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AfroCubaWeb
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Mumia Abu-Jamal
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| Mumia to Cuba, 6/00 Mumia Abu-Jamal in Granma, 5/31/00 Feds crack down on Mumia Protestors, infringe rights, 5/17/00 Mumia's message to Fidel, 5/11/00 REPORT ON INT'L DELEGATION TO D.C. FOR MUMIA Legal Update 10/27 Odep solidariza con Mumia Abu Jamal. Urgente: campaña hay que salvar la vida de Mumia Black
Radical Congress on Mumia Death Warrant Letter to Mumia from
Subcomandante Marcos of the Zapatistas, Mexico |
Mumia has long been a supporter of Cuba. A Black
Panther, he was accused of killing a policeman who was beating his brother in
Philadelphia. The trial was seriously flawed, a blatant railroad job where the
judge was a past member of the Fraternal Order of Police. Some of the forces seeking his
death after a seriously flawed trial for shooting a Philadelphia cop are listed below: - the Philadelphia Police
- the Fraternal Order of Police
- Pennsylvania politicians, as funded by the FOP and other hate groups: - Radio talk shows - Web sites |
| The FOP is a police union with many chapters (270,000 members) across the
country. In addition to its union activities, it is known for its advocacy of - the execution of Mumia - the dismantling of police review boards, in which they are typically
assisted by white racist groups such as the American Nazi Party and the John Birch
Society. See: There was an issue of the New Jersey Crime Line at |
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Sites on the FOP The Grand Lodge: national HQ - http://www.grandlodgefop.org/ Links to many FOP sites: http://www.micro.com/~fop/links.html German-American Police Assoc. 23rd Anniversary Saturday, April 10, 1999 - 6:00pm
Trevose PA: The FOP Network: http://www.fop.net/ |
| Nattyreb at Afrikan.net: http://www.webcom.com/nattyreb/ Mumia.org: http://mumia.org Mumia911: http://mumia911.org |
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| Subj: [Fwd: NOI: From Subcomandante Marcos (Mexico) to Mumia] Date: 4/28/99 9:22:57 PM Subject: A Gift from Subcomandante Marcos to Mumia This is an amazing letter. Thank you to the women of "Wages for Housework" who work in solidarity with the EZLN and helped bring it to us. Toward justice, Prison Radio --------------------------------------------------------------------------- For: Mumia Abu-Jamal, American Union I am writing to you in the name of the men, women, children and elderly of the Zapatista Army of National Liberation in order to congratulate you on April 24, which is your birthday. Perhaps you have heard of us. We are Mexican, mostly indigenous, and we took up arms on January 1 of 1994 demanding a voice, face and name for the forgotten of the earth. Since then, the Mexican government has made war on us and pursues us and harasses us seeking our death, our disappearance and our definitive silence. The reason? These lands are rich with oil, uranium and precious lumber. The government wants them for the great transnational companies. We want them for all the Mexicans. The government sees our lands as a business. We see our history written in these lands. In oder to defend our right (and that of all Mexicans) to live with liberty, democracy, justice and dignity we became an army and undertook a name, voice and face that way. Perhaps you wonder how we know of you, about your birthday, and why it is that we extend this long bridge which goes from the mountains of the Mexican southeast to the prison of Pennsylvania which has imprisoned you unjustly. Many good people from many parts of the world have spoken of you, through them we have learned how you were ambushed by the North American police in December of 1981, of the lies which they constructed in the procedures against you, and of the death sentence in 1982. We learned about your birthday through the international mobilizations which, under the name of "Millions for Mumia", are being prepared this April 24th. It is harder to explain this bridge which this letter extends, it is more complicated. I could tell you that, for the powerful of Mexico and the government, to be indigenous, or to look indigenous, is reason for disdain, abhorrence, distrust and hatred. The racism which now floods the palaces of Power in Mexico goes to the extreme of carrying out a war of extermination, genocide, against millions of indigenous. I am sure that you will find similarities with what the Power in the United States does with the so-called "people of color" (African-American, Chicanos, Puerto Ricans, Asians, Northamerican Indians and any other peoples who do not have the insipid color of money.) We are also "people of color" (the same color of our brothers who have Mexican blood and live and struggle in the American Union). We are of the color "brown", the color of the earth, the color from which we take our history, our strength, our wisdom and our hope. But in order to struggle we add another color to the brown: black. We use black ski-masks to show our faces. Only in this way can we be seen and heard. We chose this color as a result of the counsel of an indigenous Mayan elder who explained to us what the color black meant. The name of this wise elder was Old Man Antonio. He died in these rebel Zapatista lands in March of 1994, victim of tuberculosis which ate his lungs and his breath. Old Man Antonio used to tell us that from black came the light and from there came the stars which light up the sky around the world. He told us a story which said that a long time ago (in those times when no one measured it), the first gods were given the task of giving birth to the world. In one of their meetings they saw it was necessary that the world have life and movement, and for this light was necessary. Then they thought of making the sun in order that the days move and so there would be day and night and time for struggling and time for making love, walking with the days and nights the world would go. The gods had their meeting and made this agreement in front of a large fire, and they knew it was necessary that one of them be sacrificed by throwing himself into the fire in order to become fire himself and fly into the sky. The gods thought that the work of the sun was the most important, so they chose the most beautiful god so that he would fly into the fire and become the sun. But he was afraid. Then the smallest god, the one who was black, said he was not afraid and he threw himself into the fire and became sun. Then the world had light and movement, and there was time for struggle and time for love, and