of anarchists include: Anarcho-Communist, Anarcho-Syndicalist, Autonomist, Collectvist, Individualiss, and Mutualiss. 'BLA: Black Liberation Army - revolutionary Black clandestine for- mation formed to defend the Black community and the BPP, ina tive since the '80s. BEP: Black Panther Party - sbove ground Black revolutionary ‘roup seeking Black politcal power, disbanded in the mid-"70s. FALN: english translation: Armed Forces of National Liberation - revolutionary clandestine group fighting for Puerto Rican independ- EC: Federation Council - decision making body of the ABCF. MOVE; Not an acronym, the name of an organization based in Philadelphis who are committed to the teachings of John Afica. Their beliefis in “lfe PC: Prisoner’s Committee - rotating body of 5 PPPOWSs on the ABCF's FC fed- Support Group - ABCF group with fewer responsibilties PRIPOWS: Politcal Prisoners and/or Prisoners of War. (See page 1) Self-Defense: The legal act of protecting one’s life or the life of ‘another with the idea/purpose of self determination and independ- ence. Armed self-defense is elative 1o the ABCF, specifically in the USS..in that as the organization grows, S0 t00 grows the need {o pro- tect ourselves from the armed aggressor of the state,right wing, and other ideological opponents. (Firearms training s preparation for self-defense are legal activities within the confines of the U.S.) Self Determination: The right by virtue of which all peoples are entitled freely to determine their political status and pursue their economie, social, and cultural development. All peoples may, for their own ends, freely dispose of their natural wealth and resources without prejudice to any obligations arising out of international eco- nomic cooperation, based upon the principle of mutual benefit and international law. In no case may a people be deprived of their own means of subsistence, SDS: Students for a Democratic Socicty edin the 60s. The Update: This is a quarterly publication of the ABCF. WUO: Weather Underground Organization - first the Weatherme Tater known as the WUO, evolved out of the SDS as an underground formation of primarily white anti-imperialist revolutionaries from the student movemen, (The Anarchist Black Cross Federation (ABCF) produces. the Revolutionanfvlitcal Dictionary with these and other expanded def - initions of poliical terms. Asailable from Los Angeles ABC for $1 and o 39 cents stamps.) e student group found- Law Enforcement Injustice by Zolo Agona Azania, New Afvikan Prisoner of War ‘The wanton abuse of police power is not a mere thing of legend. It a fact of life in these United States, and elsewhere. From the moment any awful act of police misconduct came fo light via the news media, or testimony in the courtroom, an entire police department stood by and let it happen - and then clammed up about what had taken place. ‘Whatever happened in the past is not merely history. That s to say, injustice of today is directly related to injustice of yes- terday. People who are concerned for fair- ness and the appearance of justice will not be able to dismantle police corruption and abuse of public trust, if they assert (o be neutral while looking the other way. Clearly the challenge is that if you stand neutral or deliberately indifferent because you have not personally been the recipient of injustice and abuse in the courts and on the streets by the swom enforcers of the Law, then you have to walk in the footsteps of people, like mysel, where and to whom these things happened On August 11, 1981 1 was illegally arrested by political police and accused of killing a police officer during an armed bank robbery. False evidence was invented and used as a ruse against me, caleulated to provide a wrongful conviction and death sentence, cloaked with improper acts with the state prosecutorial machinery and resources 1o give it the appearance of pro- pricty. The credibility of every witness who testified for the state is in question. The police made intentional false reports about when, where and how I was captured, among other things, to make the changs against me sound piausible. The autopsy report about the cause of death of the police officer was falsified in relation to the ballistic test-firing of the \weapons. Two hand-guns, a 38 and 44, were planted by police and presented to the