Spring 2007 "Any movement that does not support their political internees is sham movement.” - O. Luialo Issue #47 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 New Issue of 4struggiemag Issue #5 Out Now! Wriings by Polfical Prisoners and edited by Bil Dunne. Available onine at: wwwAsirugglemag.org T he the Writers include: Jaan Laaman, Rene Gonzale Kevin Rashid Johnson, Herman Bel, etc. Gilbert, Herman Bell, Paper copies are available (four dollars, free | Hernandez, Jeffrey "Free" 1o prisoners) by emailing montrealabcf@gmail.com ORDER YOUR COPY NOW! or writing to: astrugglemag P.0. Box 42053 Suce. Jeanne Mance SI5/59 for prisoners Concordia This year's calendar focused on of immigration, and fea- ures work by many political prison- s, including Tom Manning, David Alvaro Luers, he MOVE 9, the Cuban 5 & more. Certain Days clo QPIRG 1455 de Maisonneuve Blvd. O. Montreal, QC H3G 1M8 CANADA tain DAYS: www.certaindays.org Tsutomu Shirosaki is Transferred On_ February 12, Political Prisoner ‘Tsutomu Shirosaki was notified by prison authorities to pack up his belongings for a transfer to an unknown location. Shirosaki was then transferred to Oklahoma City FTC- which is a transfer center. For sever- al weeks Tsutomu was kept at Oklahoma City instead of transferring t his perma- nent location. It was not until carly March that Tsutomu was once again transferred- end- ing up at USP Terre Haute in Indiana For those unaware of Tsutomu Shirosaki, he is accused of being a member of the Anti-Imperialist _International Brigade (ALIB)- a group the authorities claim is associated with the Japanese Red Ammy (IRA). Shirosaki was accused of an attack against British, Japanese and US embassies in Rome and Jakarta. He is cur- rently serving a 30-year sentence for the attacks against the US embassies ‘Tsutomu Shirosaki claims thit he was not 2 member of cither the AlIB o the JRA. The false claims of his membership in either group or the attacks are nothing more: than retaliation by the Japanese govern- ment and their allies for the liberation of revolutionaries by the Japanese Red Army - Shirosaki being one of those revolutionar. Tsutomu's current address is: Tsutomu Shirosaki 20924-016 FCI Terre Haute PO. Box 33 Terre Haute, IN 47808 Judge Reopens Omaha Two Case On January 3, 2007, a ruling published by the Douglas County District Court Judge Richard Spethman has effectively reopened the 35-year-old wrongful con- viction of Ed Poindexter and Mondo we Langa (formerly David Rice]. ‘The ruling was made on a petition filed by Ed Poindexter' attorney, Robert Bartle of Lincoln, Nebraska. ~ The petition requested an order from the court to com- pela voice exemplar [sample] from Duane Peak, the then 15 year-old who testified at trial that he made the 911 call that lured police 10 a vacant home at 28th & Ohio Streets in 1970 where Omaha Police Officer Larry Minard was killed when a booby-trapped suitcase exploded. At trial, the Omaha Police Department testified that the 911 tape was not available. 1t was later learned from an FBI document obtained under a Freedom of Information request that the 911 tape had been sup- pressed as part of the effort to frame both Poindexter and we Langa for the murder Mondo we Langa has exhausted his “post conviction relief.” and Ed Poindexter is now in the early phases of his post conviction relief efforts. Poindexter and we Langa have maintained their innocence for the past 35 years and have maintained that Duane Peak did not make the 911 telephone call that night People who have heard the tape have said that the voice on the tape is not that of a juvenile. Assistant Douglas County Attorney Brent Bloom argued against Bartle's_petition, saying that any voice comparison would not be admissible in court. Judge Spethman disagreed with Broom, ‘saying, “That determination is reserved for futire proceedings.” ‘The Douglas County Attomey's office is considering an appeal of Judge Spethman'’s order. Bartle says that he thinks the voice comparison will set his client free. Bartle is now faced with the considerable task of getting a court in Spokane, Washington, to_compel Peak [who hs changed his first name to Gabriel] to provide the voice sample Peak has refused to return reporters’ phone. calls seeking comment. If Poindexter prevails, it could not only free two more political prisoners, but also once again show the extent the ULS. gov- ernment will go to frame revolutionaries for actions they are innocent of. Food Not Bombs Targeted by Nazis On February dth, a small time bomb exploded in 4220 BM in Viadimirskaya square of St Petersburg, 4 location that is known for Food Not Bornbs servings. “The bomb was hidden near a kiosk sell- ing flowers. Because the device was small, it just damaged the kiosk, causing no injuries to