in the day the bodies worked to make the world and in the night the bodies made love and sparkles filled the darkness. This is what Old Man Antonio told us and that is why we use a black ski mask. So we are of the color brown and of the color black. But we are also of the color yellow, because the first people who walked these lands were made of corn so they would be true. And we are also red because this is the call of blood which has dignity and we are also blue because we are the sky in which we fly, and green for the mountain which is our house and our strength. And we are white because we are paper so that tomorrow can write its story. So we are 7 colors because there were 7 first gods who birthed the world. This is what Old Man Antonio said long ago and now I tell you this story so that you may understand the reason for this bridge of paper and ink which I send to you all the way from the mountains of the Mexican Southeast. And also so that you may understand that with this bridge goes pieces of salutes and hugs for Leonard Peltier (who is in the prison at Leavenworth, Kansas), and for the more than 100 political prisoners in the USA who are the victims of injustice, stupidity and authoritarianism. And with this letter-bridge walks as well a salute to the Dine (the Navajo), who, in Big Mountain, Arizona, fight against the violations of their traditional Dine religious practices. They struggle against those who prefer the large businesses instead of respect for the religious freedom of Indian peoples, and those who want to destroy sacred grounds and ceremonial sites (as is the case of Peabody Western Coal Company which wants to take lands without reason, history or rights-lands which belong to the Dine and their future generations.) But there are not only stories of resistance against North American injustice in this letter-bridge. There are the indigenous, from the extreme south of our continent, in Chile, the Mapuche women in the Pewenche Center of Alto Bio-Bio who resist against stupidity. Two indigenous women, Bertha and Nicolasa Quintreman are accused of "mistreating" members of the armed forces of the Chilean government. So there it is. An armed military unit with rifles, sticks, and tear-gas, protected by bulletproof vests, helmets and shields, accuse two indigenous women of "mistreatment". But Bertha is 74 years old and Nicolasa is 60. How is it possible that two elderly people confronted a "heroic" group of heavily-armed military? Because they are Mapuche. The story is the same as that of the brothers and sisters Dine of Arizona, and the same which repeats itself in all America: a company (ENDESA) wants the lands of the Mapuches, and in spite of the law which protects the indigenous, the government is on the side of the companies. The Mapuche students have pointed out that the government and the company made a "study" of military intelligence about the indigenous Mapuche communities and they came to the conclusion that the Mapuche could not think, defend themselves, resist, or construct a better future. The study was wrong apparently. Now it occurs to me that, perhaps the powerful in North America carried out a "military intelligence" study (this is frankly a contradiction, because those of us who are military are not intelligent, if we were we would not be military) about the case of the Dine in Arizona, about Leonard Peltier, about other political prisoners, about yourself, mister Mumia. Perhaps they made this study and came to the conclusion that they might be able to violate justice and reason, to assault history and lose the truth. They thought they could do this and no one would say anything. The Dine Indians would stand by and watch the destruction of the most sacred of their history, Leonard Peltier would be alone, and you, Mister Mumia, would be silenced ( and I remember your own words "They not only want my death, they want my silence"). But the studies were wrong. Happy mistake? The Dine resist against those who would kill their memory, Leonard Peltier is accompanied by all those who demand his liberty, and you sir, speak and yell today with all the voices which celebrate your birthday as all birthdays should be celebrated, by struggling. Mister Mumia: We have nothing big to give you as a gift for your birthday, it is poor and little, but all of us send you an embrace. We hope that when you gain your freedom you will come to visit us. Then we will give you a birthday party, even if it isn't April 24th, it will be an unbirthday party. There will be musicians, dancing and speaking, which are the means by which men and women of all colors understand and know one another, and build bridges over which they walk together, towards history, towards tomorrow. Happy Birthday! Vale. We salute you and may justice and truth find their place. From the mountains of the Mexican Southeast, P.S. I read somewhere that you are a father and a grandfather. So I am sending you a gift for your children and grandchildren. It is a little wooden car with Zapatistas dressed in black ski-masks. Tell your children and grandchildren that it is a gift that we send you, the Zapatistas. Explain to them places that there are people of all colors everywhere, just like you, who want justice, liberty and democracy for people of all colors. ************************************************************************ Zapatista Army of National Liberation April of 1999 For: The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, USA. Mister Tom Ridge, governor of Pennsylvania United States of North America From : Subcomandante Insurgente Marcos , Mexico Gentlemen Magistrate and Governor: I write to you in the name of the men, women, children and elderly of the EZLN. Most of us are indigenous Mexicans and we struggle for liberty, democracy and justice. The purpose of the following letter is to demand justice in the case of Mister Mumia Abu-Jamal, condemned unjustly to the death penalty in 1982. As you know, the judicial process against Mister Mumia Abu-Jamal was plagued with lies and irregularities: the police who accuse him lied about a supposed confession of his, one of the witnesses has changed testimony and declared that he was forced to lie or face prison, the ballistic evidence has proved it was impossible that Mister Mumia Abu-Jamal fired the weapon which killed the policeman. This should be enough evidence for a new trial, but even this recourse has been denied to Mister Mumia Abu-Jamal. If the Judicial system of Pennsylvania and the governor are certain of the guilt of Mister Mumia Abu-Jamal, they should not fear a new trial which adheres to the truth. I do not ask clemency, pardon, nor mercy of you for Mister Mumia Abu-Jamal. I demand justice, something which I believe is within your powers. No one within the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania or governor Tom Ridge has anything to lose. A new trial can bring the truth forward, and justice, supposedly, is all that should matter. That is all. From the mountains of the Mexican Southeast Subcomandante Insurgente Marcos Mexico, April of 1999 Prison Radio (a project of the Quixote Center) challenges mass incarceration and racism by airing the voices of men and women in prison. Our educational materials serve as a catalyst for public activism. __________________________________________________ Prison Radio P.O. Box 411074 |
