Tag: prisoners

Solidarity with Tunisia’s growing prisoners!

The following article has been submitted to GPAC by Chkoun? Collective on the increasing use of arbitrary imprisonment as a weapon of state repression by the authoritarian and anti-migrant Tunisian state.

20/11/2024

**French translation below**

**Mobilize for the immediate release of the Tunisian Black feminist activist Saadia Mosbah and all those detained for solidarity with migrants! Mobilize for an end to the violence against Black migrants and refugees in Tunisia!**

Dear comrades,

We reach out to you with a piece of news wildly overlooked in the media, and a call to action.

Saadia Mosbah, a brave Tunisian Black feminist and steadfast advocate for racial justice in Tunisia, has been unjustly imprisoned for her activism on May 6th 2024. Saadia, a relentless defender of Black Tunisians’ rights and a leading figure in combating anti-Black racism and injustice more widely, is being targeted for her commitment to freedom and equality. She is the president of M’nemty, an association that has tirelessly fought to challenge systemic racism and advocate for racial justice in Tunisia, and has secured many achievements since the 2011 revolution.

Tunisian authorities have detained Saadia on unfounded money laundering charges, detaining her for nearly seven months without any evidence. They continue to hold her in custody while searching for proof to justify the charges, effectively normalizing the practice of “imprison now, prove later,” a blatant violation of justice and due process.

Saadia’s arrest must be understood as part of a wider attempt to silence and punish those who resist state repression. Her treatment has been riddled with anti-Blackness and misogyny, aimed not only censoring her but also at sending a message to all Black, feminist and minoritized groups across Tunisia. Many individuals have already been arrested for taking position against racism. Among them are Cherifa Riahi, targeted for her work with a migration solidarity NGO; Sonia Dahmani, detained for speaking out against state and societal racism on a radio show; Rachid Tamboura, detained for a graffiti tag criticizing President Kais Saied and more recently Abdallah Said, Black Tunisian activist and president of the “association Enfants de la Lune” in Médenine detained with charges of assisting migrants in Médenine. Many others remain behind bars with cases receiving little to no media attention. These arrests bring the criminalization of solidarity to a whole new level.

This is unfolding in a political climate fueled by fascist groups spreading conspiracy theories, amplified by a state apparatus rooted in xenophobic nationalism and authoritarianism. Tunisian authorities have been carrying out illegal deportations, abandoning Black migrants and refugees in desert areas where they are left to die from thirst and hunger, and isolating thousands others in remote camps where they face immense violence and discrimination, and lack access to basic services. Numerous recent reports reveal that these brutal actions are knowingly financed by the EU, as part of its strategy to externalize its borders to Tunisia and neighboring countries.

It is critical that we show solidarity with Saadia Mosbah and amplify her struggle internationally and the struggles of all those jailed for their principled stances for justice in Tunisia. We urge Black feminists, prison abolitionists, and comrades around the world to mobilize. We must highlight the connections between Saadia’s case and the broader pattern of racialized, patriarchal repression that many Black and anti-racist organizers face worldwide.

**Here’s how you can help:**

1. **Spread Awareness**: Share Saadia’s story across social media, in newsletters, and within community spaces. Expose the Tunisian authorities’ anti-Black and patriarchal practices.

2. **Call for an end of this injustice**: Contact international organizations and your local representatives and demand pressure on Tunisian authorities and statements condemning this injustice.

3. **Support M’nemty and other anti-racist and migrant and refugee organizations**: Show support towards Saadia’s organization, M’nemty, which continues to face harassment. Also follow the work of Refugees in Tunisia, Refugees in Libya, La Voix des Femmes Tunisiennes Noires and the Tunisian Forum for Social and Economic Rights, amplify their demands, and follow their recommendations to insure their safety.

4. **Organize and Demonstrate**: Mobilize protests, online and offline, to show solidarity with Saadia. Demand her immediate release and an end to the violent repression of activists in Tunisia.

Saadia Mosbah’s imprisonment is not an isolated event; it is a systemic attack against the Black feminist movement in Tunisia and a warning to all who oppose state oppression. By raising our voices together, we can help secure her release and affirm that the fight for racial and gender justice will not be silenced.

In solidarity and resistance,

Chkoun collective

Find our work and contact here: https://linktr.ee/chkoun_collective

Links with more information:

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 **Mobilisation pour la libération immédiate de la militante féministe Noire Tunisienne Saadia Mosbah et de toutes les personnes détenues pour solidarité avec les personnes migrantes ! Mobilisation pour la fin de la violence contre les personnes migrantes et les réfugié.es Noir.es en Tunisie!  

