Paris, France Turns Out for Mumia!

By Steve Zade,
The Paris Collectif Libérons Mumia.

The Paris Collectif Libérons Mumia organized a meeting at the Place de la Concorde opposite the American Embassy in Paris today in response to Mumia’s state of health and the secretiveness surrounding his hospitalization. Around two hundred people showed up for the event, including representatives from the trade union movement, political parties, groups opposing the death penalty as well as the hardcore of Mumia supporters who have been congregating, rain or shine, every first Wednesday of the month for the last 25 years in order to liberate Mumia.

Paris, France for Mumia on April 24, 2021

The following organizations participated in the Paris event: NPA (new anti-capitalist party), LO (workers’ struggle) CGT (important trade union), PCF (French communist party), MRAP (movement against racism and for friendship between peoples) POID (independent democratic workers’ party). Also present were representatives from the city authorities of Paris, Saint Denis, and Villejuif.

Representatives from the organizations participating in the event, led by Jacky Hortaut and Claude Guillaumud, attempted to deliver a letter to the American embassy. They were informed that the letter could not be accepted and would have to be sent by post! The following is the request and then the copy of that letter:

For the attention of Mr. Brian Aggeler
Chargé d’affaires ad interim
American Embassy, Paris

Dear Sir,

We would like to bring to your attention the open letter published in the French press and signed by 29 public figures, requesting that the authorities in Pennsylvania free Mumia Abu Jamal, a journalist who has been held in detention for close to four decades and who is critically ill.

It is not within the realm of Justice to let this man die when he has just obtained a right of appeal, to defend his innocence after 39 years of imprisonment.

We would respectfully ask you to bring this request to the attention of the federal authorities in order that they might contribute to a humane solution, as has been the case with prisoners in other states of your country.

Trusting that our request will be given your full attention

Yours faithfully
Jacky Hortaut
Collectif français de soutien à Mumia Abu Jamal
(French collective for the liberation of Mumia Abu Jamal)

Paris,
5th April 2021

Mumia Abu-Jamal’s life is in danger

An open letter to:

Tom WOLF, Governor of Pennsylvania
John WETZEL, Secretary of Corrections, Pennsylvania, PA
Larry KRASNER, District Attorney, Philadelphia, PA

Dear Sirs,

Particularly concerned about the brutal degradation of Mumia Abu-Jamal’s state of health we are appalled by the inhuman conduct of the prison administration, allowing this man to suffer in the prison infirmary or in his cell with minimal medical treatment totally inappropriate to the gravity of his situation.

This is especially so as during his brief hospitalization – hands and feet manacled to his bed – he was diagnosed as being Covid-19 positive. Taking into consideration his medical history (hepatitis C) the reckoning is disastrous: congestive heart failure, pulmonary oedema, purulent rashes all over his body, cirrhosis of the liver, diabetes….

According to his personal physician, the extreme gravity of his situation might very well lead to his death.

Faced with such a situation we appeal to your shared responsibility to put an end to the abusive treatment of which he is a victim and which is akin to a thinly-veiled death sentence.

We would also ask you to liberate him immediately for humanitarian reasons, as you have already done for a number of elderly and sick prisoners.

He could then choose a hospital close to his family and the medical team to look after him.

There can be no justice in allowing this sick man to die, just when he has at last obtained the right of appeal so that he may defend his innocence after 39 years of imprisonment.

We would like to believe that you will grant our most urgent request. In the hope that your decision concerning our appeal will be humane,

Yours sincerely,
Signed by the following public figures:

ARAEZ Estellia / president of the French Union of Attorneys
ARTHAUD Nathalie / Lutte Ouvrière (French party)
ASCARIDE Arianne /actress, film director, script-writer
AUTAIN Clémentine / member of parliament (France Insoumise)
BALIBAR Etienne / philosopher
BELLANGER Anthony / secretary-general of the International Federation of Journalists
BESANCENOT Olivier / anti-capitalist party
BOUTADJINE Mustapha / artist
BROSSAT Ian / deputy mayor of Paris
COQUEREL Éric / member of parliament (France Insoumise)
DAENINCKX Didier / writer
ERNAUX Annie / writer
ERNEST PIGNON Ernest / artist
FILOCHE Gérard / national moderator of the ‘Gauche Démocratique et Sociale’ (political party)
GUEDIGUIAN Robert / film director, film producer, and scriptwriter
GUILLAUMAUD-PUJOL Claude / University professor and biographer of Mumia Abu-Jamal,
LAURENT Pierre / vice-president of the French Senate
LE HYARIC Patrick / director of l’Humanité (newspaper)
LE MIGNOT Renée / co-president of the MRAP (movement against racism and for friendship among peoples)
LEDERER Jacques / writer
MARTINEZ Philippe / general secretary of the CGT (trade union)
MASIERO Corinne / actress
MORDILLAT Gérard / novelist, film-maker
NIAKATE Aminata / President of ‘Ensemble contre la peine de mort’ (association against the death penalty)
POUPARD Emmanuel / first secretary-general of the national union of journalists
ROUSSEL Fabien / member of parliament and secretary-general of the French Communist party
TESTE Benoît / secretary-general of the FSU (union of teachers)
THURAM Lilian /ex-professional Soccer, president of the foundation ‘education against racism’
VIRE Emmanuel / secretary-general of the national union of journalists CGT

Report submitted by
By Steve Zade,
The Paris Collectif Libérons Mumia.