THE INSURGENT Newsletter of the Committee to Fight Repression Vol. 4 No. 3 Winter 1988 Ohi-o 7 On Trial for Seditious Conspiracy r ....... In This Issue: EI Grito de Lares in Puerto Rico Silvia Baraldini Facing New Ordeal Grand Jury Resisters 75 ¢ THE INSURGENT 2 Table of Contents Ohio 7 Minus 2 . 3 Resistance Conspiracy Case 4 Political Prisoners' AIDS Message. 5 Silvia Baraldini: A New Ordeal. 8 Ploughshares Activist Convicted. .10 EI Grito de Lares. .11 Joint Macheteros/FALN Communique .12 Tierra Amarilla. .14 French and Belgian Political Prisoners .15 Grand Jury Resistance. .17 Virgin Island Five. .. .19 Shawangunk Prison Protest. .20 Hartford/Puerto Rico 15 Trial. .20 Updates. .21 We have had numerous requests from prisoners, asking to be add~d to our political prisoner list. The requests are too numerous for our collective to process. We have referred all requests to the Legal/Dossier Committee of the National Human Rights Cam­ paign and will revise the list through that mechanism. We urge prisoners to write directly to the Campaign for information about how to proceed. ( See p. 10 for information and address) Committee to Fight Repression: Who We Are The Committee to Fight Repression is an ting out the Insurgent . We believe that sup­ anti-imperialist organization that analyzes, port for political prisoners and POW's -­ exposes, and confronts political repression. from the national liberation movements, the We believe that in order to build effective northamerican anti-imperialist movement, resist~nce movements we need to understand the piowshares, Sanctuary and peace move­ the u.s. imperialist state and the dialectic ments -- is a critical aspect of all current between REPRESSION and RESISTANCE. People activities for human rights and social jus­ don't automatically resist government tice in this country. repression. We need to learn what we're up against and learn how to resist--from each The over 100 political/social activists and other and from movements allover the world revolutionaries in u.s. prisons today are who are fighting the same enemy. in jail for their activities and actions, their commitments ap d beliefs, their poli­ In any movement, political prisoners are tics and their refusal to back down. Many living examples that political struggle re ­ of them have led struggles and organizations. quires courage and sacrifice . We believe Some were captured trying to build revolu­ that creating strong bonds with political tionary organizations that were armed and prisoners can help to strengthen and mature clandestine. Some of the Black POW 's and political movements. Who w6uld dare to political prisoners have been imprisoned struggle if their movement did not protect since the 1960's, targets of u.s. COINTELPRO. and defend those who were captured? We be­ lieve that we must. consistently try to From behind the walls, they each share our break through the state's isolation of poli­ visions and concerns. They daily re-affirm tical prisoners, so that we can learn from their commitment, sharpened by the sacrifices people who went before and who currently are they have made, and the abuse, isolation and in a high level of confrontation with the degradation they experience at the hands of state. guards and prison officials. For the last four years, our collec~ive has actively worked to support political prison­ As the imperialists develop their strategies ers and POW 's - from bringing support to to repress resistance inside prison walls political ~rials, to participating in cam­ and outside, our resistance, too, must grow. paigns to fight human rights abuses, to put- DARE TO STRUGGLE! DARE TO WIN! ' FREE ALL POLITICAL PRISONERS AND POW'S! THE INSURGENT 3 Ohio 7 Minus 2: On Trial for Seditious Conspiracy Since the beginning of the Reagan admini­ Jaan was sent to Otisville to the segrega­ stration, his Justice Department has been tion unit and then to Lewisburg, and then devising elaborate conspiracy indictments to Leavenworth. Tom Manning was placed in to put captured revolutionaries away for the Maximum Control Unit in Trenton State life. The Insurgent has chronicled many of Peniteniary. The criteria sheet for his de­ these trials over the years. Yet the gov­ signation to the control unit said: ernment has had some set-backs in this " ... given his status as a dissident and course of action because of the resistance revolutionary terrorist ... " of the people on trial as they fight for "Inmate's record further indicates a pre­ their politics and their human and legal ference for secretive, paramilitary-like rights. schemes. Subject inmate has displayed this behavior by becoming involved with In Springfield, MA, the government has various politically radical and violent found itself bogged down in the Ohio 7 trial groups who advocate the overthrow of the and has been repeatedly criticized by the federal government ... " local media. The media is asking why the "This subject inmate has proved to be a government is prosecuting people at the cur­ leader. Because of his established revo­ rent cost of 2.1 million dollars, when all lutionary dissident record could use this but one defendant have already been convict­ position to negative l y influence and man­ ed for the same activities covered in this ipulate the prison population." indictment and have sentences from 15-53 Could it be clearer why prison systems use years. The jury selection alone had taken control units for political prisoners? 