| STATEMENT OF THE BLACK RADICAL CONGRESS: MUMIA ABU-JAMAL - DEATH WARRANT
SIGNED October 18, 1999 Many who are familiar with the attempt to murder Mumia Abu-Jamal at the hands of the "Criminal Justice System" registered shock, grief, and anger after hearing the news that Pennsylvania Governor Thomas Ridge has signed a death warrant for Mumia. The signing of this death warrant signals that the stakes have been raised in the battle to save Mumia Abu-Jamal's life and the state's attempt to kill him. This development also signals for those who have been involved in efforts to obtain justice for Mumia, the urgent need to escalate our efforts. A loud and united voice MUST send forth the message that people will not capitulate in their efforts to stop the execution of Mumia. Our efforts MUST proceed with the utmost determination. It has been repeatedly stated that justice denied to Mumia is justice denied to us all. Mumia's execution will confirm resonantly for many Black people in this country that no Black person has any rights that this country is obligated to respect. This is the main issue here and we should not lose sight of this historic fact. The predicament that Mumia finds himself, is reflective of the of day to day injustices that Black men and women in this society have had to endure since their enslavement and subsequent second class status in the U.S. Everyday in this nation's courts, Black people without the means to make excessive bail and who are too poor to retain effective counsel, are at the mercy of racist judges and juries. Recent repressive legislation has given state courts the green light to deprive Black men and women of constitutional and human rights. For many in our communities, Mumia's situation sets no precedent. However, what is particular about Mumia's case, is his consistent refusal to allow this blatant injustice to go unheard. And due to the tremendous outpouring of support for Mumia, he is being used as an example to those who would dare challenge this racist and class based system. In other words silencing Mumia is an attempt by the state to silence the unruly, the outspoken, and the dreamers of a new society. The Black Radical Congress calls forth all progressive forces in this country in general and the Black community in particular, to transcend ideological differences, in order to unite and surpass the momentum of the state's executioners. The Black Radical Congress recognizes that the gravity of Mumia's current situation dictates that we magnify our efforts in calling attention to Mumia's plight, and continue mobilizing all those who will suffer from the ramifications of this great injustice that is being orchestrated by repressive forces in this country, so that we may bring pressure to bear in attaining justice for Mumia Abu-Jamal. IT'S TIME TO RAISE THE POLITICAL STAKES!!! The Black Radical Congress |
| Date sent: Thu, 28 Oct 1999 23:25:19 +0100 From: "Paul Davidson" p.davidson@btinternet.com Subject: Mumia - Legal Update Important Legal Update on Mumia's Case from Clark Kissinger (10/27) Late Monday Mumia's legal team and the attorneys for the state of Pennsylvania
were asked to a meeting on Tuesday morning with federal judge William Yohn in his chambers
to "get acquainted." This was expected and is usually the way a major case like
this begins. When they arrived, to their surprise they were conducted into the courtroom
where Judge Yohn took the bench and went on the record. There was no one else present in
the courtroom except a Philadelphia Inquirer reporter. This is when Judge Yohn announced
that he was granting the stay of execution. 1) By December 7, Mumia's lawyers are to submit a memorandum of law citing the relevant legal precedents for the requests they have made in their petition for a writ of habeas corpus. 2) The state then has 60 days in which to submit a reply. This will take us to near the end of February. When the judge gets all the paperwork, he will then set a date for the first major court appearance, at which time he may rule on questions such as granting an evidentiary hearing. Thus Mumia's first court appearance is likely to be in early March, but could be later depending on the judge's calendar and case load. |
| REPORT OF THE INTERNATIONAL DELEGATION'S MEETING AT THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT ON THE MUMIA ABU-JAMAL CASE Report of the meeting held Wednesday, January 12, 2000 at 1 p.m. at the U.S. Department of Justice in Washington, D.C. between officials of the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice and members of the International Delegation on behalf of the International Committee to Save the Life of Mumia Abu-Jamal. * Representing the International Delegation: MANUEL CAMARA -- Spain; Member of the Senate and Trade Unionist OSSIE DAVIS -- Actor; Director; Author; Political Activist DANIEL GLUCKSTEIN -- France; Coordinator, International Liaison Committee for a Workers International JERRY GORDON -- Secretary to the Delegation; Trade Unionist ROXANNE GREGORY -- General Counsel, Southern Christian Leadership Conference and representing Martin Luther King III and the Reverend Randall Osborne SAM JORDAN -- Director, Program to Abolish the Death Penalty, Amnesty International USA LINDSAY McLAUGHLIN -- Legislative Representative, International Longshore and Warehouse Union MARTHA OSAMOR -- Great Britain; Coordinator, People of Color Coalition, Trade Union Congress JACQUELINE PETITOT -- Martinique; Trade Unionist RALPH SCHOENMAN -- U.S. Representative, International Committee Against Repression BALDEMAR VELASQUEZ -- Coordinator of the International Delegation; Vice President, Ohio AFL-CIO; President, Farm Labor Organizing Committee ALISA WILKINS -- Vice President, National Lawyers Guild [Note: The number of participants was limited to 12 by the administration. These 12 persons spoke in the name of the delegates who remained