In Contempt #38: Victor Puertas is Free, Repression Hits Atlanta, Protesters Rally in Solidarity with Strike Call in Alabama

photo: Ash Agony, Support Here

In this column, we present our monthly roundup of political prisoner, prison rebel, and repression news, happenings, announcements, action and analysis. Packed in as always are updates, fundraisers, and birthdays.

There’s a lot happening, so let’s dive right in!

Political Prisoner News

Chicano anarchist political prisoner and Certain Days collective member Xinachtli now has new legal representation, connected to the Water Protector Legal Collective, as he prepares for an upcoming parole bid. His support crew report that:

Beginning 2024, Xinachtli is scheduled for another parole review hearing, and his freedom campaign will soon announce what supporters can do to support the movement to free him from this wrongful COINTELPRO-style extra judicial captivity and 50 years jury sentence for disarming a Texas Sheriff in self defense.

A new zine has been released on It’s Going Down about the case of Mexican anarchist prisoner Miguel Peralta, which is available in both Spanish and English.

February 6th was the Global Day of Solidarity with long-term indigenous political prisoner Leonard Peltier. Leonard Peltier is experiencing serious problems with his vision, and his support committee organized a series of phone zaps to pressure the BOP to arrange adequate medical treatment and help save his eyesight. In a statement to supporters, Peltier wrote:

Time has twisted one more year out of me. A year that has been a moment.  A year that has been a lifetime. For almost five decades I’ve existed in a cage of concrete and steel.  With the “good time” calculations of the system, I’ve actually served over 60 years.

Year after year, I have encouraged you to live as spirit warriors. Even while in here, I can envision what is real and far beyond these walls.  I’ve seen a reawakening of an ancient Native pride that does my heart good.

I may leave this place in a box. That is a cold truth. But I have put my heart and soul into making our world a better place and there is a lot of work left to do – I would like to get out and do it with you.

I know that the spirit warriors coming up behind me have the heart and soul to fight racism and oppression, and to fight the greed that is poisoning our lands, waters, and people.

We are still here.

Another phone/email zap has been organized for long-term Black Liberation prisoner Mumia Abu-Jamal, who is not receiving his required cardiac diet and opportunities for exercise following heart surgery.

Water Protector Jessica Reznicek has been moved to disciplinary segregation. Her communication is limited while in segregation so she will not be able to respond to letters as quickly, but it’s important to support her through this experience.

The Final Straw Radio recently broadcast a new interview with supporters of antifascist prisoner Alex Stokes, along with a segment about the case of Ruslan Siddiqui, a Russian anarchist facing charges for sabotaging the war effort.

The San Francisco Bay View has published an obituary for Sekou Odinga, a long-term Black Liberation prisoner who passed away at the start of the year.

Former anarchist prisoner Eric King has now had his ankle monitor removed. The National Lawyers Guild is holding a week of abolition-themed events from March 3rd – 9th, focused on political prisoners, with events including contributions from former Water Protector prisoners Red Fawn Fallis and Michael “Rattler” Marcus, along with Eric King and his co-editor Josh Davidson.

Uprising Defendants, Stop Cop City and other Ongoing Cases

Seven trans people in Iowa are now facing charges for alleged participation in a protest last October, under new anti-protest “Back the Blue” laws brought in following the George Floyd uprising.

In the latest wave of repression against the Stop Cop City movement, police raided three homes in Atlanta, arresting one person. Jack’s address is now public, and you can write to him at:

John Mazurek,
Cell 101 2SOUTH,
PO2402124,
C/O Securus Digital Mail Center,
FULTON COUNTY JAIL,
PO BOX 989,
LEBANON, MO 65536,
USA

Guidelines for writing to him are:

Remember to not talk about the case. Instead, chose a topic such as:  “Jack loves rock climbing, history, Pilates with Nicole, Buddhism, poetry, vegan prison recipes, hip hop, straight edge, punk, carpentry/diy construction, sewing, he wants to hear anecdotes that felt special to you from just everyday things. You could write about a sunset or a wholesome gathering or a way a song made you feel.”

His birthday is March 1st.

Letters must be:

– black or blue ink only.
– any length
– not discussing the case
– containing a return address with a name and surname or name of organization.

There is also a call to support Jack at an upcoming bond hearing appearance on March 4th. More info here.

Kite Line Radio recently broadcast an episode discussing Jack’s case. A phone zap has also been organized to get Jack moved out of solitary, and given access to nutritious vegan food and coffee, with the number to contact being (404) 613-2024. You can also donate to Jack’s legal fees here.