people in the squire. The obvi- ously purpose of the bomb was not to kill but to terrorize, Luckily, that day Food Not Bombs was ate from the schedule and activists showed up in the spot few minutes afte the explo- sion. Food was given to homeless without any problems. Usually 4:20 would be the ‘moment with most people gathering in the square for food. At time of the action, activists did not pay much attention to damages but consid- ered timing as a coincidence - it could have been some conflict_between organized crime, for example. But later in the day it wwas revealed that bomb had been set with a timing device. People now believe. that Food Not Bombs may have been the target, Russian_ Nazis have used explosives against anti-fascists in the last fow years. On_ December 22, 2006, in Moscow, 4 bomb was used 1o farget local ani-fascists, wounding a number of police who attempt. ed o neutralize the device. In August 2006, another bombing in Moscow killed 11 in Cherkisovski marketplace, Food Not Bombs has dircctly been tar- et by Nazis. On January 14, 2007, a St Petersburg activist, Ivan Elin, suffered 20 stab wounds when retuming home from action, but he is recovering. On November 13ih, 2005, a Food Not Bombs activist, Timur Kacharava, was believed 1o have been murdered by Nazis. Bashir Hameed Cell Raided Over “Political Contraband” On January 19th, while Bashir Hameed was at_prayer, guards raided his cell and seized various items which the prison claims to be “political contraband.” Despite the obviously political nature of the harassment, the US government refuses o recognize Bashir Hameed and the hundreds of other prisoner like Bashir as political prisoners. Since the raiding of his cell, Bashir has been placed on lockdown. Although he is permitted to have visits, he cannot make any phone calls. In addition to these resirictions, the prison has shut off the lights in his cell, S0 he spends his days and nights in the dark The lockdown has also limited Bashir’s access to medical checkups and blood-work needed following his open-heart sugery. He is also not receiving necessary medical attention for his diabetes. The "political contraband” found in his cell includes some pictures from the 35th Anniversary Reunion of the Black Panther party and some writings by the New Black Panther Party. Of course, all of this had already gone through the prison mail system before Bashir received it This is the third time since Bashir has been in Comstock prison that the prison administration ordered a raid on his cell and chaned him with having "Political Contraband” i his cell. Please give Bashir your support at: Bashir Hameed/York #82-A6313, Great Meadow Correctional Facility Box 51 Comstock, New York 12821 Update on Daniel McGowan’s Court Case The following statement was issue by Family and Friends of Daniel McGowan on March 6, 2007. For those unfamiliar with McGowan, he is one of the cco-sabotage defondants from the ‘Operation Backfire” case. The case against McGowan and three other defendants (Jonathan Paul, Joyanna Zacher and Nathan Block) rested on the testimony of six other defendants who wrned state’s evidence against each other: With the threat of life imprisonment, McGowan and friends were forced 1o plead out As part of the agreement, the covernment will ask for eight years confinement. Daniel and oth - ers will not be forced 10 inform on others. However on May 15, there will be an oral argument on whether a terrorism enhancement should be added o all of the defendants n the case. This could add an additional 20 years to the sentences. Itis important 10 note that Daniel has been active for years in the political prisoner support community Friends, We just wanted to give you an update on the March 2nd court hearing held in Eugene last week. “The dates for the terrorism enhancement hearing as well as all sentencing dates were set by Judge Aiken. The hearing to deter- mine whether the defendants in the case get the terrorism enhance- ment will take place on May 15, 2007 in Eugene Federal Court Daniel's sentencing is June 4th ai 9AM. Daniel's non-cooperating. defendans’ sentencing dates are as follows: Joyanna Zacher and Jonathan Paul: June Nathan Block: June 15t Sth There were some other matters discussed in court on March 2nd related to the restriction of people attending the court hearings for some defendants and the sealing of sentencing briefs. We are in support of all sentencing hearings being completely open to the public, as they should be. We are also in support of unsealed sen- tencing briefs filed with the court as well ‘The past two months have been a whirlwind on our end. Daniel's property bond was reduced to $800,000 and the court removed the tesidency requirement that had Danicl living with his. sister's family since