“I plan on exercising every right that I have” to resist California grand jury, activist says

by Will Potter on November 30, 2012
http://www.greenisthenewred.com/blog/california-grand-jury-animal-rights-brittany-kenville/6623/

An activist who has been subpoenaed to a grand jury in California investigating the animal rights movement says she will refuse to cooperate in any way, and that “using grand juries to harass activist communities does not serve justice, it is simply a means of political repression.”

Brittany Kenville is one of several activists who have been subpoenaed to the grand jury, which appears to be investigating a 2008 fire at the home of an animal experimenter at the University of California, Santa Cruz.  In a statement Kenville noted that grand juries have historically used the pretense of a crime, such as the 2008 arson, as justification for threatening activists with jail time if they do not testify about their political beliefs and political associations.

“Grand juries operate in secrecy, and witnesses who choose to testify are not allowed to have a lawyer present when doing so,” Kenville says. “In cases like this, grand juries are used as a tool to strike fear in and intimidate activists, and also to neutralize them from action. They spread seeds of mistrust throughout activist movements, and they operate under the assumption that people in activist communities are inherently guilty by association. I am adamantly opposed to these proceedings.  I believe that they are unjust and an appalling misuse of prosecutorial power.”

Kenville has been subpoenaed to testify before the grand jury in the coming weeks. If she refuses to answer questions about her personal beliefs or her friends, it is possible that she will be imprisoned for the duration of the grand jury.

This looming threat is made more real against the backdrop of another grand jury currently convened in Seattle, Washington. A series of Joint Terrorism Task Force raids in the northwest targeted local anarchists. Two anarchists are currently imprisoned for refusing to take part in what they call a political witch hunt. A third, Maddy Pfeiffer, is scheduled to appear again in December (after refusing to answer any questions previously).

In some instances, this threat of jail time is enough to persuade activists to turn on their friends and testify. This is certainly the case when prosecutors subpoena individuals who don’t know their co-defendants well, if at all, and don’t consider themselves particularly active in “the movement.”

When I spoke with Kenville recently, what struck me was that she had no interest in any of these kinds of justifications; she said she would not cooperate in any way, and she has the full support of her friends, other activists, and most importantly her family.

Brittany Kenville’s full statement is below:

My name is Brittany Kenville. I have been subpoenaed as a witness to the grand jury convened in San Francisco in relation to events that took place in Santa Cruz, California in 2008.  Grand juries exist to determine whether there is enough evidence for a person or persons to be indicted. Subpoenas are used to force the appearance at grand juries by anyone the prosecution feels may provide evidence in support of their case.

Grand juries operate in secrecy, and witnesses who choose to testify are not allowed to have a lawyer present when doing so. In cases like this, grand juries are used as a tool to strike fear in and intimidate activists, and also to neutralize them from action. They spread seeds of mistrust throughout activist movements, and they operate under the assumption that people in activist communities are inherently guilty by association. I am adamantly opposed to these proceedings.  I believe that they are unjust and an appalling misuse of prosecutorial power. Using grand juries to harass activist communities does not serve justice, it is simply a means of political repression.

I have been working with an attorney, and I plan on exercising every right that I have in response to my subpoena. I have the complete, unfaltering support of my family, my friends and my fellow activists. I encourage anyone else who is subpoenaed to reach out, seek counsel, do research, and learn your rights in these proceedings. I hope everyone reading this will learn more about the grand jury system and join me in standing up against its use as a tool of harassment.