outside, and of all who were bearers of the hundreds of thousands of endorsers of the Open Letter to President Bill Clinton.] * Representing the U.S. Department of Justice: STUART ISHIMARU -- Deputy Assistant Attorney General, Civil Rights Division, United States Department of Justice LORETTA KING -- Deputy Assistant Attorney General, Civil Rights Division; Assistant to Bill Lee, Director of the Civil Rights Division, United States Department of Justice AL MOSKOWITZ -- Chief of the Criminal Section of the Civil Rights Division, United States Department of Justice REPORT OF THE MEETING STUART ISHIMARU: The meeting opened with a brief statement by Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart Ishimaru. He said that the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice welcomed the delegation and was prepared to hear and consider all evidence of civil rights violations and breaches of federal law. Ishimaru stressed that the Civil Rights Division operated under legislative and statutory requirements empowering it to act where such violations were established. He stressed that any evidence of such violations that we submitted had to be specific to the circumstances of the case in question, namely that of Mumia Abu-Jamal. BALDEMAR VELASQUEZ: Baldemar Velasquez set forth the concerns of broad sectors of the population, notably those of the labor movement. He spoke as the Coordinator of the International Delegation and also as the President of the Farm Labor Organizing Committee (AFL-CIO) and Vice President of the Ohio AFL-CIO. He stated that we wished to open the meeting with presentations by two attorneys who have expertise in the case and who would proffer precise legal assessments regarding the many violations of the due process and civil rights of Mumia Abu-Jamal. They would show how such breaches of his rights obligated the Justice Department to investigate and, upon finding the evidence probative, to intervene. He mentioned that the International Delegation brought thousands of petitions which request a new and fair trial for Mumia Abu-Jamal. These are but a small sample of the hundreds of thousands of signatures gathered on the "Open Letter to President Bill Clinton" -- and the volume grows daily. The signatures come from many countries -- from cities and towns, work places and centers of education -- and from people from all walks of life. They reflect the worldwide call for justice for Mumia Abu-Jamal. [The members of the International Delegation introduced themselves, identifying the group or individual they were representing, and their concerns about this case.] DELEGATION MEMBER: ALISA WILKINS If Mumia Abu-Jamal's constitutional and civil rights were violated, he could not have had a fair trial and, therefore, the due process to which he is entitled, as is the right of every citizen. We ask the U.S. Department of Justice to examine the summary of the 29 constitutional violations of the rights of Mumia Abu-Jamal, which are set forth in Clark Kissinger's memorandum. You have in your hands the "Open Letter to President Bill Clinton." We are very concerned about respect for the constitutional rights of Mumia Abu-Jamal. You know that Mumia Abu-Jamal is on Death Row. Our first objective is to save him from execution and to open an investigation into the violation of his civil rights. What is documented here is the sustained suppression of evidence, the fabrication of evidence, and the manipulation of evidence for the purpose of misleading and inducing conclusions known to be untrue by the police and prosecution. The violations of rights include the manner and conduct of the trial by the prosecutors who concealed material evidence from the defense; and the manner in which the trial was conducted by Judge Albert Sabo, who denied Mumia Abu-Jamal the right to choose his own counsel, examine the jury, investigate the evidence against him, and effectively challenge the prosecution's case. The selection of the jury revealed the denial to the defendant of the right to object and the arbitrary acceptance by the court of jurors who declared their hostility to the defendant and who were unable to be impartial. This constitutes judicial impropriety. We shall give you a document which was prepared by Jim Lafferty of the National Lawyers Guild. This document shows why President Clinton must order a new investigation. [At this point, Baldemar Velasquez presented copies of the documents prepared by Jim Lafferty and Clark Kissinger and placed them in the hands of Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart Ishimaru.] We submit for the scrutiny of the U.S. Department of Justice materials which document the mockery of the elementary rights manifest in this case. In so doing, we express the concerns of hundreds of thousands of people -- indeed millions -- across the U.S. and throughout the world. DELEGATION MEMBER: ROXANNE GREGORY I wrote to the Attorney General in my capacity as General Counsel of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and asked for immediate intervention by the U.S. Department of Justice. In my letter, I cited numerous constitutional violations of a most serious nature. I set forth specific irregularities in the treatment of the defendant by the police, illegal acts by the prosecutor and his office, and gross irregularities in the conduct of the trial by the presiding judge, Albert Sabo. These are clear and concrete violations of constitutional protections. This matter is so stark and compelling that it has commanded world attention. Attorneys knowledgeable about these systematic violations will submit further evidence to you. We ask and expect that all of our submissions will receive a fair and thorough examination, and that you will act appropriately. These documents prove that there have been violations of Mumia Abu-Jamal's constitutional rights. If you examine this record seriously, you cannot fail to recognize these violations, and nothing will stand in the way of your decision to reopen the entire judicial process. DELEGATION MEMBER: OSSIE DAVIS I join in urging you to investigate the abundant record of the violations of the rights of Mumia Abu-Jamal. In doing so, I represent a tradition of artists and cultural figures who seek to give voice to a larger social conscience. We reflect a deep and broad concern about the injustice so clear and egregious in the case of Mumia Abu-Jamal. This case rises to a level symbolizing a history of such abuse. The fact that so many artists of prominence have raised their voices is a measure of the importance of this case. DELEGATION MEMBER: SAM JORDAN I am the Director of the