February 2006. Daniel and his partner moved 10 a separate residence and shortly after found out that he was accepted into a Master's program that will allow him 1o cam a ‘raduate degree while he is imprisoned. Our fundraising efforts are shifting to making that happen and we will soon be announcing matching donation campaizn to pay for Daniels tuiion. Finally, we would like to thank everyone who wrote a lette to the Judge for Daniel's sentencing. The response was overwhelm- ing, as well as, an amazing display of solidarity. Last Friday was the deadlin and we received nearly 250 letters in Daniel's defense. s a testament to the level of support for Daniel and against these prosecutions. Family “Thanks for all you do. and Friends of Daniel McGowan Joe-Joe in Need of Financial Assistance Long time Black Liberation soldier Joe-Joe Bowen is in nced of legal assis- tance to aid his battle to win his release from solitary confinement. The judge has rejected his case and he now needs to file an appeal. This next step in the legal action for Joe-Joe has depleted the litdle money he had. The appeal is going to cost Joe-Joe over $455, In 2 recent phone call with an ABCE member, Joe-Joe stated, “"You are to tell all the soldiers on your end that I said to send me a piece of money because the fed- eral courts want me to pay 455 dollars to them to file my federal appeal into the fed- eral courts down there in Philadelphia in 2 few weeks. Do not ask me why they want this type of money from me. But they want itand I must send it to them. So tell ll the revolutionary soldiers on your end that the old man neéds a piece of mony on this end. HELP" Joe-Joc has been on in solitary confine- ment since 1981, after an attempted self- liberation and standoff with prison author- ities. As part of his solitary confinement, his access 1o books and other reading material has been severely restricted. Attemps o send Joe-Joe requested legal books have also been reject as part of his confinement. We are asking for all supporters to send ‘money orders to Joe-loe at the following address: Joseph Bowen AM-4272 1 Kelley Drive Coal Township, PA 17866-1021 S e—— Two Freedom Fighters Mark Over 40 March Birthdays in Prisons by Kiilu Nyasha became known as the San Quentin Six in the. 15705 following the assassimaton of George Leste Jackson'on August 21, 1971, Yogi tumed 62 years okd on March 10, Fory- Califomia gulags. the Marin Courthouse Rebelion of August 7. 1970, tumed 68 on March 17, He has now been'inarcersed for 4 years. ‘Trophics for Black August: On August 7, 1970, afler seven years, two trials and countless petitions filed against his illegal incarceration, Magee joined the guer- fillis in California’s Marin County Courthouse, when Jonathan Jackson stormed the court armed to the teeth and tossed guns to William Christmas, James McClain (on trialfor assaulting a guard), and Magee (tes- tifying for McClain). Miliants of the Black Movement behind bars,the brothers took the judge, prosecutor and three jurors hostage thinking they would be insirance in their plan to drive to a radio station to announce the murderousracist_prison conditions and demand the release of The Soledad Brothers (John Clutchette, Fleeta Drumgo, and George Jackson, Jonathan's older brother) - facing rial and 3 possible death sentence. ‘The four revolutionaries never got out of the parking lot. The San Quentin guards ot there in time to shoot up the van killing all three guerrillas and. the judge, seriously wounding the prosecutor and Magee, and slightly injuring one of the jurors. ~Angela Davis was hunted down and captured for having legally purchased the guns (Jonathan Jackson had been her body guard in her e, Court Decision May Reduce Luers’ Sentence Oregon, USS. - The Oregon Court of Appeals unanimously ruled that lefirey Luers” case will reversed and remanded back to the Circuit Court for re-sentencing. ‘The decision could possibly shave 15 years ofFof the original 266-month sentence. Luers was sentenced to 22 years in prison for the arson of the Romania car dealership in Eugene, OR, and an attempt- ed arson of Tyree Ol The total damage amounted to bured tires on 3 SUVs . the tires were replaced and the SUVs were resold. It's possible that he could be defense actvities for the Soledad Brothers in a dangerous climate.). Although Ruchell was unconscious at the scene having been sho, the State tried (o pin the murders on him, but had to drop those chages. Nevertheless, he was convicted of simple kidnap and rémains in prison to date. Magee's own jailhouse lawyering_got him released from the Pelican Bay SHU back in the carly 1990s and he is currently on the Corcoran Prison mainline. As brother Willie Sundiata Tate has ofien stated, “Ruchell never hurt anyone.” Nevertheless, he was denied