In solidarity,  Brittany Kenville

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Philly, Dec. 8th: Reception for Temple University showing of new Mumia movie

WADIYA JAMAL, Mumia’s wife, KEITH COOK, Mumia’s oldest brother and

VALERIE JONES, sister of exonerating witness Veronica Jones

INVITE YOU TO A PRE-SCREENING RECEPTION FOR:

LONG DISTANCE REVOLUTIONARY:

A Journey with Mumia Abu-Jamal

Temple University, Saturday, December 8 –

Reception 5:30pm, Screening 6:30pm

Anderson Hall, Room 17

1860 North 11th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19122

Sponsored by The African American Studies Program

ADMISSION IS FREE

We invite you to attend a reception immediately prior to the Philadelphia preview of the new movie Long Distance Revolutionary: A Journey with Mumia Abu-Jamal. This powerful film vividly explains the historical context of Mumia’s arrest and conviction and the truths about Mumia the man, the “long distance revolutionary.” 

This reception is to thank and greet the producers of this movie, Stephen Vittoria and Noelle Hanrahan of Prison Radio, and the film participants, particularly those from Philadelphia–Ramona Africa, Pam Africa, Barbara Easley Cox, Reggie Schell and Linn Washingon. We also honor those courageous witnesses who came forward with evidence of Mumia’s innocence--including Veronica Jones, Dessie Hightower and William Singletary–who said no to the coercive tactics of the state.

December 8 is exactly one year after the Philadelphia DA gave-up its decades-long attempt to have Mumia executed. People who have read Veronica Jones’ memoir or seen a preview of the LDR-the movie, ask what can be done to continue the fight for Mumia’s freedom. 

This informal “cheese and wine” reception will be spiced with determination to continue the fight to free Mumia. We need to win a new generation to this cause. We have to raise the volume, increase advocacy and stir public opinion and ignite a new stage of mass activism.Long Distance Revolutionary and Veronica & the Case of Mumia Abu-Jamal are important weapons in that struggle. A year ago Mumia thanked his supporters for winning stage one – the next one is for his freedom! 

For more information:

        www.mumia-themovie.com

        www.veronicajonesandmumia.com

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Jalil Blog #15: Obama Redux 2012

“Obama Redux ’12”America’s Blacks, Hispanics, Asians, Native Americans and poor whites resurrected the ideal of “HOPE” espoused by Barack Hussein Obama. For the most part, the color divide in the country raised their collective voice in the form of participatory democracy by re-electing Obama to the Presidency. Some pundits say the election gave Obama a mandate, others say it is a referendum opposing the extreme right. In either case, there is an overarching question to be asked of the Obama Presidency—“What Have You Done for Me Lately?”This question begs the question, in accord with the maxim by Frederick Douglass, that “power concedes nothing without a demand. It never has and it never will …” What demands have been made of the Obama Administration in the last 4 years? It is easy to come to terms with this reality. Void a national political determination or agenda, the ideal of “HOPE” evolves into a mystical presumption.For example, the young Hispanic community became vocal and mobilized demanding the implementation of the Dream Act. They petitioned, demonstrated and lobbied for immigration reform on this issue. While they did not accomplish everything they wanted during the competitive election year, Obama did sign into law a compromise immigration law giving immigrant children greater opportunity to not be deported. Similarly, the disproportionate disparity between the criminal penalty of possessing small amounts of crack cocaine compared to powder cocaine was narrowed, modifying the sentences of many Black and Hispanic prisoners who were suffering long prison sentences for crack cocaine convictions.These examples indicate that, when an issue is made part of the national public political debate, the potential exists to influence and change public policy. Given this understanding, what should be made part of the national Black agenda when 13 percent of Blacks are unemployed compared to 7 percent of whites? This has created a greater drop in income since 2007 than any other racial group. Hence, Black household wealth, which had been concentrated in home ownership, had dropped to its lowest level in decades. This has led to 28 percent of Blacks as a whole and 37 percent of Black children poor, compared to 10 percent of whites as a whole and 13 percent of white children.Although Obama managed to pass the Affordable Care Act into law, Blacks account for 44 percent of new HIV infections since 2009. Just as disturbing, according to a New York Times article titled “How Prisoners Make Us Look Good” by Sam Roberts:“According to federal data, 3.1 percent of Black men were in state and federal prison at the end of 2010, compared with 0.5 percent of non-Hispanic whites and 1.3 percent of Hispanics. Among Black men 30 to 34, 7.3 percent were serving a sentence of more than a year. (A total of 748,000 adults were in local jails, 1.5 million were in state or federal prisons, 840,000 were on parole and 4 million were under supervised probation.)”These facts speak directly and specifically to significant problems confronting a substantial portion of the general voting population that re-elected President Obama. But without a national political determination and agenda, there will not be a comprehensive and sustained demand made of the Obama Administration. Therefore, the answer to the question “What have you done for me lately?” is “What have you demanded I do for you?!”President Obama has made it explicitly clear he does not represent Black America, despite overwhelming support and expectations of him. I believe he no longer deserves a pass, if he ever did. It is more than time for a Black national agenda to forge public policies that address the myriad problems that continue to keep Black Americans at the bottom of socio-economic development and prosperity, and in the disastrous throes of marginal existence.Respectfully submitted,Jalil A. Muntaqim
Attica 11/13/12-- SIGN THE JERICHO COINTELPRO PETITION!

