Political Prisoners in America

The United States of America, which styles itself hypocritically as a defender of human rights, keeps many people behind bars (when it doesn't simply kill them, as in the case of pro-marijuana activist Grover Crosslin) because they dare to express (non-violently) their opposition to the unjust policies of the U.S. government.

That is to say, in addition to the many dissidents now in their graves there are many locked away as political prisoners. These are often members of ethnic minorities, perhaps because the United States, which was built upon the exploitation of black people by white, has always denied the human rights of its ethnic minorities. The United States govt. insists that the U.S. is a country where its citizens and residents enjoy freedom. But they can't even go for a walk in the evening without the risk of being arrested and thrown into jail. And when an open dictatorship emerges wholesale roundups of dissidents will occur. U.S. Army Regulation 210-35, entitled Civilian Inmate Labor Program (775 KB PDF file), already provides Army policy and guidance for establishing civilian inmate labor programs and civilian prison camps on Army installations.

The U.S.A. — a police state High Court Says Suspects Can Be Barred From Home Court allows drug-sniffing dogs during traffic stops

Leonard Peltier

And there's the American Indian Leonard Peltier. Considered by Amnesty International to be a political prisoner who should be immediately and unconditionally released, he was convicted in 1977 for the murders of two FBI agents. After being faced with formerly withheld evidence on appeal casting serious doubt on Mr. Peltier's guilt, the prosecution admitted that it could not prove who actually shot the agents or what participation Mr. Peltier may have had in their deaths.

• The Case of Leonard Peltier

• Free Leonard Peltier

• Leonard Peltier: Shackled Eagle

• Peltier seeking parole hearing

Here's a message of 2003-10-14 about the status of Leonard's legal appeal, with a request to write to the court in his support.

Chris Summers, BBC, 2004-04-24: Native American prisoner to fight on — an update on the case.

A new book: Have You Thought of Leonard Peltier Lately?

Mumia Abu-Jamal

A political prisoner who has received quite a bit of publicity is Mumia Abu-Jamal, who was sentenced to death in 1982 and is still on death row.

• Justice for Mumia Abu-Jamal

• Stop the Legal Lynching of Mumia Abu-Jamal!

• Mumia Abu-Jamal: B-Block Days and Nightmares

• John Bart Gerald: AN OPEN LETTER TO AMERICAN WRITER

Sherman Austin

Another political prisoner in the U.S. is Sherman Austin. He set up an anarchist website called Raise the Fist! and hosted on his server one or two other websites which took an attitude of dissent toward official U.S. government policies and practices. The U.S. government felt so threatened by this exercise by Sherman of his free speech rights (rights guaranteed by the 1st Amendment of the U.S. Constitution) that they fined him a couple of thousand dollars and sentenced him to a year in jail.

• Sherman Austin's website Raise the Fist! including:
  • Sherman Austin sentenced to One Year In Federal Prison
  • Letter to Dianne Feinstein

• Merlin Chowkwanyun: An Interview with Sherman Austin

• Merlin Chowkwanyun: The Strange and Tragic Case of Sherman Marlin Austin

Sherman's mother writes:

Sherman called yesterday [2003-10-12] and sends his love, strength and THANK YOU to all! You can write letters or send pictures (max. size 5x7) to: TCI Tucson, Sherman Austin, 51565-054, FCI Tucson, 8901 South Wilmot Road, Tucson, AZ 85706. I've had lots of inquiries regarding books. Please contact Books 4 Prisoners, books4prisoners@hotmail.com.

To be placed on a mailing list for updates concerning Sherman send a request to Jennifer at jmi46@sbcglobal.net.

Update on Sherman Austin's Case, 2004-03-06

Sami Al-Arian

• Al-Arian reflects on past three years

  In only his second interview since being arrested exactly three years ago on terrorism-related charges, former USF professor Sami Al-Arian discusses his trial, the conditions of his incarceration and the suffering his family has endured.

• Political prisoner Sami Al-Arian's hunger strike enters third month

  The government finally took Al-Arian to court in June of 2005, but after a defense based entirely on Al-Arian's constitutional right to free speech, the jury acquitted him on 8 of 17 terrorism and conspiracy charges, deadlocking on the rest. ... However, despite the mountain of evidence, the government could prove only that Al-Arian had made statements critical of Israel and had given money to certain Palestinian charities — both of which were legal and constitutionally protected actions.

  While the terror and conspiracy charges held no water in court, they were hysterically repeated in the media, which took every opportunity to demonize Al-Arian and congratulate the government — and then Attorney General John Ashcroft in particular — for foiling an insidious terrorist plot.

  In reality, Al-Arian is behind bars for his criticism of the occupation of Palestine by the Israeli regime, which enjoys the full backing of the US government. His incarceration is intended to intimidate those who oppose the murderous policies of the Israeli government, as well as Washington's complicity in those crimes.

• America's "war on terrorism" trophy prisoner: University professor Sami Al-Arian — His Ordeal Continues

• Decry persecution of Muslim professor

• Professor in Deadlocked Terrorism Case Could Face a New Indictment

• The Persecution of Sami Al-Arian

Amnesty International is well aware that there are many political prisoners in the U.S.

Rights for All — Amnesty International's Campaign on the USA

Amnesty International is campaigning for:

• an end to police brutality
• an end to torture and abuse of prisoners
• the protection of asylum-seekers
• the abolition of the death penalty
• ratification of human rights treaties
• a code of conduct for arms sales

Bruce Williams — The Youngest Person Ever Sent To Texas Death Row

Ponchai Kamau Wilkerson — a soldier's death

Bill Vann: Why has the US government imprisoned Captain Yee?

In the U.S. prisons are an industry. If chickens can be crammed into cages why not people? Especially if the government will pay handsomely for it (using taxpayers' money, of course).

• Gregory Palast: Gilded Cage: Wackenhut's Free Market in Human Misery

• U.S. 'Supermax' Prisons Attract Human Rights Furor

• The Human Rights Record of the United States in 2003
  By the Information Office of the State Council of the People's Republic of China

• political prisoners in north america held in violation of their human rights

Rights groups say prisoner abuse similar in Iraq, U.S.
A man shackled to a post for hours in the blazing sun. Prisoners controlled with stun guns and shotguns. Guards sexually assaulting prisoners. These are not photographs and accounts from the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq, but documented cases from American prisons and jails. U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld recently called the abuses at Abu Ghraib "fundamentally un-American." ... But human rights groups say similar abuses occur with alarming frequency in American jails and prisons.

Three States Subjected To "Martial Law Sweeps"
Local, state police and sheriff's office join feds for "terror" sweeps that result in hundreds of citations for traffic violations. ... 1,292 traffic violations were handed out to speeding terrorists and illegally parked terrorists.

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