Cher.es camarades,
Nous nous adressons à vous pour vous faire part d’une nouvelle négligée par les médias et pour vous lancer un appel à l’action. Saadia Mosbah, une courageuse féministe Noire tunisienne et une avocate indéfectible de la justice raciale en Tunisie, a été injustement emprisonnée pour son activisme le 6 mai 2024. Saadia, qui défend sans relâche les droits des Tunisien.nes noir.es, également, une figure de proue dans la lutte contre le racisme anti-Noir et l’injustice en général, est prise pour cible en raison de son engagement en faveur de la liberté et de l’égalité. Elle est présidente de M’nemty, une association qui s’est battue sans relâche contre le racisme systémique et pour la justice raciale en Tunisie, et qui a obtenu de nombreux résultats depuis la révolution de 2011.

Les autorités tunisiennes ont arrêté Saadia sur la base d’accusations infondées de blanchiment d’argent et l’ont détenue pendant près de sept mois sans aucune preuve. Les autorités continuent de la maintenir en détention tout en cherchant des preuves pour justifier les accusations, normalisant ainsi la pratique « emprisonner maintenant, prouver plus tard », ce qui constitue une violation flagrante de la justice et des droits de la défense.

L’arrestation de Saadia doit être comprise comme faisant partie d’une tentative plus large de réduire au silence et de punir ceux  et celles qui résistent à la répression de l’État. Son traitement a été truffé de mesures anti-noires et de misogynie, visant non seulement à la censurer, mais aussi à envoyer un message à tous les groupes de Noirs, de féministes et de minorisés en Tunisie. De nombreuses personnes ont déjà été arrêtées pour avoir pris position contre le racisme. Parmi elles, Cherifa Riahi, ciblée pour son travail avec une ONG de solidarité avec les personnes migrantes ; Sonia Dahmani, détenue pour avoir dénoncé le racisme de l’État et de la société lors d’une émission de radio ; Rachid Tamboura, détenu pour un graffiti critiquant le président Kais Saied et, plus récemment, Abdallah Said, militant Noir tunisien et président de l’association « Enfants de la Lune » à Médenine, détenu pour avoir aidé des personnes migrantes à Médenine. De nombreuses autres personnes sont toujours derrière les barreaux et leurs cas ne reçoivent que peu ou pas d’attention de la part des médias. Ces arrestations portent la criminalisation de la solidarité à un tout autre niveau.

Tout cela se déroule dans un climat politique alimenté par des groupes fascistes qui diffusent des théories du complot, amplifié par un appareil d’État ancré dans le nationalisme xénophobe et l’autoritarisme. Les autorités tunisiennes procèdent à des expulsions illégales, abandonnent des personnes migrantes Noires et des réfugié.es dans des zones désertiques où iels meurent de soif et de faim. Les autorités Tunisiennes isolent des milliers d’autres dans des camps reculés où iels sont confronté.es à une violence et à une discrimination extrêmes et où iels n’ont pas accès aux services de base. De nombreux rapports récents révèlent que ces actions brutales sont sciemment financées par l’UE, dans le cadre de sa stratégie d’externalisation de ses frontières vers la Tunisie et les pays voisins.

Il est essentiel que nous soyons solidaires de Saadia Mosbah et que nous amplifiions sa lutte au niveau international, ainsi que les luttes de toutes les personnes emprisonnées pour leurs positions de principe en faveur de la justice en Tunisie. Nous exhortons les féministes Noires, les abolitionnistes de prison et les camarades du monde entier à se mobiliser. Nous devons mettre en évidence les liens entre le cas de Saadia et le modèle plus large de répression raciale et patriarcale auquel de nombreux.se organisateur.ices Noir.e.s et antiracistes sont confronté.e.s dans le monde entier.**Voici comment vous pouvez nous aider:**

1. **Sensibiliser** : Partager l’histoire de Saadia sur les médias sociaux, dans les bulletins d’information et dans les espaces communautaires. Exposer les pratiques patriarcales et anti- Noires des autorités tunisiennes.

2. **Appeler à mettre fin à cette injustice** : Contacter les organisations internationales et vos représentants locaux et exiger des pressions sur les autorités tunisiennes et des déclarations condamnant cette injustice.