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WikiLeaks suspect Manning mistreated by military, psychiatrist says

Bradley Manning was held in solitary confinement despite expert's claim he was no longer a suicide risk

Ed Pilkington in Fort Meade, Maryland
guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 28 November 2012 19.41 EST
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2012/nov/29/wikileaks-bradley-manning-treatment/print

The psychiatrist who treated the WikiLeaks suspect, Bradley Manning, while he was in custody in the brig at Quantico has testified that his medical advice was regularly ignored by marine commanders who continued to impose harsh conditions on the soldier even though he posed no risk of suicide.

Captain William Hoctor told Manning's pre-trial hearing at Fort Meade that he grew frustrated and angry at the persistent refusal by marine officers to take on board his medical recommendations. The forensic psychiatrist said that he had never experienced such an unreceptive response from his military colleagues, not even when he treated terrorist suspects held at Guantanamo.

"I had been a senior medical officer for 24 years at the time, and I had never experienced anything like this. It was clear to me they had made up their mind on a certain cause of action, and my recommendations had no impact," Hoctor said.

The psychiatrist was testifying at Manning's court martial for allegedly being the source of the massive leak of hundreds of thousands of confidential US government documents to the whistleblower website WikiLeaks. The 24-year-old soldier, who worked as an intelligence analyst until his arrest in Iraq in May 2010, faces 22 counts and possible life in military custody.

Manning's defence lawyers are attempting to have the charges thrown out or any eventual sentence reduced by seeking to prove that the soldier was subjected to unlawful pre-trial punishment at Quantico. During the nine months he was in custody at the marine base in Virginia he was put on suicide watch and a "prevention of injury" order, or PoI, that kept him in solitary confinement and exposed him to extreme conditions that were denounced by the UN and Amnesty International as a form of torture.

Hoctor began treating Manning from the day after he arrived at Quantico on 29 July 2010, seeing him initially every day and then later once a week. At first he recommended that the soldier be put on suicide watch - the most stringent form of custody - given that he had mentioned killing himself while previously held in Kuwait and that nooses that he had made were found in his cell.

But within a week of seeing Manning he changed his recommendation, reporting to officers that in his medical opinion the soldier could be put on the lesser PoI status. His advice was ignored for a couple of weeks, Hoctor told the court. "At Quantico they often did not immediately follow, or sometimes did not follow at all, my recommendations."

The failure to act on the doctor's recommendation was an apparent violation of the instructions under which marine installations operate. The regulations state that "when prisoners are no longer considered to be suicide risks by a medical officer, they shall be returned to appropriate quarters."

By 27 August 2010, Hoctor testified, he had spent enough time with Manning to recommend a further easing of conditions. From then on he advised in a regular weekly report that Manning should be taken off PoI altogether and returned to the general brig population.