parole again last year, and is now enduring his 44th year of incarceration. August 21, 1971, was the day Soledad Brother, George Leser Jackson, was mur- dered on the yard of San Queniin State Prison, in addition to three prison guards and fwo inmate trustees. Six prisoners were sin- eled out and charged with various couns of murder and assault Fleeta Drumgo, Willie Sundiata Tate, David Johnson, Luis Talamantez, Johnny Spain, and Yogi. Spain was the only one convicted of murder, and has been out of prison since 1988, Yogi was convicted of assault and has spent the last 35 years in sol released from prison as carly as 2008, Despite the possible good news, his sup- port community remains cautious yet hope- ful. In the coming months supporters will be finding out more about JefT’s re-sen- tencing - the court date and possible out- come, et In'the meantime, Jeff's supporters have made a call for financial assistence. Joff's legal costs and attomey fees, on top of on- going daily expenses, are just something that can’t be covered with their current bank account and financial suppor. tary confinement (no_contact, 1o phone calls).He has been in Pelican Bay's torture chamber since 1990. Pelican Bay's supermax control unit is located in the Northwest corner of California on the Oregon border in pristine, redwood territory. The prison is solid gray concrete and the SHU (Security Housing Unit) is completely windowless. 1t looks ke a large tomb. 16 hi-tech with automatic doors and gates, only anificial light, and the so-called yard s nothing more than 3 “dog run” or out- door closet with 20" high walls covered on top by Plexiglas. SHU prisoners are locked down 24/7 except for a possible hour on the dog run where they can exercise alone with R0 equipment whatsoever, not even a ball ‘They are permitted no art or crafls materi- als, and only a very restrcted number of books and property. They're chained hand and foot whenever they leave their cells escorted by two guards. Visits are no con- tact and limited to weekends and holidays for less than two hous. One way we can le these righteous sol- diers know they are loved and appreciated, while sending sirong message (o thei jail- ers, would be 10 flood their cells with cards and ltters (a money order may be included). ‘They can be reached as follows: Hugo L.A.Pinell ASSAOL D3-221 Box 7500 Crescent City, Ca. 95531 Ruchell Cinque Magee A92051. 3a2-131 Box 3471 CsP Corcoran, Ca 93212 Go to the following address to donate: hitp:/freefeenoworg/donate.himl ‘The website has various options ranging from paypal, to sending in a check t0 his support teant, or a money order directly to Jeff's commissary account in prison (this last option will not help pay legal costs). Contact Jeff Luers at: Jeff Luers #13797661 2605 State St. Salem, OR 97310 Oregon State Prison San Francisco 8 Arrests Eight former Black Panthers were arrested January 23rd in California, New York and Florida on charges related to the 1971 killing of a San Francisco police officer. Similar charges were thrown out after it was revealed that police used torture to extract confessions when some of these same men were arrested in New Orleans in 1973. Richard Brown, Richard ONeal, Ray Boudreaux, and Hank Jones were arrested in California Francisco Torres was arrested in Queens, New York. Harold Taylor was arrested in Florida. Two men charged have been held as political prisoners for aver 30 years - Herman Bell and Jalil Muntagim are both in New York State prisons. A ninth man — Ronald Stanley Bridgeforth - is still being Sought. The men were charged with the murder of Sgt. John Young and con- spiracy that encompasses numerous acts between 1968 and 1973 Harold Taylor and John Bowman (recently deceased) as well as Ruben Seott (thought (o be a government witness) were first charged in 1975. But ajudse tossed out the charges, finding that Taylor and his two co-defendants niade statements after police in New Orleans tortured them for several days employing electric shock, catle prods, beatings, sensory deprivation, plas- tic bags and hot, wet blankets for asphyxiation. Such "evidence is neither credible nor legal L-R) Hank Jones, John Bowman (decea Boudreaux, Harold Taylor, and R Richard O°Neal being arrested by the SF police Profile Herman Bell, 59, of Mississippi, a politcal prisoner since 1973. Cointelpro's "patiem of manipulation and lies, continuing into the present, indicates something more than the ordinary corruption and racism of every- day law enforcement. It can be understood only in terms. of the power of the political movemen that [we] were part of, and the intensity of the governmens cfforts o destroy that movement and to disillusion and intimidate future generations of young actvists.” Write to him - 79C-0262, Sullivan Correctional