International Campaign Freedom for Mumia Abu-Jamal
The international campaign to free Mumia Abu-Jamal launched by the International Workers Committee Against War and Exploitation, For a Workers International (IWC) is under way.
The IWC Campaign Appeal, issued on March 6, has now received support from labor and democratic rights organizations and activists in countries the world over. It is our contribution to the mass-based campaign to free Mumia.
France
Dear Governor Tom Wolf,
On behalf of the Democratic Independent Workers’ Party (POID) of France, we urge you to order the immediate release and hospitalization of Pennsylvania’s most well-known inmate in the world : Mumia Abu-Jamal.
As you know, Mumia Abu-Jamal has tested positive for covid-19 and is being warehoused in a completely inadequate prison infirmary.
Given his age, 67, his liver disease, and his blood-pressure challenges, his life is seriously in danger.
Mumia needs to be released from prison.
The name of Mumia Abu-Jamal is known internationally, as it is known in our country by hundred of thousands of citizens. We add our voice to the growing clamor internationally, demanding Mumia’s immediate release and transfer to a hospital for proper medical care.
Yours respectfully,
Daniel Gluckstein, national secretary of the Democratic Independent Workers Party
“Freedom for Mumia, It’s the Only Treatment!” (Dr. Ricardo Alvarez, Mumia’s physician)
“Now, right now, we need to free Mumia Abu-Jamal!” This is the cry of the U.S. coalitions fighting to save the life of Mumia Abu-Jamal, 67, who has just tested positive for covid-19 in prison. Mumia suffers from congestive heart failure and hepatitis C. As his physician, Ricardo Alvarez, says: « Freedom is the only possible treatment!”
Statements demanding that Mumia be released immediately and hospitalized are being gathered worldwide.
“During the dark days of Apartheid,” reads a statement by the 300,000-member National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (NUMSA), “the liberation movement was supported by progressive organizations putting pressure on the government to release political prisoners. It is our turn now to free Mumia Abu-Jamal.”
For their part, the International Federation of Journalists, the National Writers Union (U.S.) and the SNJ-CGT (France) have issued a call for « the immediate hospitalization of Mumia so that he can receive proper care by independent professionals, with his release as soon as he is able, so that he can rejoin his family.”
The Independent Democratic Workers Party of France (POID), as well as the International Workers Committee Against War and Exploitation, For the Workers International (IWC), have issued similar statements, addressed to Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf [see attached].
Philippines
My name is Randy Miranda, from Partido Manggagawa – Labor Party-Philippines. In behalf of our party, we are calling on the authorities to release Mumia the soonest possible time. We have learned that his condition is even more alarming, as he has been diagnosed recently as suffering from congestive heart failure. He needs to be released from prison and sent to a hospital for proper medical attention. We ask the authorities to transfer Mumia to a hospital for proper medical care and attention.
Free Mumia immediately!
Free all elders, vulnerable inmates, and political prisoners!
Brazil
To the Governor of Pennsylvania, Tom Wolf
To Pennsylvania’s Secretary of Corrections, John Wetzel To the District Attorney of Philadelphia, Larry Krasner
We – entities and participants in the trade union, political and popular movements, intellectuals and people committed to democracy and justice – turn to you to appeal for the life of Black activist Mumia Abu-Jamal, who tested positive for covid-19 and is being treated in a prison infirmary, a situation that is completely inadequate given the state of his health. Mumia’s immediate transfer to a hospital is an urgent matter, where hours count for his survival.
We take this opportunity to join those in the United States who are demanding justice for Mumia and his transfer to a hospital. They also demand that all elderly and vulnerable political prisoners be released before covid devastates their already precarious lives.
