There are hundreds of people held in prison for their political activities in the United States and other "democratic" countries. Some of them acted on behalf of their beliefs, knowing full well that they were defying the enemy's laws, and are paying the price. Others acted on their beliefs, knowing full well that although technically permitted, their dissent would make them targets of State repression, and they too are paying the price.
Right-thinking people want these folks out of prison not so much because of any concern that the State be "fair" or "consistent" in its rulings, but rather because we approve of and wish to encourage resistance against this undeniably evil system.
Reformist stooges beware!
Video Playlist
September 11th, the War on Terror and Prisoners' Rights
Following the attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon on September 11th many prisoners reacted by locking down their facilities, and many outspoken prisoners suddenly found themselves in the hole. What follows are a few articles on this situation that can be found on the Kersplebedeb site, as well as reflections by various prisoners on the September 11th crisis:
Prisoners & 911
Kersplebedeb distributes a somewhat dated 78 page pamphlet about the September 11th pamphlet, S11 Truth and Consequences . For more information click here.Torture at Abu Ghraib
- Articles on the involvement of medical personnel from the New England Journal of Medicine and The Lancet
- Report by US Major General Antonio Taguba on abuse carried out by 800th Military Police Brigade in Iraq
- "Abu Ghraib and the Logic on Conquest" by political prisoner David Gilbert (16-7-4)
- "Cruel and Unusual - the End of the Eighth Amendment" by Joan Dayan in the Boston Review - looks at the legal
normalization of torture that has helped set the stage for Abu Ghraib
and Guantanamo Bay
- "Currently Employed PA Prison Guard Supervised Iraqi Torture" , highlighting one connection between torture abroad and torture at home.
- " Focus shifts to jail abuse of women ", Guardian Unlimited May 12 2004
- " Horror and Homophobia in Iraq " by Mubarak Dahir (May 13 2004)
- Occupations, Prisons, and Torture - a pamphlet (in PDF format - 442KB) putting the torture at Abu Ghraib in a global context, by Sumoud, a political prison solidarity group based in Toronto, Canada
- "Torture and the Future" , by Lisa Hajjar
(MERIP)
Prison Writings
Below are a list of links to writings by political prisoners, prisoners of war and politicized social prisoners. This is stuff that the State does not want you to hear - so listen up!
Hauling Up the Morning/Izando la Manana - writings & art by political prisoners and prisoners of war in the United States. Edited by political prisoners Ray Luc Levasseur and Tim Blunk, with an introduction by Black Liberation Army fugitive Assata Shakur, this book contains paintings, poetry, essays and prose by dozens of imprisoned revolutionaries in the United States. while the book itself is not available online, you can see the table of contents on my site or order a remaindered copy from Leftwingbooks.net.
Ray Luc Levasseur was a political prisoner who did twenty years behind bars for having actively resisted U.S. crimes at home and around the world. Letters from Exile is a site devoted to his writings, maintained by the December 16th Committee. A pamphlet of his writings - Trial Statements of Ray Luc Levasseur - is available from Kersplebedeb while supplies last.
Also about Ray Luc Levasseur, read the article "Sanford's Son" which appeared in the Portland Phoenix shortly after his release from prison in 2004.
The Prison Industrial Complex and the Global Economy by Eve Goldberg and political prisoner Linda Evans, exposes the role incarceration is playing in the world of big business today. This text also available in pamphlet form from Kersplebedeb.
AIDS Conspiracy? Track the Real Genocide by David Gilbert (also available in pamphlet form from the Leftwingbooks.net)
Also, check out this listing of political prisoners and POWs held in the United States.
Online Prison Writings
And from Sketchy Thoughts:
Political Prisoners
Prison-Industrial Complex
Profiles of Political Prisoners & Prisoners of War
The Kersplebedeb Site also includes profiles of a few political
prisoners and prisoners of war.
At the moment there are profiles of:
- Zolo Agona Azania , New
Afrikan prisoner of war who the State is trying to murder
- Kuwasi Balagoon , fallen New Afrikan anarchist and Black Liberation Army fighter
- Marilyn Buck , euro-amerikan anti-imperialist political prisoner
- David Gilbert , euro-amerikan anti-imperialist political prisoner
- Robert "Seth" Hayes , Black
Liberation Army/Black Panther Party Prisoner of War
- Jalil Muntaqim , Black
Liberation Army prisoner of war (see also New York 3 web page)
- Laura Whitehorn , euro-amerikan anti-imperialist and former politial prisoner, released in 1999
Buck, Gilbert and Whitehorn have all been interviewed in the booklet Enemies of the State , available from Kersplebedeb. For more information click here .
Thanks to the Montreal chapter of the Anarchist Black Cross Federation
i also have PDFs of various ABCF leaflets available for download, in
both English and French:
- Janet Holloway Africa
- Marilyn Buck
- David Gilbert
- Robert Seth Hayes
- Alvaro Luna Hernandez
- Sekou Cinque T.M. Kambui
- Jaan Laaman
- Ray Luc Levasseur
- Ojore Lutalo
Other Links