3. **Soutenir M’nemty et d’autres organisations antiracistes, de migrant.es et de réfugié.es** : Apportez votre soutien à l’organisation de Saadia, M’nemty, qui continue d’être harcelée. Suivre le travail de “Réfugié.es en Tunisie”, “Réfugiés en Libye”, “La Voix des Femmes Tunisiennes Noires” et le “Forum Tunisien pour les Droits Sociaux et Economiques”, amplifier leurs revendications, et suivre leurs recommandations pour assurer leur sécurité.

4. **Organiser et manifester** : Mobilisez des manifestations, en ligne et hors ligne, pour montrer votre solidarité avec Saadia. Exiger sa libération immédiate et la fin de la répression violente des activistes en Tunisie.

L’emprisonnement de Saadia Mosbah n’est pas un événement isolé ; il s’agit d’une attaque systémique contre le mouvement féministe Noir en Tunisie et d’un avertissement pour tous celleux qui s’opposent à l’oppression de l’État. En élevant nos voix ensemble, nous pouvons contribuer à sa libération et affirmer que la lutte pour la justice raciale et de genre ne sera pas réduite au silence.

En solidarité et en résistance,
Le Collectif Chkoun

Découvrez notre travail et trouvez nos coordonnés ici: https://linktr.ee/chkoun_collective

Liens avec plus d’information:

After the Fire in Burundi’s Gitega Prison

It’s been almost two months since the massive fire in Burundi’s Gitega central prison on 7 December 2021, which killed at least 38 prisoners and injured 69 others. To this date, no proper investigation has taken place by the Burundian government of what caused the fire, and the actions of the prison administration.The numbers and names of the dead and injured are unclear.

One prisoner told Human Rights Watch that for nearly two hours, the prisoners were left to deal with the fire alone. Following the fire, the government buried the bodies in secret, and the families of missing prisoners, some of whom have been unable to complete the mourning rituals, have tried to get answers to no avail.

Just a few weeks before the fire took place, on 18 November 2021, the United States government lifted sanctions that were in place against Burundian officials linked to the 2015 massacre that was carried out against Burundians who opposed the then-President’s move to continue on to an unconstitutional third term — violence that led to the death of 1200 and sent 400,000 fleeing the country. The US State Department said in its  press release lifting the sanctions that the “decision reflects the changed circumstances in Burundi and President Ndayishimiye’s pursuit of reforms across multiple sectors over the past year.”

An article in africanews notes that as of 26 November 2021, “Burundi’s eleven prisons held 12,878 prisoners for a capacity of 4,924, according to the prison administration.”

From Rikers Island to Palestine & beyond: Solidarity with prisoners on hunger strike!

By Global Prison Abolitionist Coalition

For the last three years, since the start of the pandemic in 2019, the globally incarcerated population held in carceral spaces of state violence has been one of the most affected demographics. From prisons to concentration camps to refugee detention centers, not only have incarcerated and detained people been made extremely vulnerable to COVID-19, their basic rights have also been violated by the authorities in the name of pandemic regulations.

The pandemic has forced prisoners to organize themselves under the deadly conditions to protect their fundamental right to life. This is why the number of hunger strikes (collective and individual) within carceral spaces has been steadily increasing globally. 

On January 11th, more than 200 male prisoners at Rikers Island in New York City launched a  hunger strike demanding their rights. They are protesting their inhumane treatment that has been exacerbated under the COVID-19 pandemic: unjustifiably long lockdowns, lack of timely medical treatment, lack of access to law library and common areas, limited supplies in the commissary, delayed court dates and communications, and denial of visits, including by lawyers. In a voice message sent from prison, Ervin Bowins, one of the individuals on hunger strike, condemned the denial of even basic services: 

“We are on hunger strike, and we have a list of reasonable things we would like to bring to the table so that we can get things rolling, such as a law library, recreation, and mental health service, and medical stuff like that. What we are not being afforded. Mandatory, minimum standards for a human being.” 

