Court Dates: NATO3 Announcement & Malik Rahim on Angola3

From AFM

This week there are two political court dates going on in the United States we wanted to bring attention to, followed by about 30 minutes of METAL!!!!!!!! WOAH!!!!

First: on Monday, January 13th (date changed from broadcast time) the NATO3 will be facing trial, starting with the jury selection. There’s a callout for solidarity and support for the NATO3. The call out can be found at http://nato5support/wordpress.com . A past episode of the Final Straw talking about the basics of the case can be found at The Final Straw Website.

Second: on Tuesday, January 7th Shaka Cinque, known by the state as Albert Woodfox, will be facing a court date to determine if the earlier overturning of his conviction will be upheld in Louisiana or if he’ll continue his indefinite time in imprisonment in Solitary Confinement at the Angola Prison in Louisiana which has thus far lasted 42 YEARS. Shaka Cinque is the only remaining imprisoned member of the Angola 3, three prisoners imprisoned Black Panthers accused of participation in the murder of a prison guard in the early 1970’s. Robert Hillary King was released from prison when his case was overturned in 2001 and has written and spoken about the case of the Angola3 since. Herman Wallace served 41.5 years in solitary confinement for the case and died 3 days after his release near the end of 2013. More about the case can be found at http://angola3news.blogspot.com

The playlist from this episode can be found here: http://www.ashevillefm.org/node/8355

This show will stream at http://www.ashevillefm.org/the-final-straw through 1/12/14, will podcast at radio4all and will later be archived at thefinalstrawradio.noblogs.org and you can contact us via thefinalstrawradio (a t) riseup (d ot) net

Court update for Chicago Political Prisoners the NATO 3

The NATO 3, Brent Betterly, Jared Chase, and Brian Jacob Church, are three political prisoners still at Cook County Jail awaiting trial. They have been imprisoned since the 2012 NATO Summit protests took place in Chicago.

In the past two weeks, the NATO 3 and their defense team have argued several motions in limine for the upcoming trial January 13th. These motions set the boundaries of what can be discussed by either side in front of a jury. Attorneys for the 3 used this opportunity to confront the blatant political repression and police violence at the heart of the case by pushing for strict limits on the prosecution’s ability to criminalize the defendants through inflammatory rhetoric and misinformation regarding their alleged Anarchist political beliefs.

On December 2nd, the defense argued that the over-use of the word terrorism and the labeling of the NATO 3 as supposed terrorists would strongly influence the jury to view these political prisoners as dangerous criminals without any clear factual basis. The prosecutors have already repeatedly used the term to automatically and prejudicially criminalize the defendants both in court filings and in the press.

Additionally, this trial date featured a lengthy argument over the state’s continued reference to the defendant’s Anarchist politics and their alleged participation in the so-called, “Black Bloc Group.” Defense attorney Michael Deutsche implored judge Thaddeus Wilson to prevent the prosecution from putting the politics of the defendants on trial, to distract from the inadequacy of their case and the gross police brutality and surveillance that took place during the NATO Summit protests. The defense cited the multitude of Anarchist perspectives, calling into question the very idea that there is one essentialist definition of, “Anarchism,” that could be attached to the defendant’s beliefs or that this definition of Anarchism implied the use of violence as a tactic. In regards to references to the Black Bloc, Deutsche rejected the very idea that Black Bloc is anything but the practice of wearing black in a public demonstration and couldn’t possibly demonstrate any particular organizational affiliation. Attorney Molly Armour compared the prosecution of the 3 to the Red Scares of the 1920s and 50s, forcing the defense to argue the legitimacy of their beliefs rather than the factual reality of a (non) existent plot.

Political Prisoner Birthday Poster For November/December 2013 Is Now Available

Hello Friends and Comrades,

1) Here is the extremely late political prisoner birthday poster for November and December. As always, please post this poster publicly and/or use it to start a card writing night of your own. FYI, the graphic on the poster this month is a picture of a Russian activist who nailed his testicles to the ground at Red Square to protest the extension of the prison further into all parts of society.

Some News And Updates:

2) As most of you already know Herman Wallace passed away on October 4th after enduring 42 years of solitary confinement. Here is his obituary as well as pictures of a couple of public remembrances for Herman in North Carolina.

3) The Final Straw, an Asheville, North Carolina based podcast, has been putting out a lot of great episodes on anti-prison struggles. Here are links to episodes on the Lucasville Uprising, Red Bird Abolition, and Anarchist Prisoner Sean Swain.

4) The “Move Marie” campaign to have Earth Liberation Front prisoner Marie  Mason moved from her special isolation unit is still underway! More information on the campaign is available here.

5) 4strugglemag needs your help fundraising to send Issue 23 to prison readers. The magazine edited by prisoner of war Jaan Laaman has been a voice for prisoners and their supporters for ten years.They send free copies of each issue to 700 prisoners across North America, and reach many hundreds more through shared copies. Go here to find out how to help make the next issue happen.

6) Sekou Cinque T. M. Kambui (S/N William J. Turk) has requested a letter-writing campaign asserting his innocence in preparation for his upcoming parole hearing, which could be held as early as February of 2014. He was accused of murdering a wealthy white oil-man and a KKK member in Alabama.

Send Letters To:
Offices of Chestnut, Sanders, Sanders, Pettaway & Campbell, L.L.C.
Attn. Attorney Faya Ora Rose Toure
1 Union St.
P.O. Box 1290
Selma, AL
36702-1290

7) Lastly, here is a link to the latest Political Prisoner/Prisoner Of War every-other week update by the  NYC-Anarchist Black Cross. There are lots of important updates on many political prisoners.

Until Every Cage Is Empty,

The Chapel Hill Prison Books Collective

Political Prisoner Birthday Poster For September 2013 Is Now Available

From Prison Books

Hello Friends and Comrades,

1) Here is the political prisoner birthday poster for September. As always, please post this poster publicly and/or use it to start a card writing night of your own.

Some News And Updates:

2) The campaign to have Earth Liberation Front prisoner Marie Mason moved from her special isolation unit is underway! Please write a letter today. You can download the “Move Marie” here: trifold color brochure The text version and a sample letter are available here.

3) Brother Abdullah is in debilitating pain and unable to walk without assistance, due to an acute case of sciatica. Abdullah has suffered in this state for over two weeks and has, to no avail, submitted to all prison procedures, which are required in order to get medical attention, namely the “sick-call process.”

We are asking that you call the superintendent at Elmira Correctional Facility and demand that Abdullah Majid get immediate and proper medical attention. More Info here.

Please call:
Superintendent Paul Chappius
607-734-3901
Regarding the prison’s negligence as concerns the health and well-being of
Abdullah Majid
DIN # 83-A-0483

4) Mark “Migs” Neiweem of the NATO 5 has been in solitary for over a month.
Please send him letters and photos (printed on plain computer paper) to give him something to look at in his cramped cell. More info here.

Mark Neiweem
M36200
Pontiac Correctional Center
PO Box 99
Pontiac, IL 617645) Sean Swain recently released a beautiful piece of writing about resistance on the inside. You can find it here.

6) The CA prison hunger strike is entering its eighth week. It’s important that people keep putting the pressure on with phone calls and emails, protests, and attacks. Updates and background on the strike here.

7) Lastly, here is a link to the latest Political Prisoner/Prisoner Of War every-other week update by the NYC-Anarchist Black Cross. There are lots of important updates on many political prisoners.

Until Every Cage Is Empty,

The Chapel Hill Prison Books Collective