Facility. Box 116, Riverside Drive, Fallsburg, N 12733-0116 Ray Boudreau, 64, of Altadena. "Actually for the last 23 years I've lived a pretty peaceful and quiet lie. My politics aresillthe same. I’ just that I'm not active. People come to me sometimes as 2 peace-maker. And all of that has 1o do with all of my experience.” Write fo him - 2301300, 850 Bryant Sireet, San Francisco CA 94103, Richard Brown, 65, of San Francisco. "For the past six years | have been a Community Court Judge Asbitrator working with the San Francisco District ‘Attomey's office. We place a ot of emphasis on restora- five jusiice, so most of the community service done will e done in our own commaunity where the offender can give back to the community." Write to him - 2300819, 850 Bryant Street, San Francisco CA 94103 Henry W. (Hank) Jones, 70, of Aliadena, 'l [have lived] under the constant threat of another .. incarcera- tion. In essence | have been robbed of peace of mind, life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. | am therefore compelled to resist these tactics and inform the public of my recent experience, fecling that something similar could happen to anyone given the climate of fear, para- noia, and abuse of authority tha is rampant in our coun. try today." Write to him - 3301301, 425 Seventh St, San Francisco CA 94103 Jalil Muntagim (Anthony Bottom). 5. of San Francisco, a politcal prisoner in New York since 1978, "The United States does not recognize the existence of political prisoners. To do so would give credence (o the fact o the level of repression and oppression, and have o recognize the fact that people resist in the United States, and therefore, legi tence of not only the individuals who are incarcerated or have been captured, but also legitimize those move- ments_ of which they are a part" Write o him - 7744283, Aubum_Correctional Facility, 135 State Street, P.O. Box 618, Auburn, NY 13024, Richard O'Neal, ST, of San Francisco. Richard works as a custodian for the city. He had previously ‘worked at the city's Hall of Justice and has been a city employee for more than 25 years. Write to_him - 2300818, 850 Bryant Street, San Francisco CA 94103, Harold Taylor, 58, of Panama City. "In 1971, two brothers and | were st up by the FBI. We didn't learn about COINTELPRO uniil years later. In 1973 1 was arrested in New Orleans and was beaten and tortured for several days. in 2003 the detectives that were responsi- ble for my torture came to my house o try and question me. I have not been the same since." Write (0 him - 2305584, 850 Bryant Street, San Francisco, CA 94103, Francisco Torres, 58, of New York CityWrite 0 him - 349071576, 1515 Hazen Street, East Elmhurst, NY 11370 Interview with Herman Bell’s Attorney, Stuart Hanlon by Minister of Information JR On January 23, 10 Black Panthers were indicted for the alleged killing of a police Sergeant inside ofa Ingleside police station in San Francisco. Many believe that much of the the main evidence in the case is the tortured confessions of some of the defen- dants and another individual, who is expected to testify for the state. I the peo- ple don' stand up against this, then we are giving a validation to the government to torture people in our name. People stood against the torture that was going on in Irag, in Guantanimo, Israel, and in Eastern Europe in CIA prisons, its time for us to look at Amerikkka's torture of its own domestic prisoners. ‘The Panther 10 defendants are also being indicted on_ conspiracy charges, which means that the government doesn't have to prove that you exactly commitied a crime. This is a continuation of the Counter Intelligence program of the FBI in today's form known 25 a Department of Homeland Security operation. For those who may not know, the Counter Intelligence supposedly was born in the 60's to wage the domestic war of terror that it did, in the interest of the United States government, against the Black Panther Party, the Puerto Rican Independence Movement, the American Indian Movement, as_ well s the Weatherman Underground, the Crips, the Bloods, and other militant formations. but we know it has existed in Amerikkka at least since runaway Africans teamed up with Natives to fight slave-catchers,its just today we call these two opposing interests the revolutionaries versus the state aka the police/military. People such as Harrict Tubman, Nat Turner, Marcus Garvey, Ida B. Wells, Paul Robeson, El Hajj Malik El Shabazz, the Black Panther Party, Rev Martin Luther King Jr, and Muhammad Ali are just & few of the many people who were enemies of the state, in which the state used everything that it could to neutralize them. Today the lists continues with people like 1968- six arrested for shootout with police. Brown (third from left) Mutulu