A-Infos (en) Leavenworth prisoners speak out - Jericho 98

[Lara Johnson <ljanklip@concentric.net>]

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CROSSPOSTED TO VARIOUS LIST - APOLOGIES FOR
DUPLICATES-------------------

JERICHO 98 THOUGHTS FROM POLITICAL PRISONERS IN 
LEAVENWORTH
by Jaan Laaman, Tom Manning, Leonard Peltier,
and Luis Rosa.

JERICHO 98 -- As many people already know and we 
hope many more soon will know, is the nationwide 
March 27th rally in Washington DC, calling for the 
recognition and release of all political prisoners 
in America. In these remaining weeks before the rally, 
we'd like to make a specific appeal to all justice and 
freedom loving people to seriously make the, acknowledge 
costly and significant, effort to come to Washington on 
March 27.

Here are some of the principle reasons we think this 
rally is so important. By important we mean not only 
for us, the political prisoners, but for the Freedom 
Struggle overall.

1). America's political prisoners have been in captivity 
a long long time. The approximately 200 political prisoners, and the fact
that there is no complete listing of political prisoners is another sign of
the lack of significant 
public awareness and low priority that many otherwise progressive and
revolutionary organizations give to 
this issue, have all been locked up for 12, 15, 20, 
25 and more years. Ruchell Magee, close comrade of 
long ago assassinated author and revolutionary George 
Jackson, has been in prison for over 30 years! Amerkcan 
Indian Movement activist Leonard Peltier has been in 
captivity over 22 years. The 15 Puerto Rican indepentistas 
have been behind walls for 18 years. North American social justice activist
Bill Dunne has 19 years in prison.

Two seperate International Tribunals, empaneled under 
the authority of universally recognized international 
law and procedure, have heard the specific cases of over 
100 American political prisoners and called for the U.S. government to
reliease us. The "Special International 
Tribunal On The Violation of Human Rights of Political Prisoners and
Prisoners of War In United States Prisons 
And Jails," convened and heard testimony in New York 
City in December 1990. The "International Tribunal of Indegenous Peoples'
And Oppressed Nationalities In The 
USA," convened and heard testimony in San Francisco in 
October of 1992.

>From Guatamala to Cuba to South Africa and many other countries, political
prisoners are being released and 
the U.S. government has publicly and positively commented 
on these moves. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission 
in South Africa is even pardoning the confessed police torturers and
murderers of leaders like Steve Biko. Yet 
anti-apartheid activists in the U.S. contine to languish 
in prison, unseen, locked down and with no foreseeable 
release dates for decades to come.

2). JERICHO 98 is especially significant because it is 
the first national demonstration in support of political prisoners in the
U.S. in modern history. This rally has 
the potential to make a major political impact on the government, the
media, the public and even the international community. The larger the
turnout, the more the impact.

3). The U.S. government ponitificates and browbeats 
countries all over the world about political prisoners. 
Yet within its own madly expanding prison system, the U.S. denies the very
existence of political prisoners. We 
must and can call the government to account for this.

4). The reality that political prisoners, activists and 
freedom fighters of the 60's, 70's, and 80's, have been 
locked down for decades, has to weigh heavily on the 
minds of at least some present day activists. It's only 
logical for people to speculate and worry that they would 
wind up buried and perhaps forgotten in prison, for their activism.

5). JERICHO 98 will aid all political prisoners held by 
the U.S. Some more well known cases like Leonard Peltier 
or the Puerto Rican anti-colonial activists, have active amnesty petitions
in front of Clinton. Most of us don't 
have actual petitions or the public campaigns necessary 
to launch an amnesty effort, but the JERICHO rally will 
benefit us all.

6). We are women and men, fathers, mothers, spouses, 
children of aging parents, some of whom have passed in 
our years of captivity. We are some of the people who 
opposed colonialism and the war in Vietnam, fought for 
justice, equality, human and economic rights, and for a peaceful world.
It's time to recognize our existence 
and bring us back to our families and communities.

Come to Washington on March 27 -- Help blow the JERICHO 
horn of justice and freedom.

Feb 1998.
Leavenworth federal prison.

Jaan Karl Laaman, Ohio-7 political prisoner -- in 
captivity since 1984
Tom Manning, Ohio-7 political prisoner -- in captivity 
since 1985
Leonard Peltier, AIM political prisoner -- in captivity 
since 1976
Luis Rosa, Puerto Rican POW -- in captivity since 1981.
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