"I was satisfied he no longer presented a risk. He did not appear to be persistently depressed, he was not reporting suicidal thoughts, in general he was well behaved."

Specifically, Hoctor was convinced that Manning no longer needed to be subjected to restrictive conditions that included: no contact with other people, being kept in his cell for more than 23 hours a day, being checked every five minutes, sleeping on a suicide mattress with no bedding, having his prescription glasses taken away, lights kept on at night, having toilet paper removed.

Only on two occasions did Hoctor report that Manning appeared upset and should be put temporarily under close observation. The first incident occurred in December 2010 when Fox News erroneously reported that Manning had died, and the second in January 2011 when the soldier broke down in tears while in the exercise room.

Yet the psychiatrist's recommendation that other than these isolated incidents Manning should be treated like other inmates was consistently ignored. The soldier was kept on PoI throughout the rest of his time at Quantico.

The blanket denial of his expert opinion was unprecedented in his quarter century of practice, the psychiatrist said. "Even when I did tours in Guantanamo and cared for detainees there my recommendations on suicidal behaviour were followed."

Hoctor said he openly protested about the thwarting of his expert opinion at a meeting with the commander responsible for the brig, Colonel Robert Oltman, on 13 January 2011. At the meeting Oltman informed the doctor that Manning would be kept on PoI "for the forseeable future".

Hoctor said that the marine commanders should no longer pretend they were acting out of medical concern for the detainee. "It wasn't good for Manning. I really didn't like them using a psychiatric standard when I thought it clinically inappropriate," Hoctor said.

The court heard that Oltman replied: "You make your recommendations, and we'll do what we want to do."

Earlier the court martial heard from Oltman himself, who told the judge presiding over the proceedings, Colonel Denise Lind, that he had chosen to overlook Hoctor's advice because he didn't fully trust the doctor. A few months before Manning arrived at Quantico, an inmate of the brig, Captain Michael Webb, had killed himself while under Hoctor's care.

"I did not have the utmost confidence in Captain Hoctor," Oltman testified.

When that lack of trust was put to Hoctor by Manning's defence lawyer, David Coombs, the psychiatrist replied: "If they felt that way they should have got another person to do the job."

Despite the unprecedented conditions that Manning was held under, Hoctor said the detainee coped quite well. "Most people would have found it very difficult, being watched every five minutes, but he did better than expected – I think he decided he was going to be strong."

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Update on Terrance Bowman-Taylor:

Update on Terrance Bowman-Taylor: Had a MRI done on his spine & results stated he has a "large" herniated disk @ L5-S1 level of his spine pressing against his nerves. Pain medication for his back wasn't renew. Experiencing weakness in his legs. Was told by nurse McFeathers that a referral was sent in to see a neosurgeon, orthopedic shoes, physical therapy, and pain medication to be told by this same nurse recently that no referral were requested.

In 'How to Survive a Plague,' Film Looks Back at First AIDS Activists

In a new documentary, "How to Survive a Plague," filmmaker David France re-examines the in-your-face brand of AIDS activism that forced the nation to pay attention in the early days of the epidemic and eventually convinced the federal government to speed the approval of life-saving drugs. Ray Suarez speaks with France about why a film primarily composed of archival, handheld video footage from the 1980s and '90s remains so relevant to today's fight.

Read the full transcript at newshour.pbs.org/health

Jump Off UK Debaters React: Unprovoked Attack on a Teenage Girl

The debaters were sat down one at a time and asked to watch a clip of an unprovoked attack on a teenage girl in east London.
This is their reactions.

"Thumbs up" if you want to see more of the debater's reactions to online videos

Let us know how you feel about the attack in the video (below), leave a comment, we want to know your opinions.
[View at your own discretion]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3el0a11R3Xk

Porn stars: Not as desperate as you think

According to a recent study, adult film actresses are happier, spiritually healthier and have higher self-esteem than other women. This is contrary to the belief that most of the women who have chosen the career path are drug attics and compelled to the industry due to a history of sexual abuse. Chanel Preston, adult film actress, joins us for more on the study.