all- white jury as incriminating evidence, which misled and influenced the decision of the decision making body to which it was addressed. Prosecutors claimed the .44 was the murder weapon. Donald McDuffic St a well known loan-shark, testified he Sold me a 44 pistol. The 38 was traced back to the Gary police department by BATE. (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms) agents. On May 25, 1982 | was sentenced to the penalty of deaih. Afier years of contesting the bogus charges, the death sentence was Los Angeles ABC’s Update Jaan Laaman Marisa from LA ABCF was able to record an interview she did with Jaan and we are in the final stages of productions of that CD. Members are currently in conact with AK Press for possible distribution of the CD. Proceeds from the interview will 20 10 assist Jaan’s legal fund. As part of this project, we are also cur- rently creating 2 pamphlet of the CD inter- view, which will be out within the next couple months. It has been 2 long time since the ABCF has produced a pamphlet and we are due. Chip Fitzgerald AS stated 1n this issue of the Update, Romaine “Chip’ Fitzgerald has a parole hearing coming up. Members from LA ABCF have been in contact with Chip and his support group and will be assisting in promoing a letter campaign to the parole board for Chip's release. We ask that all members of the ABCF promote the Free Chip Fitzgerald Campaign when it begins We currently have a section of the LA ABCF website dedicated to Chip's Freedom Campaign. You can check out the site at: abef. nev/la/laabef.asp2page=lachip | ABCF Material and Website Members of LA ABCF are currently ‘going over the ABCF reading material for proof reading. With the constant changes taking place in various cases- this seems to be an on going project- but a project that e feel someone needs to take on. We are consistently updating the web- site s well. So please take note- especially in regards to PPIPOW address changes. Research Members of the group are constantly researching political prisoners cases. We are trying to establish files for all the pris- oners we support, which will include news- paper artcles and court documents that will support the case for political prisoner sta- 1us. While the prisoners we support clearly fall within the definition of the internation- al community, it can only help to have the information available ihat proves their legitimacy. We are also rescarching prisoners that other groups have presented as political prisoners. Some of those individuals we have confirmed their status and have or will present them 1o the Federation for a vote; others we have found insufficient evi- reversed by the Indiana Supreme Court in 1993, But after a second wial on the sen- tence only, it was put on me again in 1996 My case does not involve D.N.A. test- ing. There was a reasonable likelihood that the knowing use of admitted perjured tesi- mony, tainted evidence, and police miscon- duct in both trials, could have affected the Judgment of at least one juror, and the out- come would have been different. The jury trials were rigged against me. People of Afrikan ancestry (whom I call New Afrikans) were systematically exclud- ed from the pool from which my jury was selected. Rather than monitor and repair a Jury selection system that was not working properly, county officials tried to cover up the flaws by destroying material evidence and lying about the problem. Every human being who serves on a jury have the power, and moral responsibility, within a small specified group 10 express, affimatively, the true meaning of democricy. By Zolo Agona Azania #4969 Indiana State Prison PO. Box 41 Michigan City, Indiana 463610041 USA Report dence for political prisoner status and can present evidence as 10 why, we, a5 an o rzanization do not consider these people political prisoners. There are stll many cases that cither we have found little evi- dence on or fall within that grey area on the definition of political prisoner. In cither case, we feel his work in much needed and will become useful at some point. If there are any individuals chapters wish for us to rescarch please let us know. New Political Prisoners The ABCF has recently reviewed and approved a few cases brought forward by LA ABCE. We have writien those PP/POWs requesting permission to add them to