By JOHN LESLIE At a meeting in Philadelphia on Sept. 28, organizers discussed the opening of a new phase in the fight to free Mumia Abu-Jamal, the noted journalist and political prisoner who was convicted on false charges of killing a Philadelphia police officer in 1981. Last year, in a series of court appearances, Mumia’s … Continue reading A new phase in Mumia’s case
By JEFF MACKLER Two months in the planning, the April 6 public forum at St. John’s Presbyterian Church in Berkeley represented a profound contribution to renewing the justice and freedom struggle of the innocent and framed for murder political prisoner, Mumia Abu-Jamal. A capacity-filling multi-racial and multi-generational crowd of 400 people, including a broad range … Continue reading Mumia Abu-Jamal: An Evening for Justice and Freedom
By JEFF MACKLER The sensational news on April 17 that Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner withdrew his appeal of Superior Court Judge Leon Tucker's granting of new appeal rights to Mumia Abu-Jamal represents a major breakthrough in Mumia’s 37-year freedom struggle. Krasner’s decision opens the door wide to re-building a broad and decisive movement in … Continue reading Mumia Abu-Jamal victory: Philadelphia DA withdraws his appeal
BY JEFF MACKLER On Dec. 27, Philadelphia Superior Court Judge Leon Tucker ruled in favor of Mumia Abu-Jamal, holding that the actions of former Pennsylvania Supreme Court Judge Ronald Castille had demonstrated a “lack of impartiality” and “the appearance of bias.” Tucker’s decision represents a major victory for Abu-Jamal, which opens the door to a … Continue reading Mumia Abu-Jamal wins major court victory
By MICHAEL SCHREIBER — PHILADELPHIA — Oral arguments on behalf of political prisoner Mumia Abu-Jamal will take place here on Aug. 30 before Judge Leon Tucker of the city and county Court of Common Pleas. Defense activists plan to fill the courtroom and to demonstrate outside to demand a new trial for Mumia and his … Continue reading Pack the courtroom for Mumia on Aug. 30!
By JOHN LESLIE The Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office continues to stonewall in the case of Mumia Abu-Jamal. At a court hearing on April 30, prosecutors failed, once again, to produce a memorandum allegedly signed by former Philadelphia District Attorney and retired Pennsylvania Supreme Court Chief Justice Ronald D. Castille. Under the 2016 Williams v. Pennsylvania … Continue reading Philadelphia DA’s office stonewalls at hearing for Mumia Abu-Jamal
By JOHN LESLIE New mobilizations are planned in the case of political prisoner Mumia Abu-Jamal. The events will take place at a critical juncture in Mumia’s case, which opened up with the Williams v. Pennsylvania decision, presenting an opportunity, after so much struggle, to finally win Mumia’s freedom. This is particularly urgent because Mumia’s health … Continue reading Free Mumia Abu-Jamal! All out Feb. 26 and March 27!
By MOBILIZATION FOR MUMIA Mumia Abu-Jamal will have another hearing in open court on Wed, Jan. 17 at 9 a.m. at the Criminal (in)Justice Center, 1301 Filbert Street, Philadelphia before Common Pleas Court Judge Leon Tucker, courtroom 1108. In a court case that could eventually lead to Mumia’s freedom, Judge Leon Tucker has ordered the District Attorney’s … Continue reading All Out for Mumia on Jan. 17! Fill the courtroom & rally in the streets of Philadelphia
By JOHN LESLIE In mid-November, federal agents arrested a Philadelphia police officer, Eric Snell, for allegedly acting as a middleman for a drug ring run by a Baltimore police firearms task force. In addition to the drug charges, Snell is accused of possession of illegal firearms and threatening the children of one of the accused … Continue reading Police corruption is rife from Baltimore to Philadelphia
Pressure DA's office to release documents pertaining to former DA Ron Castille's handling of Mumia Abu-Jamal's appeals! PHILADELPHIA—On Tuesday, May 30, The Mobilization For Mumia, a coalition of human rights groups in support of political prisoner Mumia Abu Jamal, will host a 2 p.m. press conference and rally at the Philadelphia DA’s office to demand that the … Continue reading A DAY OF ACTION FOR MUMIA ABU-JAMAL!