RT America LIVE http://rt.com/on-air/rt-america-air/

Why You Mad Son?

The prison industrial complex is making moves. Schools are now employing private prisons to conduct "sweeps" in public schools. When did our children become convicts? Do you not see how this "prepares" them for jail? You Should be mad. Shouts out to Scotty Reid and the Black Talk Radio Network

Strength

The strength of a woman is the foundation of many things. I pay tribute to every aspect, of all the things they bring. From the moment of birth, its the woman who sets the pace. A disciplinarian and nurturer, who wipes the tears from our face. This poem is about a strength that is within all of you. This strength allows you to persevere and do Whatevep you desire to do. Its allows you to be strong, even in the midst of a test. Its during those times of tribulation that you are at your best. At times life can seen a little risky, or even like a gamble. But with the strength you possess, there is nothing you cant handle. So I look to you for strength, that doesnt just come from anywhere. It has to come from a person whom I know really does care. So I thank God, for the blessing of there great women he has sent. But most importantly, I thank God, for blessing you all with Strength. By: Curtis Jones © Copyright All Rights Reserved

Prosecutors use texts to shore up case in Kilpatrick corruption trial

Prosecutors use texts to shore up case in Kilpatrick corruption trial

Assange's prophecy: Govnts plan Internet takeover

Julian Assange has made a name for himself by co-founding the website WikiLeaks and revealing sensitive governmental information. Now Assange is facing the consequences for his actions where he has been held up at the Ecuadorian Embassy in London for months and he speaks to RT on governments are intercepting entire nations through the Internet.

RT America LIVE http://rt.com/on-air/rt-america-air/

JOHNNIE LEE SAVORY

Advanced DNA Testing Sought in Effort to Clear Johnnie Lee Savory of 35-Year-Old Peoria MurdersJohnnie Lee Savory (Photo: Center on Wrongful Convictions)PEORIA, Illinois (Nov. 14, 2012) - Center on Wrongful Convictions lawyers filed an expansive motion in the Circuit Court of Peoria County requesting advanced DNA testing that they contend can prove that Johnnie Lee Savory did not commit a 1977 double murder for which he spent more than two-thirds of his life behind bars—from age 14 to age 44—before he was released on parole in 2006.Savory has sought DNA testing since 1998, but Peoria County prosecutors opposed it and the courts denied it on the ground that the requested testing could not yield a result relevant to his claim of actual innocence. Now, however, the technology has advanced to a point where it could be used on previously untestable evidence that has the potential to yield, to quote the CWC motion, “practically irrefutable evidence of Savory’s innocence.”Savory was twice convicted of the murders of siblings James Robinson Jr., 14, and Connie Cooper, 19, who were found stabbed to death in their Peoria home on January 18, 1977. The first conviction rested almost entirely on an alleged confession that the Illinois Appellate Court threw out in 1980 on the ground that the confession had been involuntary.In the face of the Appellate Court’s holding, then-Peoria County State’s Attorney John Barra was quoted by the Peoria Journal Star as saying that without the confession “there is no substantial evidence to tie Savory to the crime or the scene of the crime [and] I don’t know how it would be possible to try him without it.”Barra soon changed his mind, however, deciding to try the case again based on statements attributed to Savory by three of his acquaintances—siblings Ella, Frankie, and Tina Ivy. The Ivys claimed that Savory had made statements to them indicating that he had committed the murders. The retrial was moved to Lake County, where Savory was convicted in 1981. Since then, the Ivy siblings have on various occasions recanted their testimony. Moreover, at a hearing following the second trial, one of the original prosecutors—Assistant State’s Attorney Joseph Gibson—testified that prosecutors had chosen not to present the Ivys’ testimony in 1977 because it was “too shaky.”The only evidence other than the illegally obtained confession and the Ivys’ testimony was inconclusive. It included the alleged murder weapon—a knife found in Savory’s possession bearing then-untestable trace amounts of blood; a pair of bloodstained pants several sizes too large for Savory seized from his home; and several hairs found at the murder scene said to microscopically resemble Savory’s hair.In 1998, shortly after the Illinois General Assembly enacted a law giving convicted defendants the right to test physical evidence relevant to claims of actual innocence, Savory’s then-lawyers filed a motion for DNA testing of the bloodstained pants. The blood was of a type shared by Savory, the victims, and, importantly, Savory’s father, Y.T. Savory, who had suffered an injury consistent with the positioning of the blood and who had testified he used the knife to undo the stitches.The then-attorneys attempted to supplement the motion with a request to test fingernail scrapings from Connie Cooper. The scrapings previously had been thought to be of no evidentiary value. That request was rejected by the Peoria County Circuit Court, and the testing of the pants ultimately was denied by the Illinois Supreme Court, which held that the bloodstain was only “a minor part of the State’s evidence.”Since then, however, advances in DNA technology have made testing of the knife, the hairs, and the fingernail scrapings possible, according to the CWC motion, which contends that, if the testing of those items revealed a common DNA profile that was not Savory’s, the “redundant hits” would be “practically irrefutable evidence of Savory’s innocence and of another man’s guilt.”Two friend-of-the-court briefs were filed in support of the CWC motion—one prepared by lawyers from the law firm of Sidley Austin on behalf of leading Illinois lawyers—including former Governor James R. Thompson, former U.S. Senator Adlai E. Stevenson III, and former U.S. Attorneys Thomas P. Sullivan and Dan K. Webb—and one prepared by lawyers from the law firm of Baker & McKenzie on behalf of men who have been exonerated by DNA testing in Illinois. Center on Wrongful Convictions DNA MotionSidley Austin Lawyer Amicus BriefBaker & McKenzie Exonerees Amicus Brief