our list. As a continued policy, we never add a PPIPOW to our lists unless given permission by the prisoner directly However, we are proud to announce that two individuals have returned lettrs o us indicating that they wish 10 work with the ABCE. New Afrikan POW, Zolo Azania and accused Japanese Red Army member, Tsutomo Shirosaki have responded to our requests and have been added to our list We ask that members of the ABCF contact these two PP/POWS and begin support Montreal ABC’s Update \\ e oo, anscinad vy S B o auman: The Pl 3006 butions from Mumia Abu-Jamal, Bill Dunne, Russell Maroon Shoats and others. Check it out online at www dstrugglemag.org. This year, along with several other activists in Montreal, we also taok over the production of the 2007 Certain Days: Freedom for Political Prisoners Calendar. This year's calendar is focused on the theme of immigration, and features work by many political prisoners and activists. including cover artist Tom Manning, David Gilbert, Herman Bell. Alvaro Hernandez, Mumia Abu-Jamal, Jeffrey "Free” Luers, the MOVE 9, the Cuban 5, Gord Hill, GoreB, Just Seeds, and more. ‘As always, the calendar is a fundraiser. This year's proceeds will benefit the New York State Task Force on Political Prisoners. No One Is Hiegal-Kingston, and Addameer, a Palestinian solidar- ity group. Help support this important project! Order copies at wiw.certaindays.org (special bulk and prisoner rates are avail- able). Stamp Schedule January- Philadelphia February- Los Angeles' March- Philadelphia April- Los Angeles 'Send a check or money order to Philadelphia ABCF made out to Tim Fasnacht for forty 39¢ stamps in the last week of the month before the month you are responsible for. Philadelphia ABCF P.0 Box 42129 Certain Days c/o QPIRG Concordia 1455 de Maisonneuve Blvd. O. Monireal, QC H3G 1M CANADA. The Anarchist Subsistence Program The Anarchist Subsistence Program seeks to provide material id 1o those PPPOWs. who come from our own anarchist/anti- authoritarian community. As with the Warchest, this program is designed to aid PPIPOWS who receive little financial aid. However, it is unique because it exclusively assists those from the anar- chist/anti-authoritarian community. Over the last few years there has been an increase of anarchist/anti-authoritarian PP/POWs. Most of these new prisoners have. support. commitees who raise awareness. and funds on their behalf. Long held anar- chist/anti-authoritarian PF/POWs have had their support overshadowed by these new cases. This program is designed to ensure that support for them remains consistent. The two functions of this support cam- paign include a monthly financial assistance www.certaind ORDER YOUR COPY NOW! $15/$9 for prisoners and forty 39¢ postage stamps per month. Supporters of the Anarchist Subsistence Program send whatever funds they can to Philadelphia ABC (who facilitates the pro- gram) who in twm distributes the funds ‘among anarchist political prisoners who par- ticipate in the program. All U.S. supporters also take turns sending the stamps directly to Philadelphia ABC Listed here are the monthly check docu- mentation and otation of groups sending stamps. I you want 1o support this impor- tant program and help us expand the number of Anarchist Subsistence Program cam- paigns we run, contact Philadelphia ABC. Make checks or money orders out only to. TIM FASNACHT. Funds should be sent in the last week of the month before the month the funds will be used (i.e., send March funds in the 3rd week of February). iladelphia, PA 19101 JAN FEB MAR APR_MAY JUN JUL AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC PHILLY © 0 0 0 15 0 0o 0 0 0 0 o N/HAYES 0 0 10 0 10 10 0o 0 0 0o 0 o LA 0 0 10 0 o0 0 0o o0 o010 0 o RYAWALSKA 0 0 0 0 0 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 JMMPHILY 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 15 0 10 0 10 EZE/N) 0 0 0o 0 0 0 0 50 0 0 50 0 AX © 0o 0 o0 o0 0 0o 0 0 o 0 2 TOTAL 0 0 110 0 25 20 io 75 10 120 60 40 “Thanks much for the support you've been organizing. I really appreciate it. After not having any or very little support for so long, it now seems like people have all of a sudden realized that I am alive.” ~ Sekou Odmga (New Afnkan Pnsoner of War) | Name: | Street Address: | City/State/Zip: | ONE TIME DONATION [ ] MONTHLY SUPPORTER ] | Monthly