Monday 29th May 2017, Benefit for Mumia Abu-Jamal, Volkseten Vegazulu, 7pm.

On Monday, April 24, 2017, Mumia Abu-Jamal’s 63rd birthday and 36th year of torturous wrongful incarceration, there will be a hearing on his Post Conviction Relief Act (PCRA) petition in Pennsylvania state court. The hearing is expected to begin at 9:00AM at the Criminal Justice Center, Room 1101, 1303 Filbert Street in Philadelphia, PA. This hearing is being held to determine whether all of the PA Supreme Court decisions from 1995-2008 that denied Abu-Jamal his freedom should be overturned.

Abu-Jamal was convicted in 1981 for the murder of police officer Daniel Faulkner despite evidence demonstrating the police and prosecution manufactured proof of his guilt and suppressed evidence of his innocence. He was prosecuted, convicted and sentenced to death because of political reasons: his former membership in the Black Panther Party and his support for the MOVE organization.

Beginning at 8am and continuing while the court hearing is in progress, there will be a spirited live-streamed rally and demonstration around the Criminal Justice Center and City Hall, calling for the release of Abu-Jamal on signs and banners. The International Concerned Family and Friends of Mumia Abu-Jamal and the Mobilization for Mumia are also urging supporters to attend an evening program “Resistance Matters – Legal and Medical Justice for Mumia and all Prisoners” at Arch Street United Methodist Church, 55 North Broad Street, from 6-9PM for the most up-to the-minute update.

This legal challenge is based on the recent U.S. Supreme Court decision in the Terry Williams’ case, which ruled that an appellate judge cannot participate in a case in which he had a former role in significant prosecutorial decisions. Ronald Castille was the District Attorney responsible for opposing Abu-Jamal’s 1989 appeal of his trial conviction and death sentence. Former Philadelphia DA Castille ran for election to the PA Supreme Court bragging that 45 men (including Abu-Jamal) had been convicted and sentenced to death by his DA’s office. After being elected to the PA Supreme Court in 1994, Castille ruled against Abu-Jamal in every appeal brought before him critical of the actions of his former DA’s office. Castille had also been financed and named “Man of the Year” by the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP). This is the same right wing organization who endorsed Donald Trump for president in 2016.

In the meantime, the Mobilization for Mumia won an important victory for Mumia Abu-Jamal, and thousands of other similarly infected individuals suffering from hepatitis C in PA prisons. After a two year long campaign in the courts and the streets, the Third Circuit Court of Appeals ruled against the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections (DOC), paving the way for Abu-Jamal to get the cure for his hepatitis C infection which had already led to the scarring of his liver. He is now in the second week of receiving the life saving medication and his victory will clear the way for the other 7,000 inmates suffering from untreated hepatitis C to also get treated. Legal actions continue in fighting for compensation for damages due to the DOC’s negligence in refusing to treat Mumia and other prisoners in a timely and humane manner.

Our ultimate goal is to win Abu-Jamal’s release as well as freedom for other politically targeted political prisoners, virtually invisible in the modern day concentration camps we call prisons.

For more information look at: http://www.freemumia.com

Volkseten Vegazulu is a people’s kitchen, every monday and thursday, all year long. Door opens at 7pm. Vegan food for 4€ or donation. All benefits go for social & political struggles. No reservation. In July and August, the people’s kitchen is closed on thursday.

We’re always looking for cooks. Any help is welcome in the kitchen. Experience not required. Enjoying it is a must. If you want to know which days are still available in the schedule, send an email to joe [at] squat [dot] net and book yourself the night. You can, of course, also participate by rolling up your sleeves and doing the dishes.

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