In more positive news, Stop Cop City defendant Victor Puertas has been released from pre-trial incarceration, and is now raising money to help with his legal and medical expenses.

As legal cases connected to the movement against Cop City continue, the Georgia Attorney General has argued in court that possession of a simple, basic cellphone, or even not having a cellphone at all, should be admissible as evidence of wrongdoing. The courts appear to be siding with the prosecution on this point, with Judge Kimberley Adams agreeing that a defendant’s cellphone should be admissible as evidence despite not containing any data. 25 civil rights groups have signed a letter to the Georgia DA’s office objecting to this attempt to criminalize not having a smartphone.

In Tucson, Arizona, Cop City protesters who were arrested during the recent summit gathering are in need of support. Check out how you donate and support at Anti-Repression Tucson.

In Sacramento, California, Cesar Aguirre, a defendant serving a 90-day sentence for a misdemeanor charge connected to the toppling of a colonizer during the George Floyd uprising, is facing mistreatment in jail, and an email zap has been organized to support them.

Jerome Wagner has begun serving a two month jail sentence for taking action against the Mountain Valley Pipeline, you can write to him at:

Jerome Wagner #3691742
Central regional jail, WV
PO Box 336
Phoenix, MD 21131

There is a limit to the number of books and commissary packages that can be sent. If you are looking to support in these ways or other ways, contact:
 [email protected]

You can donate to the Appalachian Legal Defense Fund here, and learn more about how to support Jerome here.

Houston Food Not Bombs have won an important victory in their continued fight against state repression, after a judge approved an injunction telling the city to stop ticketing them. You can see one member’s reaction here, and they’ve shared footage of their first foodshare without police harassment here.

Jeremy White, one of the defendants from the ongoing Pacific Beach/San Diego case connected to antifascist actions in January 2021, is appealing for financial support as he prepares for an upcoming trial. You can learn more about the case in this article from the Appeal.

In Mexico, indigenous land defender David Hernandez Salazar has been sentenced to 46 years in prison.

Supporters of the Arkansas George Floyd uprising defendants could use some extra help and funds. One of them writes:

“Ángel is a transmasc, butch lesbian who is desperately in need of community support as she navigates her 1.5 year sentence in federal prison for charges related to the 2020 uprising. She has been crowdfunding but donations have been incredibly slow and she needs money in her commissary ASAP.

She’s asking for mutual aid so that she can get access to testosterone, mental healthcare, and legal aid immediately. She is currently being held at Greene County Detention Center in Arkansas. The conditions are horrific & dehumanizing — she has no toilet paper, underwear, nutrition, or warm clothes. She’s unsure how long it will take for her to be moved to the federal facility that she will be at for the remainder of her 18 month sentence.

As a harm reduction & street outreach organizer, Ángel has poured her heart into her community for the vast majority of her life. As abolitionists, it is our responsibility to show up for our incarcerated comrades — especially those who have sacrificed their freedom for movement work. She is deeply worried about being abandoned & forgotten while she navigates this period of incredible hardship.

In addition to needing donations & legal support, she is growing increasingly lonely and is eager to stay in touch with the outside world. DM me (@cyborg.invasion) if you know of someone able to provide free or low-cost legal support, or if you want to be in touch — she can receive letters, emails, phone calls, &/or I can relay messages to her!

To donate, use Cashapp: $PunkWolfe2 or contribute through Venmo: Loba-Cabrona.

Finally, long-term anarchist and anti-authoritarian prisoner Bill Dunne has been moved to North Carolina and has a new address:

Bill Dunne #10916-086
FMC Butner
P.O. Box 1600
Butner, NC  27509

You can learn much more about Bill by reading his contribution to Rattling the Cages.

Kevin “Rashid” Johnson and Virginia Hunger Strike

Imprisoned organizer Kevin “Rashid” Johnson continues to fight against mistreatment and medical neglect from the Virginia prison system. Rights Behind Bars has now submitted a legal complaint on behalf of Rashid, and you can read a short summary of the situation at the start of February on Instagram here. The San Francisco Bay View has published a recent article by Rashid on how courts protect abusive cops and prison guards.

The most recent update from Rashid’s support team is that:

Rashid’s legal team filed an emergency motion on his behalf that highlights the retaliation he has recently faced in VADOC and asks for an order that he not be sent back to harmful prisons in the western region of the state… They’ve also asked the Court to expedite the standard briefing and hearing timeline in this case, so Rashid can get relief as soon as possible. He’s nearing day 60 of his hunger strike.