supporters, please check one of the follow | P committo 6 mos [] 1l committo 1 year Ph SUPPORT THE ABCF WARCHEST ‘The ABCF has initiated a program designed to send monthly checks to PP/POWSs who have been receiving insufficient, little, or no financial support during their imprisonment. PP/POWS requesting funds complete an application of financial questions. When the ABCF has collected sufficient funds to send out another monthly check, the applications are reviewed by a rotating body of PP/POWS called the Prisoner Committee, who make a judgement on which applicant s in the most financial need. There is also an emergency fund designed to immediately send checks to those PP/POWs in need of one-time or emergency assistance. Founded in 1994, the Warchest has provided consistent and reliable financial aid, serving a much- neglected comrade- Iy function. Since its inception, the ABCF has raised over $46,000 with just this one program. All funds raised go directly to the political prisoners, for which the program is designed. Despite our success, our comrades are still in dire need of funds. Endorse this program by giving a monthly or one-time donation to increase the number of prison- ers being supported monthly. A financial report is published that documents all money received and the prisoner it was sent to. The prisoners” addresses are also printed so that endorsers may write and hold us accountable. Send cash,checks or mos made to TIM FASNACHT t Philly ABCF e P.O Box 42129 e Philadelphia, PA 19101 ¢ timABCF@aol.com WARCHEST REPORT 2006 FUNDS TN JAN FEB WAR APR WAY JUN UL AUG SEPTOCT NOV DEC tose i T secr oo 300 00 0 655 o 0 0 10080 ises 30 MIABCF 00 000 0 378 0 0 0 4L 0 ime s PHLABCE 55 55 0 40 35 0 0 3 0 0 o o o ISCASGE 120 o0 0 o 0 0 o 0 0 5o 0 _tm e NJ ABCF 20 20 20 20 () () [ [ 1999 5814 CHRIS/N ] [] 0 0 20 20 [ [ 0 0 (] 0 2000 3514 EZE/N) [) () [) 50 100 00 100 o 2001 5290 RYAN/ALSKA [ [] [ 0 0 25 25 25 25 25 25 25 2002 2873 PROPAGANDL 1130000 o o o o o 30 o 20 s s T T T—T— T —— " L= Ao o0 om0 0 o o o o o o X 2 JIM/PHILLY 0 o0 o0 o0 0 o 0 0 o0 10 00 Totar assad TOTAL 3@ 75 30 T80 45 45 73es 15 35 35 eleds sas (0P 424 e FUNDS OUT ___JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC . 1995 279 SEROUKAMBUL 30 30 30 30 30 3030 30 30 30 30 3 1% 408 RUSSELLSHOATZ 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 0 i 48 JoserBOWEN 30 30 3030 30 30 30 30 30 30 0 3 128 ez AN GEY 3030 3030 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 0 b St HERVAN BELL 30730 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 0 M i SEKOU GDINGA 30 30 3030 30 30 30 3030 30 30 30 st sz RUCHELLMAGEE 3030 303030 30 30 30 30 303030 sees 130 ALVARO HERNANDEZ 30 30 3030 30 30 30 3030 30 30 30 ae3uices ToTAL 340 340 240 240 340 240 340 340 240 240 240 340 —soms s6s0 So0e 560 TOTAL 43716 REMAINING: $2441.94 (“Funds unaccounted for due to unreported funds from Jacksonville ABCF) “Your ABCF Guide to PP/POW Support is great, PERIOD!" - New Afikan POW Sundiata Acoli “You can see many of our concerns addressed in this pam - phiet.” - former Puerto Rican POW Carmen Valentin “Itis extremely well thought out and put together.” - Anti-Imperialist PP Tom Manning Wihat's the ABC? What's the ABCF? Who are Political Prisoners? Who are Prisoners of War? Where are they? Why make a criteria? What do you mean by “documentation”and how do 1 get it? What kinds of sup - ‘por do Polltical Prisoners need? How should 1 o about my work? What can PPIPOWS gt in prison? What do I need o know if I wans - ed 10 visit? Can I bring them food packages? What abour clothes? Wit do you mean' by ‘principled support”? How do I get involved? This is a practical guide compiled by Political Prisoners and Prisoners of War themselves, based on concrete history and work experience. 1t will help answer all of the above questions and more. The ABCF guide to PPPOW includes definitions that were demo- cratically agreed upon at an international tribunal, spet dures ini " proce- ob ‘documentation on PP/POW's. information on visiting, phone contact, food/clothing packages, and the working policies of the ABCF in our work to support PPPOW's. Send $1 ‘and two stamps to ABCF-LA « PO Box 11223 « Whittier, CA + 90603 LA-ABCF Branch Group PO Box 11223 Whittier, CA 90603 “This work is not done for glory, but because we believe in mutual aid.”