Program to Abolish the Death Penalty for Amnesty International USA. I wish to point out that the Justice Department has already investigated the conduct of the police in many cities. Statistics concerning the death penalty establish that it is a weapon against the poor and overwhelmingly against African Americans and people of color. The record shows that while only 4% of the population of Pennsylvania, excluding Philadelphia, are Black or Brown, 70% of death row inmates are Black or Brown. If Philadelphia is included, the percentage increases to 90%. We also wish to point out that the U.S. Justice Department has obtained a Consent Decree in the wake of its investigation of the Pittsburgh Police Department. Other such Consent Decrees have been obtained by the Department of Justice where police brutality, corruption, and the violation of citizens' rights have been endemic, institutionalized, and sustained over years. The evidence before the U.S. Department of Justice establishes a pattern revealing the targeting and persecution of Black and Brown citizens, the overwhelmingly poor, and the disadvantaged. This clear pattern is itself a violation of the civil rights statutes. It requires a systematic investigation and it bears directly upon the case of Mumia Abu-Jamal. These are the models for the investigation required here. We seek to make the case for U.S. compliance with its own strictures about the violation of basic rights which are present here. DELEGATION MEMBER: RALPH SCHOENMAN Our purpose is to present evidence specific to the breach of the due process and civil rights of Mumia Abu-Jamal. Indeed, the U.S. Department of Justice and the Attorney General have not merely the right but the obligation to enforce the law and to intervene where civil rights and due process rights of citizens are violated. I am gratified to note that you have confirmed that the Civil Rights Division has a statutory mandate to do this. We have submitted to you compelling evidence of specific violations in the case of Mumia Abu-Jamal. I wish to present to you now a videocassette of the Assistant District Attorney in Philadelphia conducting a training instruction for prosecutors in his office. He directs them to keep African Americans from being on the jury and he instructs them on ways to remove African Americans from the jury. His language is not circumlocutory or circumspect. It is direct and explicit, with "in your face" racist characterizations concerning African Americans' crime rate, job stability, educational levels, dress, manner, attitude, and children born out of wedlock in Philadelphia. Prosecutors are instructed that people with certain names and living in certain streets and locations, populated by African Americans, should be excluded. He then states that prosecutors should keep notes on the pattern of unemployment, children born out of wedlock, early school dropout histories, prior encounters with police and authorities, and family members in trouble. The Assistant District Attorney states that Blacks are not supportive of law enforcement and must be kept off the jury if a case is to be won. He gives tips on how to remove Blacks from juries if peremptory challenges have been exhausted and they have survived the gauntlet. Most important, the Assistant District Attorney states that targeting Blacks in this way violates federal law. He instructs them how to offset this by keeping a written record of other kinds of objections -- lack of education, steady employment, family stability, etc. -- using these notes to defend themselves in case they are challenged. The official training session is basic to the conduct of jury selection in the trial record of Mumia Abu-Jamal. The Assistant District Attorney's instructions were implemented to keep qualified Blacks off the jury. The case of Mumia Abu-Jamal is a manifestation of institutionalized racism which strips African Americans of their civil rights and their survival rights at the hands of the police, prosecutors, and courts, which target them as this training instruction so clearly confirms. This goes to the heart of your mandate in the Civil Rights Division. That is what is at issue here. It bears directly and with ineluctable logic and inevitability on the prosecution of Mumia Abu-Jamal. It legitimizes such prosecution and it has a direct bearing on the unrelenting brutalization of Mumia Abu-Jamal at the hands of the police. DELEGATION MEMBER: MARTHA OSAMOR The case of Mumia Abu-Jamal has international implications. Throughout the world, people are anxious to hear that you have decided to reopen the judicial process which can pave the way for a new trial. DELEGATION MEMBER: JACQUELINE PETITOT I come from Martinique and I am the spokeswoman here for over 1,000 people who signed the Open Letter to President Bill Clinton, among them Aime Cesaire, the great poet of Negritude, mayor of Fort de France and honorary MP of Martinique; for several Martinique MPs at the French Parliament; for local officials; and for a great number of students, pupils, artists, trade union and political leaders of our island. I also bring the endorsement of Georges Odlum, minister of the independent island of Saint Lucia, and of the general secretary of the National Workers' Union of Saint Lucia. Guadeloupe trade union leaders also endorsed the letter. The people of Martinique, Guadeloupe, Caribbean islands are more and more concerned by the situation of Mumia Abu-Jamal. We wish you to know that African-Caribbeans and people of conscience in our region are anguished by this terrible injustice. We struggle for the life of Mumia Abu-Jamal and we appeal to you to defend democratic rights and the principle of equal justice before the law. DELEGATION MEMBER: LINDSAY MCLAUGHLIN I come here mandated by the rank and file membership of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU). This is not the result of resolutions passed, although there are many of these. This reflects a considered belief that an injustice is taking place here of the gravest nature. A man who fights for the disadvantaged and who exposed police brutality and police corruption in Philadelphia has been singled out for reprisal in a replay of exactly what he himself so long exposed. Members of the ILWU know what such injustice means. We have a long experience of it and a history of resistance to it. We know that those in positions of power use the authority of the legal system to attack the rights of working people. A manifestation of our concern and our determination to see justice done in the case of Mumia Abu-Jamal was the ILWU shut-down of the ports on the West Coast of