Protesters Rally in Solidarity with Call for Alabama Prison Strike

The Free Alabama Movement called for a prison strike on February 6th. Information on the extent of the strike is difficult to find, but the Center for Constitutional Rights has issued a statement in solidarity. It reads:

The Center for Constitutional Rights stands in solidarity with the Free Alabama Movement (FAM) and incarcerated people in Alabama who announced a mass prison strike today. We unequivocally support the organizers’ demands for legislative reforms—including repealing the Habitual Felony Offender Act, abolishing death by incarceration (also known as life without parole), and reversing the near complete abandonment of parole—and their call for an end to the torture and dehumanizing treatment exacted on incarcerated people by the State of Alabama. Our solidarity with Alabama prison organizers dates back to the 1970s with our support for the Atmore-Holman Brothers’ Defense Committee.

Alabama officials are on notice that the world is watching and they cannot continue to operate with impunity. During the statewide prison shutdown organized by FAM in the fall of 2022, the Alabama Department of Corrections engaged in brutal retaliation —including depriving people of food and punishing them with solitary confinement—for refusing to work and exercising their constitutional rights to free speech and association. The First Amendment does not stop at the prison walls. The ability to withhold one’s labor is one of the few tactics of nonviolent resistance available to people in prison. The Alabama prison system traces its roots to slave plantations and Jim Crow convict leasing and today is deeply dependent on incarcerated labor to keep the prisons running and reaps considerable profits for private employers.

Since the last statewide prison strike, Alabama voters overwhelmingly approved a change to the state constitution that abolished the “punishment loophole” that permitted slavery and involuntary servitude as punishment for a crime. The clause was removed as part of a larger effort to remove racist language from the 1901 constitution, which was drafted in an openly white supremacist and undemocratic constitutional convention. The Alabama Constitution now bans slavery, full stop. That means that if prison officials use violence or threats to force people to work or discipline, punish, or retaliate against them for refusing to work during the strike, those officials are violating the law and must be held accountable.

Regular protests are being organized at St. Clair prison, with supporters traveling from Atlanta, New Orleans, Pittsburgh, and Nashville to show solidarity with the movement. Both Sides of the Wall, another organization connected to the Alabama prison movement, will be taking part in a rally in Montgomery, Alabama, on March 8.

An outside organizer involved in supporting the strike writes:

In 2016 the Free Alabama Movement led the largest prison strikes in US history across 24 states. They are trying to learn from mistakes of the past and working to shut down the slavery happening in prison camps by shutting down one prison camp at a time, for at least 90 days. They are currently focused on shutting down the prison camp with one of the highest economic output in Alabama, St. Clair, working their way across the state of Alabama and potentially could spread across the US. Their forced labor makes hundreds of billions for the biggest defense contractors, and targets on the Boycott Divest Sanction list, so different movements are unifying around this. This is not a work strike, because they have five political demands as well as see the slavery imposed upon them as the reason for their incarceration- for the profits of private corporations, the funding of their own internment, making Alabama DOC 450 million in 2023. They are currently dealing with a lot of heinous repression but are building some good momentum. There are also two federal lawsuits out, one between FAM, the SEIU, and a couple other unions charging the conditions of the Alabama department of corrections as the most cruel and unusual.

We have done 3 solidarity protests outside St. Clair, the last three weeks while they work towards a full 90 day shutdown at St. Clair. We are taking leadership from the Free Alabama Movement, who insist how important it is to protest at the prisons to support with morale and defense from repression. We are working on building a network across the south to make sure FAM receives the support it needs.

For regular updates on the movement, see the Free Alabama Movement on Facebook or Telegram, or the Tennessee Student Solidarity Network on Instagram. You can read more coverage of the strike here.

General Prison News and Abolitionist Media

Mongoose Distro continues to publish prisoner writings regularly, such as Virginia prisoner David Annarelli on deaths in the Virginia prison system.

IDOC Watch have organized a phone-zap in support of a mother who has been prevented from communicating with and visiting her incarcerated sons, and shared new writing from Shaka Shakur, an Indiana prisoner who was sent out to Virginia.

Unicorn Riot have published a new report on a “tough on crime” prosecutor helping to drive black youth incarceration in Minneapolis.