Shakur, Veronza Bowers, political Panthers have been brought up on? exile Assata Shakur, the Move 9, the Hanlon: The indictments have two parts Angola 3, the Queens 2, Chip Fitzgerald, - one of their charges was killing this Hugo Pinell, Ruchell Magee, and Aaron precinct sergeant Young, who was shot in Paterson just 1o name a few. the Ingleside (San Francisco) station in ‘71, We have to realize that if we don' stand but then their charged with conspiracy 10 against this type of repression, then soon it kill policemen, and that conspiracy zoes will be coming to our front doors. from 1968-1973; and basically i’ a broad- Conspiracy laws can me enacted on people based attack on what they call the BLA who know a drug dealer or somebody who (Black Liberation Army), but what is really may have committed any crime. It is not the Black Panther Party in a ot of ways. Iis just implemented against freedom fighters. an attack on the organization, on the histo- With conspiracy laws, if you refuse 1o ry, and the politics of it. And they go snitch or really don't know anything about through 6 or 7 events which they allege the situation but they think that you do, you these people (were involved in) a conspira- can be indicted and Sentenced 25 a codéfen- ¢y to kill policemen. So it is going to be 3 dant. really multi-faceted prosecution. In this POCC: Block Report Radio MOIJR: Iknow that you also represen- interview check out San Francisco ed former political prisoner Geronimo Ji Attomey Stuart Hanlon, the lawyer for Jaga aka Geronimo Pratt, how do you relate political prisoner Herman Bell, one of the this case to the Geronimo case from a few defendants in this case, as he talks about decades ago? the ongoing government assault that is Hanlon: Well I think the thing that going on to this day against members of the relates them together is a couple things; Black Panther Party, as well as this partic- you could start with the Cointel Program, ular indictment of the Panther 10. which was started by the F.B.1. and J. Edgar MOI JR: Can you tell us what this Hoover with local law enforcement to get indictment i about that these Black rid of dissent, and especially the Black (L) Jalil Muntagim mug shot photo, (R) Herman Bell mug shot photo Ronald Bridgeforth Mug Shot Panther Party. They targeted Geronimo, and they targeted many of the people who have been charged here, and part of that targeting was to create false cases against them like they did Geronimo. And 1 think that we're going 1o see in this case how we've been dealing with evidence that has been fabricated and manipulated. And then itis also to continue the hatred of the Black Panther Party members by law enforce- ment who were there, back then and now; and they hated Geronimo and they're out 10 et these people now. MOI JR: 1 know that you represent Herman Bell, who is now being held as a political prisoner, and I also know that Jalil Muntaquim is also on this indictment ‘These two have been locked up for over 30 years already on vague charges, which many of us believe are falsified charges, | should say, why are they attacking some- one who is already locked down? Hanlon: Its hird to tell because they can't get the death penalty. They can't pun- ish these people more than they're being punished - Herman and Jalil | can't answer that, you know it just scems like continued harassment and oppression of people who were connected to the Panther Party, in the 60's and 70's, in an atiempt to make sure that they nevr sce the light of day. MOI IR: Who are the defendants? Hanlon: There's Herman Bell, Anthony Bottom aka Jalil Muntaquim, Ray Boudreaux, John Bowman, Ronald Bridgeforth, Richard Brown, Henry Watson Jones, Richard O'Neal, Harold Taylor, and Francisco Torres. MOLJR: And John Bownan just passed, right? Hanlon: Right, John Bowman would have been charged but he died of cancer about two weeks ago. MOI JR: Where do you see this case going? I know that these men are in their 50 and 60's. Do you think that the gov- ernment has a case? Hanlon: Well ifs going to be going to trial. And whether the government has a case._they haven't had a case in 33 years, its hard to imagine what could be new. So ifs going to be a war, and we're going o fight every way that we can to keep these people from either spending mre time in prison or going to prison, 5o it's hard to tell if anything is new. It docsn't seem like there's anything new because the evidence has been there for 35 years, and the science to figure it out, the scientific evidence has been there for 25 years. So nothing should be really new. And what | want to make clear is that you know that this case started in was torture. Some of these people were tortured in Louisiana, in New Orleans by the police 10 give up information. There were two cases that