The Truthseeker: McMuck (E3)

Elected leaders conniving with Big Junk to fatten Americans; how other species treat fast food; why a 17-ounce soda is wrong, but 68 hot dogs are patriotic. Seek Truth From Facts with the doc who coined fructose 'the evil poison' Robert Lustig, former USDA nutritionist Tracy Fox, investigative journalist Anthony Gucciardi and David Haslam head of the National Obesity Forum.

MORE EPISODES http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLPszygYHA9K1yU3SXHOoC7JhT2O7No-3D

PRESS CONFERENCE TODAY, 11/30/12, FOR RELEASE OF OSCAR LOPEZ RIVERA

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: COUNCILWOMAN MELISSA MARK VIVERITO (212) 828-9800
Alejandro Luis Molina, (312) 296-7210 Michael Reyes, (773) 543-8350


New York Elected Officials and Community Leaders support release of Puerto Rican political prisoner Oscar Loìpez Rivera, say 31 years in prison is enough!


A press conference/rally on Friday, November 30, at Local 1199 Auditorium, 310 W. 43rd St., at 6pm, will serve as a "send-off" to a delegation of New York elected officials who will accompany U.S. Rep. Luis Gutieìrrez (Illinois) on a special visit to meet with Lopez Rivera in federal prison in Terre Haute, Indiana on Sunday December 2.
Oscar Lopez Rivera has served more than 30 years in prison for his political beliefs, he was not accused or convicted of causing harm or taking a life. He is serving a sentence of 70 years. His release date is 2023.
Members of the delegation to visit Lopez Rivera include Gustavo Rivera, New York State Senator from the 33rd Senate District; Jose Rivera, New York State Assemblyman from Assembly District 78; and Melissa Mark Viverito, New York City Council member for Council District 8.

Elected officials, leaders of churches and religious organizations, leaders of the community, and activists in the City and State of New York are adding their voices to the growing chorus asking for Lopez Rivera's release from prison. "After serving 31 years in prison, it's time to bring him home," said Council member Mark Viverito.
"What a holiday gift it would be, for Oscar to celebrate Christmas with his family for the first time in over three decades," said his daughter, Clarisa, who will also be at the press conference.