the United States on April 24 of last year. I am here to tell you that this case touches working people and affects their vital interests. Our union will continue to take measures and to urge others to join us in demanding justice for Mumia Abu-Jamal. STUART ISHIMARU: I understand and we take note of the depth of your concerns. LORETTA KING: I am the deputy to Bill Lee, the Director of the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice. We are especially concerned with and interested in supervising and investigating patterns of police and official misconduct. We are mandated to do so by the Crime Control Act which was adopted by Congress. I find it most interesting that you have been talking about Philadelphia. We have a special concern about police abuse in Philadelphia. We are authorized to act in such matters under the Civil Rights Act, 4214141. In fact, federal funds have recently been allocated specifically for our Division to investigate police and official misconduct. I want you to know that I welcome any information and data which you can provide me regarding a pattern of misconduct under the color of authority. We have and we will pursue such evidence, subject to its review and evaluation. We conducted such an investigation into the Pittsburgh police department and we obtained a Consent Decree concerning police abuse and misconduct entailing violations of citizens' rights. We investigated racial profiling by the State of New Jersey and the State Police. We secured a Consent Decree regarding these practices. We welcome particularly more information on police abuse in Philadelphia. Under Title 6 of the Civil Rights Act, we are able to investigate and to intervene. We have federal funding for the prosecution of such abuse and we can intervene. Please give us any evidence, information and findings you develop from your own investigations. AL MOSKOWITZ: The Criminal Section of the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice is mandated under Statute 18 USC 242 to bring criminal charges, as we did in the Rodney King case. We can investigate as a criminal matter the use of excessive force by police officers or by police departments. We can bring criminal charges where the violation of bodily integrity of citizens has occurred at the hands of the police. I have to tell you, however, that we are constrained by a five-year statute of limitations. There are specific circumstances which allow us to maintain jurisdiction, even if the limitation period has run. Our statute will enable us to act if there is evidence of a continuing conspiracy. Where a capital case is involved, there are extensions in the statute which may allow us to proceed. We can and we will prosecute public officials for violation of the constitutional rights of defendants and citizens. Our jurisdiction is defined by enabling statutes from the U.S. Congress. Within that framework we will act. We want to look at all your materials and we shall respond. If we have questions or if you have further information, we can maintain contact. DELEGATION MEMBER: RALPH SCHOENMAN In keeping with your comments, I wish to stress that Mumia Abu-Jamal was brutalized, tormented, and tortured by the police of Philadelphia. This defines the case and is a hallmark of all the other documented violations of his rights. It embodies a breach of the letter and spirit of rights which generations struggled to secure. That is why this case compels you to act. This pattern of abuse continues to this day in the treatment of evidence and in the intimidation of witnesses. Perjury was suborned and, when exposed, the witnesses were subjected to police terror. These are the ongoing facts and they are not nullified by a statute because they apply in each jurisdiction of judicial review. We take note of what you have told us regarding your statutory mandate and we ask you to act in this case consistent with that mandate and to bring justice to bear for those to whom it has been systematically denied. DELEGATION MEMBER: DANIEL GLUCKSTEIN I should like to point out to you that over one million people in over 70 countries have signed petitions asking for a new and fair trial in this case. I wish to ask you for a clear response because we must report back to the organizations which have been distributing the "Open Letter to President Bill Clinton." I must ask you on their behalf: Is the Department of Justice of the United States prepared to examine the points raised here and the issues and evidence presented by Clark Kissinger and Jim Lafferty? Will you give us a response to the points raised by them in the documents which we have made available to you? STUART ISHIMARU: We can not make a commitment here to act before we have reviewed your information. DELEGATION MEMBER: DANIEL GLUCKSTEIN Does the door remain open for that review and investigation, or not? STUART ISHIMARU: We can neither promise that the case will be reopened, nor the contrary. We cannot guarantee this in advance. We can only commit to examining carefully what you have provided us. BALDEMAR VELASQUEZ: Will you then give us your response to this material upon examining it? STUART ISHIMARU: I can only state that you will receive a separate answer to every question you pose and regarding every document which you submit to us. Alternatively, the response upon examination of this data may be global. Whatever the form, I commit myself to providing you a full response. DELEGATION MEMBER: MANUAL CAMARA I am a member of the Senate in Spain. I can assure you that our legislators no less than our public opinion are deeply troubled and aroused by this injustice. We are here to place on record the desire for justice for Mumia Abu-Jamal, which has galvanized our broad public opinion. DELEGATION MEMBER: JERRY GORDON I want to address the matter of the statute of limitations. Please note that Jim Lafferty of the National Lawyers Guild addresses this specifically in the document we have submitted to you. Less than five years ago, a judge ruled that Mumia Abu-Jamal's rights as a prisoner have been abridged. It is clear that the violations have continued and that the statute continues to run. From time to time, the president of the United States condemns violations of human rights in other countries. Yet here is Mumia Abu-Jamal on death row for 18 years -- on the basis of such a sickening record of police abuse, falsified confessions, evidence suppressed, and a trial whose procedures and standards are a mockery of due process and equal justice before the law. Were such things to occur in any other society, they would be decried by all in this country, officialdom