were already thrown out because of that torture, and it was tor- tured statements that led o this prosecu- tion, so 1 don't think that people in San Francisco are going 1o conviet peaple where the evidence began with tortured statemens from people. MOI JR: I've been watching the news, and 1 know that the goverment claims that Hank Taylor Mug Shot they have new scientific technology, and as you just stated, the technology has been there for over 25 years. Can the govern- ment just harass people like this with impunity? Hanlon: No . There's legal issues that we could raise to that If they cause a delay, the same as with people remembering, a5 well as with cvidence that has passed through time, then the case s not going to o forward. We really have to see what they. come up with, and their explanation of what i s MOI JR: I know that Ray Bourdreaux, John Bowman, Richard Brown, and | believe two of the other defendants were arrested in 2005, do you know anything about that case? Hanlon: Yes. They were arrested as grand jury witnesses, because they refused o tesiify at a erand jury regarding this crime, and they were put in jail for a period of time because they refused to testify MOIJR: And that was this same case? Hanlon: That was investigating this MOI IR: Do you have anything that you would like to say to the readers about this Hanlon: People should pay attention to this case. They should watch what is going on. You know, there is a message that the government is putting out, “if you ever cross us, we'll never give up on punishing you IF you're politics are different from the politics of the ruling regime, we're never going to give up on punishing you.” And people should watch this case, because the govemment calls it "criminal’, but we think that it is a polifical case, and people should watch it and see the ramifications of what happens here. FBI Hunting the Dead: Can John Bowman Ever Rest in Peace? by Soffiyah Elijah February 22,2007 John Bownian is a former Panther who was arrested in New Orleans in 1973 and was tortured by a task force of law enforce- ment officers from several jurisdictions. In 2003, some of those same agenis came to his home in Oklahoma City and confronted him about an unsolved 1971 police murder in San Francisco. So began a several year journey of resisting. interrogations ‘and Grand Jury subpocnas. Shorlly after getting out of San Francisco County Jail in October of 2005 for refusing to cooperate in a modern-day COINTELPRO investigation, John was diagnosed with terminal cancer. He perse- Vered and continued to organize resistance along with four other former Black activists, formed the Commitee to Defend Human Rights, and educated people about the responsibility 10 stay true 1o the pre- cepis of the 10-Foint Program of the Black Panther Party. Despite the pain of his ill- ness and the ongoing suffering caused by his 33-year post-traumatic, post-torture pains, John Bowman educated and gave his Soul to his people, community and the struggle. Resisting to the end Just weeks before his death, the same Caiifornia Attomey General's offce.that tried to force him to cooperate with his tor- mentors and jailed him for contempt of the Grand Jury, knew he was i terminal pain, and called i attorney, Douglas Part, in Oklahoma City to 35k if he might have a change of heart and now wanted to cooper- ‘e, Naturally John refused this inhumane request, said he was not interested and wesisted unil his transiion on December 23, 2006 ‘But the torment docsnt end at his pass- ing. On Tuesday, February 13, 2007, two ocal FBI agents, one wha identifed him. slf as John Coyle, visited a funeral home in Oklahoma Ciy and interrogated the owner and two stff people regarding the services it provided for John Bowman's cremation and memorial. They displayed their badges and one lef his card. It was lear from the tone and nature of their ques- tions tha they suspected that John had not actually died, and perhaps one or more peo- ple had participated ina scheme to feign his dearh A fugitive? According to the agents, they were investigating John a a fugitve. They want- e to know about all the svents leading up {o his memrial service. The agens asked o the name of the crematorium, the doc- tor, the medical examiner, where John died, who picked up the body and who handled the service. They also questioned how the awner could be certain that it was indeed John's body that had been cremated. The agents wanted to know if they had seen the body and if they could verify from a photo that it had been John who died. They were told that the body had not been viewed at that funeral home by anyone because it had alteady been cremated. Near the end of their visit the agents asked one of the funeral home adminisira. tors for their full name, date