6 months to pick only 6 jurors. soners? So, on August 30th, the government prosecu­ Recently, in Springfield, the system of jury tors dropped charges against Tom Manning and selection was changed to the "struck system" Jaan Laaman, announcing that they were try­ which the defense had long argued for in or­ ing to simplify the trial. In essence, how­ der to speed up the process. The defendants ever, they were maneuvering to divide and anticipate that jury selection will be com­ demoralize the defendants. With this move pleted in December, 1988. The trial should they could silence two powerful voices in start in the new year. Keep on the alert the trial and separate Tom and Jaan from for information and write to: their wives and comrades. Jaan Laaman said The Sedition Committee in a letter to the judge, "The Ohio 7 has P.O. Box 4690 steadfastly maintained that we are guilty Springfield, MA 01101 of no crimes. Having these charges dr,opped 413-586-4407 against the two of us certainly fits into our position .... The government's comments The Sedition Committee on our dismissal about prior sentences and P.O. Box 1418, Cathedral Sta. shortening the case is just pure nonsense. New York, N.Y; 10025 All of us have some prior charges. As for 212-969-0448 trial reduction, evidence, etc. will be in­ troduced. The only reduction is 2 or 3 de­ fense lawyers to examine witnesses .... In one way though this case , is substantially changed. Originally these charges of sedi­ tion and RICO were brought as general pro­ secution to criminalize certain types of political resistance to the U.S. government. Then-Attorney General Meese's hope was not only to intimidate similarly situated revo­ lutionaries, but progressive activists in general. Now the case has additionally tak­ en on the v indictive nature of a selective prosecution of three mothers, politically active and concerned women who have refused to renounce their husbands and life-oriented progressive politics they hold. If the gov­ ernment can dismiss chages against me, how can it justify the continued prosecution of my wife and Tom's wife .... Real justice de­ From 1. to r.- Ray Levasseur, Carol Manning, mands:Drop all charges! Release the Women! Tom Manning, Jaan Laaman, Barbara Curzi La, Mothers now! maan, Richard Williarns(Pat Gras-out on bail) THE INSURGENT 4 Resistance Conspiracy Case: Update from Washington, D.C. Pc 3 t 1. In May, 1985, Alan Berkman, Tim Blunk, the judge, to the Bureau of Prisons and to On o Marilyn Buck, Linda Evans, Susan Rosenberg, Congressional representatives. Supporters act and Laura Whitehorn were indicted for seek­ of the six wrote in protest. After fighting den i ing "to influence, change and protest poli­ for months and refusing to give up, their po] e cies and practices of the U.S. government conditions began to slowly improve. They wh i e concerning various international and domes­ were permitted to have legal meetings un­ sar a tic matters through violent and illegal shackled; Laura alone was placed in general Bli r means." In specific, they were charged with population; finally, all were put in popula­ a ( a conspiracy, and aiding and abetting the bomb­ tion with some few remaining restrictions. Dn r ings of several military and government fo: C buildings, resulting in extensive property They are continuing to prepare for trial, sal damage but in no injuries to anyone. The still suffering harassment. Judge Greene has tho .defendants call the case the "Resistance Con­ limited the amount of money the court will ab: spiracy case." In their joint statement af­ pay to their court-appointed lawyers. Since pe, ter their indictment, they said "The govern­ pre-trial motions will be argued in January, ru ment is relentless in its pursuit of those This is a critical time for consolidating a tho whose love and concern extend across nation­ defense, not for worrying about a lack of al and racial barriers, ~nd whose commitment funds. The restrictive funding has a partic­ leads them to active resistance ... The ular impact on the attorneys from New York Reagan Administration wants our prosecution City who are working on the legal team: Mary to serve as a warning to those who demand O'Melveny,.