Best regards,
Paulo Teixeira – Federal Member of Congress and General Secretary of the Workers Party (PT);National Confederation of Metalworkers – CNM-CUT; Angelo Vanhoni – President of the Workers Party (PT)of Curitiba/PR; Luiz Carlos Paixão – Executive Committee of the National Confederation of Education Workers – CNTE; Union of Professional Journalists of Paraná, SindijorPR; National Federation of Journalists, FENAJ; Gustavo Henrique Vidal – President-Director of the Union of Journalists of Paraná; Movement of Dam-Affected People, MAB; Pedro Carrano – Journalist and member of the Union of Dwellers and Workers (UMT); Florisvaldo Fier – Dr. Rosinha, pediatrician and public health physician; Anísio G. Homem – Writer and translator; Valter Pomar – Historian, national leader of the PT; Valério Arcary – Historian, member of PSOL; Marco Maia – Federal Deputy of the PT; Elmano Freitas – Deputy State PT/Ceará; Renato Freitas – Member of City Council of PT in Curitiba/PR; Ana Carolina Dartora – Member of City Council PT in Curitiba/PR; Boanerges Elias – State director of CUT-PR; Cláudio Ribeiro – Retired labor lawyer; Johnson G. Homem – Lawyer; Ney Jansen – Director of the Curitiba North Union Branch of the APP Sindicato/PR; Ricardo Prestes Pazello – Popular Consultation militant and UFPR law professor; Julio Cesar Carignano – Director of the Journalists Union of Paraná; Maurino Silva – PT Directory of São José- SC; Christiane Ribeiro Gomes – General Director – Center 39 of CPERS/Sindicato, Lucas Barbosa Pelissari – Teacher at IFPR and member of Popular Consultation: Pedro Jacobs – Trade Unionist, 39th CPERS nucleus; Popular Peasant Movement – MCP; Alaerte Leandro Martins – Black Women’s Network, nurse, doctor in public health from USP, founder of the Pelourinho da Lapa Association; Angela Sarneski – Black Women’s Network and Comvida collective; Berquelei Matheus Costa – Historian; Giorgia Prates – Photojournalist from the newspaper Brasil de Fato Paraná; Davi Macedo – Journalist; Leandro Taques – Photojournalist; Luzia Nunes – Popular Consultation; Sara Gladys Toniato – Psychologist and Popular Consultation; Bernardo Kestring – NS Curitiba Norte of the APP Sindicato and director of Sinpes Levante Popular da Juventude; Rodrigo Tomazini – Member of PSOL, leader of the trade union nucleus of Curitiba Norte da APP Sindicato; Marina de Godoy – CUTista Opposition in Sismmac; Diana Cristina de Abreu – Member of the leadership, CUT Paraná
Mexico
Mexico City 17 March 2021
Tom Wolf, Governor of the State of Pennsylvania, USA.
Larry Krasner, 26th District Attorney of Pennsylvania
John Wetzel, Secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections
The Executive Committee of Nueva Central de Trabajadores (New Workers Federation) has learned of the recent infection by covid 19 of comrade Mumia Abu Jamal, a reknowned activist in the Black and democratic movement in the USA, unjustly imprisoned and sentenced to life imprisonment.
It has been months since we were informed of the arrival of covid 19 pandemic in the prison where he is jailed, and that this contamination occurred through the security personnel. Today we learn that Mumia’s life is in danger because of his infection and his medical condition: he has hepatitis C and was recently diagnosed with congestive heart failure, in addition to his advanced age of 67.
This necessitates his immediate transfer to a specialized hospital where he can receive the care
appropriate to his health situation, and not only the care available to him in the prison infirmary.
Therefore, in support of the urgent appeal launched by various organizations and coalitions in solidarity with comrade Mumia Abu Jamal, we address you, demanding:
Immediate transfer of Mumia to a hospital to receive the appropriate medical attention! Immediate release of Mumia!
Release all elderly, vulnerable and political prisoners!
These are the urgent humanitarian measures that must be implemented to preserve the life of the comrade, and the lives of vulnerable prisoners.
Yours sincerely,
Executive Committee of Nueva Central de Trabajadores
Mexico City 17 March 2021
Tom Wolf, Governor of the State of Pennsylvania, USA.
