Mumia's Day in Court - August 17th Via NY Transfer News * All the News That Doesn't Fit INTERNATIONAL ACTION CENTER 39 W. 14th St., Room 206 New York, NY 10011 Phone: 212-633-6646 Fax: 212-633-2889 Web: http://www.iacenter.org For Immediate Release August 8, 2001 Contact: Monica Moorehead, Kelly Morrison, 212-633-6646 ACTIVISTS FROM AROUND THE COUNTRY WILL DESCEND UPON PHILADELPHIA ON AUGUST 17TH TO SUPPORT MUMIA ABU-JAMAL'S FIRST COURT APPEARANCE IN FIVE YEARS ACTOR OSSIE DAVIS, HIP HOP ARTIST MOS DEF AND OTHERS WILL HELP PACK THE COURTROOM; FORMER U.S. ATTORNEY GENERAL, RAMSEY CLARK, TENTATIVELY PLANNING TO ATTEND Thousands of activists including celebrities will be traveling to Philadelphia on Friday, August 17th to stand with African American journalist, Mumia Abu-Jamal who is scheduled to appear before a Commons Pleas judge in the Criminal Justice Court at 9 am. Abu-Jamal is the most well-known death row inmate in the world. Activists will be mobilizing from New York City; Newark, New Jersey; Washington, DC; Boston; Chicago; Baltimore; Buffalo; Rochester; Providence and as far away as San Francisco to march and rally at City Hall during an important status hearing for Abu-Jamal that could eventually determine whether he will be granted a new post conviction relief act hearing. Abu-Jamal was falsely convicted on July 3, 1982 for the killing of Daniel Faulkner, a Philadelphia white policeman. The judge during the original trial was "hanging" Judge Albert Sabo, a member of the Fraternal Order of Police, who helped to cover up vital evidence proving that Abu-Jamal was innocent. Abu-Jamal has been awaiting execution ever since and has survived two death warrants, one signed in 1995 and the other in 1999. Abu-Jamal's new attorneys, Marlene Kamish, Eliot Grossman and Nick Brown, submitted a legal brief on May 4, 2001 that includes important affidavits making a strong claim of innocence on Abu-Jamal's behalf. One of these affidavits includes a confession made by Arnold Beverly, who confessed to be the killer of Faulkner. Other affidavits were signed by Abu-Jamal, his brother, William Cook and other eyewitnesses who testified under oath that Abu-Jamal did kill not Faulkner. A claim of innocence was not submitted during the 1996 post conviction hearing. This could very well be the last hearing for Abu-Jamal. On July 19th, Federal District Judge William Yohn turned down a request made by Abu-Jamal's lawyers to have the Beverly affidavit added on to a writ of habeas corpus originally filed with Yohn's court on October 15, 1999. This writ was filed in an effort to win an evidentiary hearing for Mumia. Yohn turned down the Beverly affidavit citing the "statute of limitations" in the Anti-Terrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996. This act, signed by Clinton, severely guts the writ of habeas corpus on behalf of death row inmates who are seeking to have their state convictions overturned. Federal judges are not obligated to review the state rulings even if there is clear evidence proving one's innocence or constitutional violations that occurred during the original trial. Larry Holmes, a co-director of the IAC, states, "We cannot predict or control what is going to happen in the Common Pleas court on August 17th. As activists, we see August 17th as a golden opportunity for the progressive movement to unite and strengthen the demand to free our brother, Mumia, who has come to symbolize resistance against racist repression especially the racist death penalty and police brutality." The IAC and other forces condemn the most recent reports in the Philadelphia press and elsewhere that accuse International Concerned Family and Friends of Mumia Abu-Jamal of illegally raising legal funds for Mumia. Why are these false allegations being made now when Mumia is going to be in court? Why is the big business press willing to print negative things about Mumia especially since he is so beloved by millions here and worldwide? These media attacks are meant to divert attention from Mumia's case and attempt to drive a wedge between him, his supporters and the general public. Holmes went on to say, "The media does not want the public to know that Mumia is facing execution because he is a victim of police misconduct and also is outspoken on a number of social issues. Just as this government and its police want to break up the dynamic anti-globalization movement, they also want to intimidate the Free Mumia movement but we will never allow that to happen." The IAC will be organizing buses from all over the country to go to Philadelphia. For bus information in NYC as well as leaflet and poster pick-ups, call the IAC at 212-633-6646. The August 17th coalition is also organizing buses with the 1199 Health and Hospital Union. Call 212-330-8029 for more information. -30- ================================================================= NY Transfer News Collective * A Service of Blythe Systems Since 1985 - Information for the Rest of Us 339 Lafayette St., New York, NY 10012 http://www.blythe.org e-mail: nyt@blythe.org ================================================================= nytrc-08.13.01-03:31:17-30009