included. Mumia Abu-Jamal was deprived of effective counsel in violation of his Sixth Amendment rights. His appointed lawyer failed to investigate, or to meet with witnesses in advance of the trial, or to challenge the prosecution's evidence. This lawyer was demonstrably incompetent and wholly ineffectual. Mumia Abu-Jamal was prevented from mounting challenges to jurors. Jurors, who admitted openly that they were influenced and biased by police declarations and, hence, could not be impartial, were kept on the jury panel. Twenty-nine constitutional violations have been summarized by Clark Kissinger, based on the petition filed for a writ of habeas corpus. This is one of the worst instances of injustice and abuse of rights in the history of U.S. jurisprudence. For this kind of trial, characterized by the suppression and fabrication of evidence, to form the basis of executing -- for murdering Mumia Abu-Jamal -- would constitute such a travesty, such an outrage, that it will resound through subsequent years and decades and beyond as a symbol of the miscarriage of justice in the United States. This is the reality which has seized the imagination and fired the conscience of people throughout the world. You cannot ignore the opinion, concern, and sense of moral outrage which infuses people from every walk of life. We ask you to act on the basis of this record. STUART ISHIMARU: I am very appreciative of all that you have said. I want to urge you to send us any and all data and I can assure you that it will receive serious attention. Here is how you can contact me directly at any time [provides address].. DELEGATION MEMBER: RALPH SCHOENMAN The abuse of the judicial process to violate the rights of the defendant is evident not only in the flagrant conduct of the trial judge, Albert Sabo, but also in the materials which we have submitted to you. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court, which has refused to acknowledge any of the gross violations documented beyond dispute, has upheld the death penalty conviction, opening the door for the imminent execution of Mumia Abu-Jamal. The Justice on the Pennsylvania Supreme Court who has taken the lead in this regard was former Philadelphia District Attorney Ronald Castille, who submitted the papers opposing Mumia Abu-Jamal's earlier appeals. You will find Justice Castille's name on the video tape submitted to you, in which prosecutors are trained on how to remove Black jurors and how, precisely, to conceal the racial motivation. When this conflict of interest was raised, Judge Castille refused to recuse himself. His reasons are instructive. He notes that all the other justices on the Pennsylvania Supreme Court were endorsed and funded by the Fraternal Order of Police, which has waged a wide public campaign for the execution of Mumia Abu-Jamal. Judge Castille stated, "At the outset, I note that the very same Fraternal Order of Police which endorsed me during earlier electoral processes also endorsed Mr. Chief Justice John P. Flaherty, Mr. Justice Ralph Cappy [who wrote the Mumia Abu-Jamal decision for the Court], Mr. Justice Russell N. Nigro, and Madame Justice Sandra Schulz Newman. If the Fraternal Order of Police's endorsement constituted a basis for recusal, practically the entire court would be required to decline participation in this appeal." It should be noted that this court refused to find a single error in the entire record before it, despite so many flagrant and patent violations of due process and constitutional rights. CONCLUSION: At the end of the meeting, the delegation gave an initial oral report to the people gathered in front of the U.S. Department of Justice. The initial conclusions of the delegation were: 1] For the first time, the federal government, through the U.S. Department of Justice, has acknowledged that it has a statutory obligation to investigate and intervene if the evidence reviewed establishes the violation of the due process and civil rights of Mumia Abu-Jamal. 2] This is an important departure, since prior to this the federal government has consistently refused to consider any possibility of intervention in the case of Mumia Abu-Jamal or helping to bring about a new and fair trial, despite the overwhelming record of the violation of Mumia Abu-Jamal's fundamental rights. Our task now is to broaden and deepen the international campaign to save the life of Mumia Abu-Jamal with a focus on President Bill Clinton and Attorney General Janet Reno, for that is where the true responsibility lies, given the facts of this case. We must say to them: the evidence is in your hands. The time has come to act. Decide now to open the investigation into the violations of due process and civil rights which pervade the record. It was the mass movement of millions fighting for justice for Mumia Abu-Jamal that opened the doors of the Justice Department for our January 12 meeting. Now, more than ever, an international mobilization, larger than any before achieved, is needed to save his life and, at long last, to secure his freedom. OWC CAMPAIGN NEWS - distributed by the Open World Conference in |
| Via Workers World News Service Reprinted from the May 11, 2000 issue of Workers World newspaper ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Mumia's message to Fidel To His Excellency Presidente Fidel Castro-Ruz, Republic of Cuba, Havana Mr. President: Since I was a youth, reading about the rebellion against the Batista government that became a full-fledged revolution, I have been an admirer of the accomplishments of the Cuban people. The United States, long before the Bay of Pigs, invaded your country to extend the range of slave territory, to enslave the entire hemisphere. The spirit of liberty that burned in Cuban hearts then, over a century and a half ago, still burns brightly there, like a fire on the mountain in the night. I, and many others of my acquaintance, wish to thank you, and the brave, noble Cuban people, for extending the hand of liberation to our friends like Assata Shakur, Nehanda, and others like them. We thank you and the Cuban people for the Battle of Cuita Carnavaale, in Angola, where the freedom for South Africa was won. Once again, the Americans were on the side of slavery's lineal descendant, the apartheid regime. Many millions around the world are grateful for the work of Cuba in behalf of the first human right, freedom. Thank you, Mr. President, for being at the head of a nation that can justly claim to be free territory in the Americas. With admiration, Mumia Abu-Jamal, Death-Row Prisoner in the Prisonhouse of Nations |
| From: Artists Network of Refuse & Resist!