Larry Krasner, 26th District Attorney of Pennsylvania
John Wetzel, Secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections
The Executive Committee of Nueva Central de Trabajadores (New Workers Federation) has learned of the recent infection by covid 19 of comrade Mumia Abu Jamal, a reknowned activist in the Black and democratic movement in the USA, unjustly imprisoned and sentenced to life imprisonment.
It has been months since we were informed of the arrival of covid 19 pandemic in the prison where he is jailed, and that this contamination occurred through the security personnel. Today we learn that Mumia’s life is in danger because of his infection and his medical condition: he has hepatitis C and was recently diagnosed with congestive heart failure, in addition to his advanced age of 67.
This necessitates his immediate transfer to a specialized hospital where he can receive the care appropriate to his health situation, and not only the care available to him in the prison infirmary.
Therefore, in support of the urgent appeal launched by various organizations and coalitions in solidarity with comrade Mumia Abu Jamal, we address you, demanding:
Immediate transfer of Mumia to a hospital to receive the appropriate medical attention! Immediate release of Mumia!
Release all elderly, vulnerable and political prisoners!
These are the urgent humanitarian measures that must be implemented to preserve the life of the comrade, and the lives of vulnerable prisoners.
Yours sincerely,
Organización Política del Pueblo y los Trabajadores
“For Social Emancipation”
Great Britain
Dear Sisters and Brothers,
We need your urgent support.
Mumia Abu-Jamal must be hospitalized. He has tested positive for covid-19 and is being warehoused in a completely inadequate prison infirmary. Given his age, 67, his liver disease, and his blood-pressure challenges, Mumia’s life is seriously in danger. His condition is even more alarming, as he has been diagnosed recently as suffering from congestive heart failure. He needs to be released from prison and sent to a hospital for proper medical attention.
But that is not all. Mumia needs to be released from prison altogether, based on his documented innocence and his medical condition, which in itself should be sufficient to warrant his release.
There is growing clamor at home and abroad demanding Mumia’s release. On February 27, activists at an emergency action at Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner’s office called for Mumia’s immediate release and treatment at an appropriate hospital. On March 3, Mumia was able to speak by
phone to his supporters as they rallied once again outside Krasner’s office. Mumia expressed his gratitude for the worldwide support for him and for all other elders with life-threatening conditions who remain in prison.
We urge you to contact Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf, Secretary of Pennsylvania Prisons John Wetzel, and Philadelphia DA Larry Krasner with these three demands:
• Transfer Mumia to a hospital for proper medical care!
• Free Mumia immediately!
• Free all elders, vulnerable inmates, and political prisoners!
First endorsers in Britain
Ian Hodson National President Bakers’, Food & Allied Workers Union; Steve Hedley RMT Assistant General Secretary personal capacity – Jane Doolan UNISON NEC; Stefan Cholewka Secretary Rochdale TUC; Kevin O’Brien UNISON – Secretary Merton and Sutton Trade Union Council; Mike Arnott Secretary, Dundee Trades Union Council, Scotland; James Parker Secretary Berkshire Association of Trades Councils, Secretary of Berkshire, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Unite Community Branch; Cllr Mouna Hamitouche MBE Labour Councillor for Barnsbury Ward Mayor 2010-2011 Islington Town Hall, Upper St, London; Mike Calvert Deputy Branch Secretary Islington UNISON; Tariq Ali Writer, David Halpin Retired orthopaedic and trauma surgeon MB BS London FRCS; Charles Charalambous Editor Labour Internationalist; Nat Queen University and College Union, University of Birmingham personal capacity; Ray Barkley Union Branch Secretary; Nick Phillips – Unite pers cap ; Michael Loughling academic; Mona Baker Shanghai International Studies University, University of Oslo, Manchester University; David Ball Professor Emeritus Smith College Northampton ; John Sweeney Workers Against the EU , personal capacity; Julia Ayache PhD student University of Nottingham; Doreen McNally Liverpool Unite community. Pers.cap.