Petition drive seeks freedom
for Oscar Lopez Rivera

November 27 2012
http://www.peoplesworld.org/petition-drive-seeks-freedom-for-oscar-lopez-rivera/

ORLANDO, Fla.-Supporters of Oscar Lopez Rivera have kicked off a petition drive asking President Barack Obama to grant clemency to the Puerto Rican independentista, who has served more than 31 years in federal custody, making him the longest-held political prisoner in the island's history. Lopez will turn 70 on Jan. 6.

Supporters of Lopez, including his niece, spoke at an event organized by the Orlando chapter of the National Boricua Human Rights Network on Nov. 19 and held at the Asociacion Borinqueña in east Orlando. The NBHRN works for the decontamination of former U.S. Navy facilities on the island of Vieques, the release of all Puerto Rican political prisoners, and an end to political repression and criminalization of progressive forces in the Puerto Rican community.

"This is a humanitarian effort on behalf of those in the international community who would like to see Oscar free once and for all," said Zoraida Rios-Andio, vice chair of the Central Florida chapter of the National Congress for Puerto Rican Rights

"It's embarrassing for our country [for the president] to go speak about political prisoners [in other countries] and yet keep in prison someone who has contributed immensely to the Puerto Rican community, not only in Chicago but across the U.S., and who inspires all of us," said New York State Assemblyman Jose Rivera, a Democrat who represents parts of the Bronx.

So far, Lopez's supporters have collected almost 100,000 signatures. The deadline to sign the petition and send it to the NBHRN is Dec. 15.

*Lopez's supporters hope a delegation can meet with the Obama administration sometime in January to make the case for early release for someone whom many Puerto Ricans consider an inspirational figure for his struggle and sacrifice on behalf of independence for their homeland.

The petition to President Obama points out that "three U.S. presidents have exercised the constitutional power of pardon to commute the sentences of men and women in U.S. prisons for Puerto Rican independence: President Truman in 1952, President Carter in 1979, and President Clinton in 1999. We are mindful that all of Mr. Lopez' co-defendants have been released, and most of them live in Puerto Rico, where they are well respected, productive members of our civil society. ...

"We are always hopeful when we hear expressions by your administration that political prisoners in other countries should be released, as we eagerly await application of this policy to Oscar Lopez Rivera's case right here at home."

At his first federal parole hearing in 2011, Lopez was denied the right to call witnesses and to have legal observers and family members present, while the government called 11 witnesses who sought to implicate Lopez in acts in which he was not involved. His next parole hearing will not be until 2026, when he will be 83.

"On behalf of our family we really want to thank everybody that has shown solidarity in the release of our uncle, Oscar Lopez," said his niece, Lourdes Lugo Lopez.

"It's been 31 years of not having him for celebrations as well as to mourn," said Lugo, noting that many of Lopez's relatives, including his mother and sister, have died during his lengthy incarceration.

Lugo urged Lopez's supporters to contact the White House asking for clemency for Lopez. "Call the president and say, 'I heard about Oscar. Why is he in prison?'" she said.

Lopez's release enjoys wide support in Puerto Rico, not only from pro-independence forces, but from the Senate and House, the Bar Association, former governors, unions, religious denominations, and community activists, among other sectors. Lopez also has growing support among sectors of the Latino and Puerto Rican communities in the U.S.

Lopez, born in San Sebastian, P.R., moved to Chicago when he was a teenager. In the 1960s he was drafted into the U.S. Army and served in Vietnam, where he earned a Bronze Star. After he returned home, he became a community activist, working on issues of poverty, discrimination, education, and police brutality in Chicago's Puerto Rican neighborhoods.