The “12 Monkeys” gang profile has now been removed from anarchist prisoner Sean Swain’s record, and been replaced with a label simply reading “ANARCHIST.” Sean suggests that readers may wish to contact the Ohio prison system to express their objections, such as by emailing [email protected].

International

In Thailand, two journalists are being charged as accomplices for having written a story about anarchist graffiti last year.

The Budapest antifascist case continues, with governments across Europe collaborating with Viktor Orban’s far-right regime. A call was made for two weeks of mobilization in solidarity with the defendants at the start of February, as two more defendants are facing extradition to Hungary from Italy and Germany.

Unoffensive Animal has highlighted the case of Sindre, a Swedish animal rights activist who has been sentenced to indefinite psychiatric detention. As letters to Sindre have not been arriving, supporters are asked to send them to his family, who will be able to pass them on.

A new interview has been published with the legal team of Chilean political prisoner Marcelo Villaroel.

The Palestinian Prisoners’ Society report that an as-yet-unnamed prisoner has died from torture in the Israeli prison of Ramla. The international Palestinian solidarity movement continues to face repression, with demonstrators being arrested in the Netherlands at the start of February. In the UK, defendants are still facing trial on charges connected to the Palestine Action campaign on a regular basis, often winning in court, as with the case of seven people who were found not guilty on charges of breaching a police order during an action against the Israeli weapons company Elbit.

The International Anti-Fascist Defence Fund is helping to support six anti-racist skinheads from Bogota, Columbia, who are facing charges from a confrontation with neo-Nazis last year.

Atlanta Forest defendants

According to Unoffensive Animal, the current list of Atlanta Forest/Cop City defendants is:

John “Jack” Mazurek

John Mazurek,
Cell 101 2SOUTH,
PO2402124,
C/O Securus Digital Mail Center,
FULTON COUNTY JAIL,
PO BOX 989,
LEBANON, MO 65536,
USA

Uprising Defendants

See Uprising Support for more info, and check out the Antirepression PDX site for updates from Portland cases. To the best of our knowledge they currently include:

Tyre Means 49981-086
USP Atwater
P.O. Box 019001
Atwater, CA 95301

Margaret Channon 49955-086
FCI Tallahassee
P.O. Box 5000
Tallahassee, FL 32314

Gavaughn Streeter #19203494
Oregon State Penitentiary (OSP)
2605 State Street
Salem, OR 97310

You can donate to Gavaughn’s post-release fundraiser here.

Malik Muhammad #23935744
Oregon State Penitentiary
2605 State Street
Salem, OR 97310

Cyan Waters Bass #23905849
Oregon State Correctional Institution
3405 Deer Park Drive SE
Salem, Oregon 97310

Montez Lee 22429-041
FCI Ray Brook
Federal Correctional Institution
PO Box 900
Ray Brook, NY 12977

Matthew White #21434-041
FCI Terre Haute
Federal Correctional Institution
P.O. BOX 33
Terre Haute, IN 47808

Matthew Rupert #55013-424
USP McCreary
P.O. Box 3000
Pine Knot, KY 42635

José Felan #54146-380
FCI Terre Haute
Federal Correctional Institution
P.O. Box 33
Terre Haute, IN  47808

David Elmakayes 77782-066
FCI McKean
Federal Correctional Institution
P.O. Box 8000
Bradford, PA 16701

Andrew Duncan-Augustyniak
Smart Communications/PA DOC
Andrew Duncan-Augustyniak / QN9211
SCI Rockview
PO Box 33028
St Petersburg, Florida 33733

Anthony Smith
14813-509
FCI Fort Dix
Federal Correctional Institution
Satellite Camp
P.O. Box 2000
Joint Base MDL, NJ 08640

Ellie Brett 14822-509
FCI Petersburg Medium
Federal Correctional Institution
P.O. Box 1000
Petersburg, VA 23804

John Wade 14762509
FCI Beckley
Federal Correctional Institution
P.O. Box 350
General & Legal Mail
Beaver, WV 25813

Alvin Joseph 1002016959
Hays State Prison
PO Box 668
Trion, GA 30753

Richard Hunsinger 16066-509
FCI Forrest City Low
P.O. Box 9000
Forrest City, AR 72335

Diego Vargas 55070-424
FCI Allenwood Medium
PO Box 2000
White Deer, PA 17887

Howard Eugene Nall #586907*
Newberry Correctional Facility
13747 E. County Road 428
Newberry, MI 49868

T’Andre Buchanan 67637-060
Milan FCI
PO Box 1000
Milan, MI 48160

Upcoming Birthdays

John “Jack” Mazurek

Jack was arrested after an arrest warrant was issued in relation to an arson against a police vehicle fleet related to the Atlanta Forest. He has been locked up without bail and will have to wait until the first hearing to see if he will be released. Until then, you should send him letters of love and support! See earlier in the column for stipulations while writing Jack.