By JEFF MACKLER “It’s a Knock Out Punch,” says Mumia. “We did something that’s never been done before,” says Pam Africa, chair of International Concerned Family and Friends of Mumia Abu-Jamal. On Jan. 3, U.S. District Court Judge Robert Mariani granted the motion filed by innocent political prisoner Mumia Abu-Jamal for a preliminary injunction ordering the … Continue reading Mumia wins court victory for prison medical care
By RACHEL WOLKENSTEIN Below are excerpts from a report by attorney Rachel Wolkenstein on the fight of Mumia Abu-Jamal to obtain necessary medical treatment. Mumia, a noted political commentator and innocent political prisoner, was convicted in 1982 of killing a Philadelphia police officer. He received the death penalty, a sentence that was later reduced to … Continue reading Mumia’s fight for medical treatment
By WADIYA JAMAL — With Great Pride — April 11, 2015 — On Thursday April 9, 2015 I visited my husband Mumia Abu-Jamal at SCI Mahanoy, with Rachel Wolkenstein my lawyer and sister. I had seen Mumia in the ICU at the hospital, where he was sitting upright, hand cuffed to a chair. I saw … Continue reading Visit with Mumia
By MICHAEL SCHREIBER Since Mumia Abu-Jamal was railroaded to death row on false charges of killing a Philadelphia police officer 33 years ago, he has won acclaim for his eight books and thousands of articles and radio commentaries. Known as the “voice of the voiceless,” Mumia has become one of the foremost progressive political essayists … Continue reading Anti-Mumia gag law protested
Political prisoner Mumia Abu-Jamal gave the commencement speech Oct. 5 at Goddard College, where he earned his degree, at the invitation of the graduating students. Mumia prerecorded the speech from his prison cell. The ceremony was moved forward three hours to avoid threatened disruption resulting from from police efforts to silence Mumia. Immediately following Mumia’s … Continue reading Mumia speaks on new prisoner gag law
<!--[if !mso]> <![endif]--> Fight back against racist lynchings! Outrage at the murder of Trayvon Martin has sparked a wave of protests in recent days. Demonstrations numbering in the tens of thousands have been held in New York; 8000 marched in Philadelphia, 3000 in Seattle—and more in Chicago, Washington, DC, and Los Angeles. Demonstrations as large as 25,000 have … Continue reading Justice for Trayvon Martin!
It took a petition with 5000 signatures, gathered in a few days, to the Philadelphia District Attorney and prison officials to compel the warden at SCI Mahanoy to release Mumia Abu-Jamal from his “worse than death row” solidarity-confinement “hole.” The excuse? Mumia refused to cut off his dreadlocks! While on death row at SCI Greene, … Continue reading Mumia freed from solitary
Comrades, Brothers and Sisters: Heidi Boghosian [executive director, National Lawyers Guild] and I [Johanna Fernandez, Educators for Mumia] just returned from a very moving visit with Mumia. We visited yesterday, Thursday, Feb. 2. This was Mumia’s second contact visit in over 30 years, since his transfer to General Population last Friday, Jan. 27. His first contact visit was … Continue reading A Visit with Mumia Abu-Jamal
A coalition of social justice activists in the San Francisco Bay Area has organized a Feb. 5-12 book tour for J. Patrick O’Connor, the author of “Scapegoat: The Chino Hills Murders and the framing of Kevin Cooper.” O’Connor’s new book provides a detailed analysis of Cooper’s case and exposes the broken criminal “justice” system in … Continue reading Bay Area forums to hear author of book on Kevin Cooper
Mumia Abu-Jamal is being held in Administrative Custody (“The Hole” or Solitary Confinement) at SCI Mahanoy, Frackville, PA. Mumia’s death sentence has been dropped, and though he is supposed to be in General Population, he has been held in Solitary Confinement – shackled whenever he’s out side his cell (even to the shower), glaring lights … Continue reading Act Now to Get Mumia Out of Solitary Confinement!
by Johanna Fernandez is a professor at Baruch College, a member of Educators for Mumia, and producer of the film, “Justice on Trial: The Case of Mumia Abu-Jamal.”Dear Friends:I visited Mumia yesterday, Dec. 15, in the new prison that houses him, SCI Mahanoy. Even though he has been released from death row, he remains in … Continue reading A visit with Mumia Abu-Jamal
Mumia’s Message to Occupy Wall Street, as dictated while in Administrative Custody at SCI Mahanoy in Frackville, PA Thursday, Dec. 15, 2011My Friends of OWS,My message will have to be brief. But let not this brevity take from it, its strength.You are the central movement of the hour. You’re raising questions that are in the … Continue reading Mumia’s Message to Occupy Wall Street
Philadelphia District Attorney Seth Williams announced on Wednesday, Dec. 7, that he would NOT seek a new sentencing hearing to execute innocent death row inmate Mumia Abu-Jamal. On October 11, 2011 the U.S. Supreme Court, affirming two federal court decisions in the same case, effectively ruled that the sentencing portion of Mumia's 1982 trial was … Continue reading No Death Sentence for Mumia Abu-Jamal
The U.S. Supreme Court on Oct. 11 rejected the fourth effort in 30 years by Philadelphia prosecutors to execute innocent death-row political prisoner, award-winning journalist, and murder frame-up victim Mumia Abu-Jamal.In refusing to hear an appeal by the Philadelphia District Attorney’s office, the High Court essentially affirmed that the sentencing instructions given to the jury … Continue reading Supreme Court rejects Mumia death penalty
In Lower Manhattan’s Zuccotti Park (renamed “Liberty Square” by the demonstrators), the cast of thousands swell in rebellion against the betrayals by the banks, Wall Street’s relentless greed, the plague of joblessness and the craven servility of the political class—both Republicans and Democrats—to their moneyed masters. In short, the central focus of their protest is … Continue reading Mumia on Occupy Wall Street
