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1998

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Repression & Widerstand

Solidarität

Sender: owner-spg-l@smtp2.xs4all.nl
From: SPG
tank@xs4all.nl
From:
Mumia@aol.com

Subject: We need your help

Mumia supporters:

I am writing to let Mumia supporters in Europe know about a delegation from
the Peoples International Tribunal for Justice for Mumia Abu-Jamal that is
traveling to Geneva for the United Nations High Commission for Human Rights
annual Convention and to ask for your support.

A five member delegation is traveling to the U.N. in Geneva at the end of
March/beginning of April to present the Judges Verdict and to request that the
U.N. assign Special Rapporteurs to investigate Mumia's case and related Human
Right Violations.

While in Europe we would like to arrange for members of the delegation to
speak and report back to European Mumia Support Committees about the Tribunal
and the follow up work that is being pursued through the United Nations. If
possible we would like to arrange some fundraisers where we could show a 50
minute video which is a summary of the evidence presented at the Tribunal and
includes a presentation of the Judges Verdict to Dr. Purificacion Quisumbing,
the NY Director for the U.N. High Commission for Human Rights, as well as her
recommendations.

My name is Maud Maron, I worked with the Legal team on the Tribunal and with
International Concerned Family & Friends of Mumia Abu-Jamal. I am presently
working on follow-up with members of the Tribunal's Legal team, Susan
Burnett--Mumia's Internet person (from whom I got this list) and Julia
Wright--the International Concerned Family & Friends representative in Europe
who is based in Paris.

If you have any questions about the Mumia Tribunal Delegation which is
traveling to Geneva you can contact Julia Wright at (011-331) 45 79 8844 or e-
mail myself or Mumia@aol.com.

If you are interested in arranging to have a delegate come and speak at an
event and show the video (or any other ideas that you have) please reply and
let me know the following information:

-name of the organization
-contact person name & number to work with to arrange meeting/fundraiser?
-where you are located?
-how far and how long is it by train from Geneva?
-Also can your organization cover the costs of travel?
-is it possible to hold a fundraiser?

U.N. DELEGATION INFORMATION:

A delegation of human rights lawyers and activists from the Tribunal will
travel to Geneva in April to attend the U.N. High Commission for Human Rights
annual Convention and present the findings of the Tribunal to both member
States and Nongovernmental Organizations (NGOs). Specifically the delegation
will request that the High Commission for Human Rights endorse the findings of
the Tribunal and assign a United Nations Special Rapporteur to investigate the
case of Mumia Abu-Jamal and related Human Rights violations as recommended in
the judges findings.

The delegation is presently working to secure the support of several NGOs in
advance of its presentation to the U.N. High Commission. The delegation will
include: Michael Warren, lead prosecutor for the Tribunal, Richard Harvey,
Tribunal counsel to the Judges, Ramona Africa and Sue Africa of International
Concerned Family & Friends of Mumia Abu-Jamal and MOVE, and Linda Thurston,
former Director of the Program to Abolish the Death Penalty Project of Amnesty
International USA.


BACKGROUND:

The Tribunal for Justice for Mumia Abu-Jamal, like the Bertrand Russell
Tribunals on the United States war against the Vietnamese people, applied
principles of customary international humanitarian law. Article 38 of the
Statute of the INTERNATIONAL COURT OF JUSTICE RECOGNIZES THE AUTHORITATIVE
EFFECT OF THE FINDINGS OF SUCH TRIBUNALS on contemporary standards on
international law.

The Tribunal convened in Philadelphia on December 6th. A team of human rights
lawyers served as prosecutors and presented an extensive array of evidence
concerning the deprivation of Mumia's constitutional rights. The Tribunal
investigated the facts surrounding Mumia's conviction and death sentence and
called attention to the larger issues of the death penalty and human rights
issues in the United States.

The defendants included: Pennsylvania Governor Thomas Ridge, the Pennsylvania
Department of Corrections, the Philadelphia Police Department, Judge Albert
Sabo, District Attorney Lynn Abraham, the FBI and Attorney General Janet Reno.

A verdict of guilty was delivered by a distinguished panel of 25 International
judges (a list of judges is attached) who also proposed several remedies
including the United Nations assignment of a special Rapporteur to investigate
the egregious human rights violations in the case of Mumia Abu-Jamal.

The Tribunal for Justice for Mumia Abu-Jamal and the follow up work required
to activate the Tribunal's findings, is a truly international endeavor. On
the day of the Tribunal, December 6th, there were solidarity rallies in San
Francisco and Vancouver. Solidarity Messages were sent to the Tribunal from
around the world, including messages from Ramsey Clark, former U.S. Attorney
General, Leoluco Orlando, Mayor of Palermo and long-time death penalty
opponent, Assata Shakur, exiled leader of the Black Liberation Movement and
Leonard Peltier of the American Indian Movement.

INTERNATIONAL WORK:

Our follow up work began immediately: On December 10th--Human Rights Day--a
delegation from the Peoples Tribunal delivered the Tribunal's Indictment and
the Judges' Verdict to the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
Office in New York. Dr. Purificacion Quisumbing, Director of the New York
Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights greeted the delegation which
included, Gamal Nkrumah, International Editor of Cairo's "Al Ahram," Julia
Wright, author and political analyst and Ramona Africa of MOVE. During the 30
minute meeting, which was filmed and has already aired on public access
channels, Dr. Quisumbing made several recommendations concerning the follow up
work of the Tribunal.

Dr. Quisumbing accepted the findings of the Tribunal and made several
recommendations regarding international action on the findings. Specifically
Dr. Quisumbing recommended that the findings of the Tribunal and a complete
package of materials concerning Mumia's legal case should be presented to:

Mary Robinson, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Geneva
Kofi Annan, Secretary General of the United Nations
Bill Richardson, United States Ambassador to the United Nations, and to
Gaye MacDougal, recently nominated as a US member of the UN Committee on the
Elimination of all Forms of Racial Discrimination. Ms. MacDougal is also
Director of the International Human Rights Law Group.

If you need anymore information about the Tribunal or the delegation that is
traveling to Geneva, please let me know.

Also, if anyone has any housing suggestions or knows of anyone who would be
willing to provide housing for some members of the delegation while in
Geneva--it would be greatly appreciated.



Ona Move

Maud