<rnrarts@hotmail.com> To: Artists Network/LA < rnrartla@aol.com>Subject: [Y4M] 2 big pieces of news on Mumia case 1. Important Development in Mumia’s Legal Case 2. Attack on Clark Kissinger and Frances Goldin 1. Important Development in Mumia’s Legal Case In response to a request by Mumia’s legal team, Judge Yohn has granted permission for the defense to file a supplemental brief on the issues raised by the recent Supreme Court decisions on the Effective Death Penalty Act (the two Williams v. Taylor cases). This is good news. The defense team has until June 2 to file this brief, which cannot exceed 15 pages. The prosecution has until June 23 to reply. It means that the first hearing in Mumia’s habeas petition before Judge Yohn will be not be until after June 23. (posted May 17, 2000, by Clark Kissinger) 2. Attack on Clark Kissinger and Frances Goldin Below is a letter from attorney Michael Tarif Warren concerning an outrageous attack on two people who have been at the center of the movement to stop the execution of Mumia: Clark Kissinger of Refuse & Resist! and Frances Goldin, Mumia’s literary agent. Dear friends, In the last few weeks, a very serious attempt by the government to stifle the movement for justice for Mumia Abu-Jamal has unfolded. This is a tribute to our effectiveness, but it also demands that we vigorously respond. I am asking you to join with me in signing the attached statement which will be published and forwarded to the appropriate federal court judge. Please send permission to attach your name to me at 580 Washington Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11238, or phone or fax to the numbers above. Those who wish to contribute to the cost of the appeal may also sent a check made out to Frances Goldin, at 305 E. 11th St., #26, New York, NY 10003. Let’s keep the voices defending our political prisoners on line and fighting. Sincerely, Michael Tarif Warren * * * * WE PROTEST We are writing to protest a serious attempt by the federal government to cripple the work of some of the staunchest supporters of Mumia Abu-Jamal. Clark Kissinger, organizer of the national leadership conferences for Mumia, Frances Goldin, Mumia’s literary agent, and several others have been sentenced by a federal magistrate to a fine and one year supervised probation. Ms. Goldin and Mr. Kissinger are forbidden to associate with felons (i.e. Mumia) and cannot leave their federal court district in New York City without the permission of a probation officer for one year. In addition, they are required to be employed at a regular job (i.e. no full-time volunteer work for Mumia), they have to surrender their passports, submit to visits to their homes and offices by probations officers, list all persons they are in contact with who have been convicted of a crime, and turn in detailed financial records every month on where their money comes from and how they spend it. These Orwellian restrictions were imposed as the result of a peaceful protest and civil disobedience action last year at the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia. Ninety-six people were issued summonses by Park Rangers for "failing to obey a lawful order." This infraction is not even a misdemeanor. It is classified as a "petty offense" and is equivalent to a traffic ticket. Yet everyone who refused to return the summons pleading guilty and paying the fixed fine — and who had the temerity to ask for a trial — was given one-year supervised probation in addition to the fine. In addition, Mr. Kissinger’s wife has been served with a subpoena to produce all her financial records for the last ten years and to testify before a federal grand jury. This is a giant fishing expedition by federal agents, that further exposes the role of the federal government in attempting to execute Mumia and silence the movement in his defense. There are two principles worth fighting for here. The first is the right to have a trial. Mr. Kissinger, Ms. Goldin, and the others were given the one-year probation as punishment for asking for a trial. The second is that the government has no right to restrict key organizers and pry into their private associations and finances. These judicial actions are an outrage and are clearly aimed at "shutting down" anyone who works effectively for Mumia. The progressive forces in this country cannot surrender the right to a trial, nor can we tolerate the attempt of the government to "ground" those working for Mumia. The imposition of these judicial restrictions and subpoenas on leading activists and their families serves no purpose other than to chill the first amendment rights of those who have been most effective in bringing Mumia’s case before the public. We demand that they be stayed at once, and overturned by the appeals court. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Accurate impartial advice on everything from laptops to table saws. http://click.egroups.com/1/3020/3/_/30522/_/958609685/ ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Stop the execution! New trial for Mumia! Youth & Students for Mumia www.mumia2000.org To subscribe or unsubscribe email: youth-4-mumia-owner@egroups.com |
| MUMIA TO CUBA [This is the text of a bilingual message from death-row prisoner Mumia Abu- Jamal to a roundtable discussion in Cuba on human rights in the United States:] Viva John Africa! Gracias por la invitacion, y la oportunidad hablar ustedes. Me llamo Mumia, y uno preso politico de Estados Unidos. [Sisters and brothers of Cuba: Thanks for the invitation and the opportunity to speak to you. I am called Mumia and I am a political prisoner of the United States.] This country speaks about democracy and justice and liberty, but it is the Prison House of Nations; a place where over 2 million men, women and juveniles are being caged in American prisons and jails; a place of repression, racism, and bitter class conflict. A place where police shoot unarmed Black men, like Amadou Diallo, by firing 41 shots, for the high crime of being Black in white America. Amadou Diallo didn't know it, but he was on Death Row! So much for American justice. And what of Cubans here in America? I've met many of them in Pennsylvania prisons who are doing time in U.S. jails, with no end date, because they are Marielitos. [Cubans who came in small boats from the town of Mariel. Many are Black and have been treated much harsher here than the Miami Cubans--Ed.] No matter how much time a judge sentenced them to, they will never be released from pison--Cubans under American justice. Over 3,000 men, women and juveniles wait for death on America's Death Rows. Most with no lawyers, some with lawyers who slept during their client's trial, others with cops who lied to concoct confessions, with Blacks routinely still removed from juries. American justice. Mis hermanos y hermanas de Cuba! The struggle for freedom continues here. Venceremos! Ona Move! |
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