Confronting Human Rights Abuses in US Prisons --an interview with Bret Grote of HRC/Fed Up (tags)
Bret Grote is an investigator and organizer with Human Rights Coalition/Fed Up!, a prisoner rights/prison abolitionist organization based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. HRC/Fed Up! is documenting human rights abuses in Pennsylvania prisons, and using this documentation to fight back. For more information: http://www.thomasmertoncenter.org/fedup/
Kevin Cooper: Will California Execute An Innocent Man? (tags)
Author J. Patrick O'Connor was recently interviewed in San Francisco about his research into the case of San Quentin death row prisoner Kevin Cooper, whose appeal at the Ninth Circuit Court was recently denied, with Judge William Fletcher writing a stinging dissent, declaring that the "State of California may be about to execute an innocent man.” This fall, Cooper will be appealing to the US Supreme Court, which is last chance to avoid execution.
Mumia Abu-Jamal faces US Supreme Court, as supporters mobilize globally (tags)
On Friday, Dec. 19, 2008, death-row journalist Mumia Abu-Jamal filed his appeal to the US Supreme Court, asking it to consider his case for a new guilt-phase trial. One month before, the Philadelphia DA filed its separate appeal to the court asking to have Abu-Jamal executed without a new sentencing-phase trial. Both are appealing the March 27, 2008 rulings by the US Third Circuit Court. At this critical stage in Abu-Jamal’s case, supporters organized a week of global solidarity actions that began on December 6, the day of the main protest in Philadelphia.
GeoClan.com interview about Journalists for Mumia Abu-Jamal (tags)
Those advocating this radical journalist's execution show a disturbing lack of concern about the undeniable problems of racism (and all documented police/DA/judicial misconduct) throughout this case. At the most fundamental level, the FOP-led 'Fry Mumia' campaign's lack of concern is racist....The FOP appeals to a racist lynch-mob mentality that has long infected the US, so calling this a 'legal lynching' is no exaggeration.
The Framing of Mumia Abu-Jamal: an interview with author J. Patrick O’Connor (tags)
In his new book, O’Connor argues that Abu-Jamal was clearly framed by police, and that the actual shooter was a man named Kenneth Freeman. O’Connor criticizes the local media, who, he says “bought into the prosecution’s story line early on and has never been able to see this case for what it is: a framing of an innocent and peace loving man.”
What Mumia Abu-Jamal Never Learned (tags)
On the eve of the United States premiere of In Prison My Whole Life at the Sundance Festival on January 20-25, the battle for the life and freedom of Mumia Abu-Jamal heats up in the news media and the streets of far-flung cities while he awaits a crucial appellate court ruling and prepares to publish his sixth book from death row. Media activists present photographic evidence disproving the case against him.