of birth, home address, home phone number, social securi- ty number and any other numbers where they could be reached. When asked why they needed all the personal information, the agents responded that it would be entered into the FBI data base. The funcral home owner said that in all the years they have been in business, this was the first time that anything like this had ever hap- pened. They coulds't believe that a ques- tion was being raised as to the identity of the deceased. Today. Ann Moorman, John Bowman's attorney, confirmed that the Federal Bureau of Investigation has been actively question- ing whether her client is in fact dead. "It eas clear from the tone and nature of their questions that the agents suspected that John Bowman had in fact not died and that the Funeral Home had participated in a scheme to feign his death, said Moorman. ‘She added, "Setting aside the insult o the Bowman family and John's numerous friends by this inquiry, | am astonished law enforcement is questioning his death. John Bowman spent months in a local hospital Suffxing from cancer. Before his illness he demonstrated his willingness to face these baseless allegations by appearing numerous times during the course of various grand jury proceedings. The authorities know that if John Bowman were alive today he would stand up to these allegations and vigorous- ly defend himself and the other men also facing the chuges.” ‘After their interrogation at the funeral home, the agents went to the crematorium to interrogate the owner of that business. Again they asked if the owner had seen the body and if he could identify a photo. The owner explained that the body arrived wrapped in a sheet and that he hadn't seen it. The agents had photos they wanted him 10 view but he insisted that he had not seen the body and therefore would be unable to identify any photos. They requested o see the log records for the body. They went on 10 ask the owner if he knew John personal- Iy, if he had heard of John, how it was that he was asked to do the cremation and what had been done with the ashes! At the close of their interrogation they asked the owner for the same personal information they had asked for from the funeral home adminis- trator. When he asked why they needed it, they responded that they needed it for their records. The crematorium owner said that in his 24 years of operation, this was the fist time that anything like this had ever happened to him. “The whole case just does not pass the smell test” Moorman emphasized, "John Bowman was a proud man and would not hide from the FBL. Instead of questioning his death, they should instead be investigat- ing why many court records favorable to the defense are missing. Or, why various items of physical evidence have also tumed up missing. They overlook those obvious suspicious developments that bear directly on the credibility of this prosccution and instead go looking for a dead man. The whole case just does not pass the smell test and this just further confirms iL." Can John Bowman ever rest in peace? Committce for the Defense of Human Rights PO. Box 90221 Pasadena, CA 91109 Los Angeles ABCF Chapter Report LA-ABCF has been expanding. We would like to welcome two new members, Tim Hearin and Will Su. These new members have brought with them the rejuvination of study_groups within' the local chapter. These study groups have so far focused on the history of the Black and Puerto Rican Liberation movements. With the recent arrests of the cight former Black Panthers, LA ABCF has joined up with other local groups in a support aganiz tion for the new defendents. This new group, called “the Uity Mission for the Panther Eight” has been busy organizing _several events to raise awareness about our imprisoncd brothers On February 14, the organiza- tion held a demonstration in LA to Eight support both anti-coloni Green Scare pol Speakers represented Puerto Rican Anarchist Black Cross. was an estimated 100 people in attendance. Three days later, the eroup presented a video showing of “Legacy of Torture.” Among the estimated two hundred atten- dees was Phyllis Boudreax, the Destruction Made Simple In addition to our involvement in with the new support group, our collective recently held an event at the Southern California Library 1o advocate for Jaan Laaman and Daniel McGowan, and their cur- rent legal battles. The event was a Success, with speakers from vari- s and causes tran- scending traditional boundaries to and dcal prisoners. the Independence Movement, the Black Liberation Movement, Asians for Jericho, the ‘and Friends and Family of Daniel MeGowan. Performances includ- ed hip-hop from Sherman Austin of Cop Watch and Excentrik and Rag Top. spoken word from Sadiki Bakari of FTP and Mark Gonzales, and hardcore punk from