Birthday: March 1

Address:

John Mazurek,
Cell 101 2SOUTH,
PO2402124,
C/O Securus Digital Mail Center,
FULTON COUNTY JAIL,
PO BOX 989,
LEBANON, MO 65536,
USA

Reverend Joy Powell

As a pastor and a consistent activist against police brutality, violence and oppression in her community, Rev. Joy Powell was warned by the Rochester Police department that she was a target because of her speaking out against corruption. On many occasions Rev. Joy had held rallies and spoke out against the police brutality and “police justifications” in Rochester NY. As a result, Rev. Joy was accused and convicted of 1st Degree Burglary and Assault.

An all white jury tried her; the state provided no evidence and no eyewitnesses. Rev. Joy was not allowed to discuss her activism or say that she was a pastor. The person that testified for her was not allowed to tell the court that he knew Rev. Joy through their activist work and through the church. Furthermore the judge Francis Affronti promised he was going to give her a harsh sentence because he did not like her. She was convicted and given 16 years and seven years concurrent.

The New York system uses Jpay, so you can send her a message by going to jpay.com, clicking “inmate search”, then selecting “State: New York, Inmate ID: 07G0632.”

Birthday: March 5

Address:

Reverend Joy Powell #07G0632
Bedford Hills Correctional Facility
P.O. Box 1000
Bedford Hills, NY 10507-2499

Kevan Thakrar

Kevan Thakrar has been fighting for his life for the last 11 years after a wrongful conviction. In 2008 at the age of 20 Kevan began serving a life sentence, with a minimum term of 35 years, under the highly controversial “joint enterprise” doctrine.

Kevan’s refusal to submit to racist abuse from prison guards has made him a target for reprisals. Notably, in 2010 he suffered a premeditated attack in his cell by HMP Frankland guards. When he fought back he was charged with attempted murder and GBH, and put in solitary confinement, where in one form or another he remains to this day. The charges were sufficiently brazen that a jury cleared him unanimously in a rare victory against the testimony of prison officers.

Despite his success in court, Kevan has been isolated in Closed Supervision Centres (a ‘prison within a prison’) across the country. Closed Supervisions Centres are the most extreme form of imprisonment in the UK, modeled on the “supermax” prisons in the United States, and Kevan’s testimony is one of the few sources of information available to those on the outside. They are the ultimate punishment in the British prison system and subject people within them to brutal dehumanisation, degradation and demonisation.

Kevan Thakrar is a key voice from inside the UK prison system today, writing extensively on the conditions endured by people held in the worst prisons in the country. He is an IWW/IWOC member and has worked closely with groups such as Bristol Anarchist Black Cross. You can read a recent article from Kevan, “A Decade of Discrimination Amounting to Torture,” here.

UK prisoners can be emailed using emailaprisoner.com

Birthday: March 9

Address:

Kevan Thakrar A4907AE
HMP Manchester
1 Southall Street
Manchester
M60 9AH
England
UK

Azat Miftakhov

Azat Miftakhov is a Russian anarchist who was arrested and tortured for allegedly breaking a window in an office of Putin’s United Russia party, and has now been given a six-year prison sentence for this alleged act. If you wish to send a message to Azat, the best thing to do is probably to contact his support team at [email protected].

Birthday: March 22

Mikita Yemelyanau

Mikita Yemelyanau is an anarchist political prisoner from Minsk, Belarus, serving a four-year sentence for a sabotage action at a pre-trial detention center and for throwing paint at a court. Both actions were in solidarity with Dzmitry Palijenka, another anarchist political prisoner. On 11 March 2022, Mikita was sentenced to 2 more years in prison for gross violation of prison rules.

Letters written in any other language than Russian or Belarusian may not reach prisoners in Belarus, but if you contact Belarus ABC at belarus_abc(AT)riseup.net or using this online form, they can translate your message and send it on for you.

Birthday: March 24

Address (for Russian or Belarusian letters only):

Emelyanov Nikita Vladimirovich
ST-1, 230023 Grodno, ul. Kirova 1
BELARUS