According to the NBHRN, Lopez "was arrested in 1981, accused of being a member of a clandestine force seeking independence for Puerto Rico, and sentenced to 55 years for seditious conspiracy. He was not accused or convicted of causing harm or taking a life.

"In 1988, as the result of a government-made conspiracy to escape, he was given an additional 15 years."

"From 1986 to 1998, he was held in the most super maximum security prisons in the federal prison system," says the NBHRN, "in conditions not unlike those at Guantanamo under which 'enemy combatants,' are held, conditions which the International Red Cross, among other human rights organizations, have called tantamount to torture."

In prison Lopez has run educational programs for other inmates out of his cell and has become an accomplished artist. An exhibit of his drawings and paintings, Not Enough Space, was shown throughout the U.S., Puerto Rico and Mexico.

Other speakers at the event included the Rev. Roberto Morales, of St. John's Episcopal Church in Kissimmee, Fla.; Denise Diaz of Central Florida Jobs with Justice and the Central Florida Labor Council for Latin American Advancement (national and Central Florida LCLAA have both passed resolutions calling for Lopez's release); and Rico Picard, of community group Frente Unido 436.

Letters of support only (no money or printed materials) may be sent to Oscar Lopez Rivera:

Oscar Lopez Rivera # 87651-024
FCI Terre Haute
P.O. Box 33
Terre Haute, Ind. 47808

--Mumia is Innocent! Stop the Frame Up! Free Mumia!--

Free Mumia Abu-Jamal Coalition, NYC
www.FreeMumia.com,

.

__,_._,___

Women of Ireland, Wolftones, Cumann na mBan.

Dedicated to all our Mothers, GrandMothers, Daughters, Sisters and Wives who gave up their Freedom or their Lives.....
We Salute you and remember` all of our fallen Cumann na mBan..
Tiocfaidh ár lá.

Asking for help all donations accepted for The Savory Files. To help us help the wrongfully accused.

Asking for help all donations accepted for The Savory Files. To help us help the wrongfully accused. http://www.thesavoryfiles.com/#/donations/4562732498

Mississippi Death Row Christmas Card List

Bobby Batiste 153435

 Frederick Bell 81039

 Devin Bennett L4820

 James Billiot 8114 

Joseph Patri Brown 45415

 Sherwood Dwa Brown 26754

 Xavier Brown 44781 

 Caleb Correthers K0375 

 Anthony Carr 75337 

 Ricky Chase 74170

 Ronnie Lee Conner 42219

David Cox 178476

 Charles Ray Crawford 82068

 Jeffery K. Davis 79350

 Kenneth Davis 64881

 David Dickerson 177151

 Curtis Giova Flowers R2436 

 Leslie Galloway 130792

 Roger Lee Gillett 133700 

 Joseph Bishop Goff 111487 

 Goodin,Howard Dean 41165

 Blayde N. Grayson 37922 

Jeffrey Keith Havard L3955

 Quintez Hodges R6937 

 Erik Wayne Hollie 157022

 Eddie Lee Jr. Howard 30856

 Marlon Howell R7984

 Kelvin Jordan 66570 

 Richard G. Jordan 30990

 Jason Lee Keller M0564

 Mack Arthur King 37111 

 Steven Michael Knox R9991

 Thong Le L2460

 Thomas Loden K8126

 Willie Jerom Manning 71931

 Eric Moffett M1659 

 Terry Pitchford 117778

 Stephen E. Powers K5020

 Timothy Ronk 141817 

 Willie Russell 42239

 Kevin Scott R6570 

 Robert Jr. Simon 46380

Clyde Wendel Smith 44932 

 Roger Thorson 8836 

 Justin Underwood 55372

 Alan Dale Walker 77293

 Derrick Demo Walker L6016 

 William Matthew Wilson 129500 

 Inmate name and # Unit 29 J Bldg. Parchman, Ms. 38738

 Please remember to include your address on enevlope or they will not deliver. 

Thank you all in advance, Darcy & Michelle