Even before the pandemic, Rikers Island jail complex was notorious for inhumane and deadly treatment of its inmates and denial of due process, and grassroots mobilization has forced the city to commit to the closing of Rikers Island by 2026. ​​The horrific distributive consequences of racial capitalism in New York City’s prison industrial complex is reflected in the cost of over $500k per year to detain one inmate during a global pandemic. In a recent interview with BNC News (Black News Tonight) the formerly incarcerated community organizer Jerome Wright explains:

“We’re talking about people who have not been convicted of a crime, and they are being treated worse than those who have been sentenced in upstate’s prisons. It’s a staffing problem, they don’t get their medicine, there is no mental health, solitary confinement, in defiance of solitary laws being used…it’s a harrowing experience to be in there and right now it’s almost a death sentence. ”

In the same interview Dr Joy James speaks about the reason why such levels of abuse are normalized in the U.S. society and why prisoners’ collective hunger strike is where leadership and agency is:

“This is supposed to be a functioning democracy, it is maladaptive, it doesn’t conform to human rights or civil rights. And it has become part of normalizing the culture to be this indifferent. You know, if we think about it, if only white people were in power, and it was all white guards or jail union that was meting out this type of abuse, disproportionately against black people, we would register emotionally, psychologically, politically to the Antebellum era. However you want to define slavery and the 13th Amendment, you are treating people as animals, you are treating people worst than animals, no animal should be treated this way, from rotten food to feces on the floor, the intimation, the humiliation, you know, literal terror, because they are held captive? We can do better but our bureaucracies won’t unless we force them to.”

Meanwhile, in Palestine, an increasing number of prisoners are going on hunger strike as the only means to assert control over their own bodies in the colonial prisons of Israel. The most recent case is Hisham Abu Hawash, a Palestinian construction worker from the West Bank who had been arrested by the Israeli regime on October 2020 and placed under administrative detention. As Palestinian lawyer Yara Hawari writes: 

“Under administrative detention, there is no time limit on how long a prisoner can remain in custody, and the “evidence” on which the arrest is based is never disclosed. Inherited from the British Mandate in Palestine, the Israeli regime often claims it uses this mechanism in a preventative way, in order to avert “future offences”. Administrative detention orders in Israel last for a maximum of six months, but can be renewed indefinitely.”

After 141 days of hunger strike, nearly five months, Abu Hawash pressured the Israeli regime to agree upon a release deal which guarantees that his detention will not be renewed. Abu Hawash is now due to be released in February.

While indefinite administrative detentions have been a long-standing means of depriving Palestinians of their rights, the pandemic has made their situation even worse, with infections spreading in Israeli prisons and COVID regulations being abused by prison authorities. 

As the crisis of global racial capitalism unfolds, the nation-state system is increasingly relying on prisons and mass incarceration as a strategy of crisis management and governance by force. But this also means prisons are increasingly becoming sites of resistance and liberation. Despite being confined to the harshest conditions, the global prisoner population is using their bodies to forge new revolutionary horizons and visions of emancipation. 

Global Prison Abolitionist Coalition stands in solidarity with the ongoing hunger strikes on Rikers Island, in Palestine and other struggles of incarcerated people all over the world. We support their demands while emphasizing the need for the abolition of all types of carceral spaces and all the racialized and gendered structures of oppression, exploitation and domination that bring those spaces into existence. As an act of solidarity, we have started documenting various forms of resistance in prisons and other carceral spaces globally, and we invite you to contribute to our project by sharing with us instances of such struggles at [email protected]. 

Toward a Global Prison Abolitionist Movement: Webinar

In this panel we will we offer an overview of the prison and refugee camp populations and situations in the U.S., Syria and Iran. We will address some key obstacles to the formation of a global prison abolitionist movement,  offer ways of overcoming them and present ideas about an alternative to the capitalist carceral and authoritarian system. 

The COVID-19 pandemic has given new urgency to the need to abolish prisons, refugee camps and the inhuman capitalist carceral system.  Prisoner and refugee populations are facing an imminent death sentence from the fast spread of the virus in the crowded and unsanitary conditions of prisons and camps.

During the past three weeks, there have been protests inside some detention centers and prisons in the U.S., Iran, Italy, Colombia and elsewhere.  Prison abolitionist and refugee and immigrant support groups around the world are calling for the release of  people from jails, prisons, and detention centers.  Although, the U.S. and several other counties have started to release limited portions of their prison populations, the numbers released are too few to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Effectively fighting the COVID-19 pandemic demands a global prison abolitionist movement based on opposition to all forms of exploitation and domination.

In this panel we will we offer an overview of the prison and refugee camp populations and situations in the U.S., Syria and Iran.   We will address some key obstacles to the formation of a global prison abolitionist movement,  offer ways of overcoming them and present ideas about an alternative to the capitalist carceral and authoritarian system.

Speakers:

Romarilyn Ralston:

Program Director of Project Rebound at California State University, Fullerton, a program that supports the higher education and successful reintegration of the formerly incarcerated. She served 23 years at the California Institution for Women (CIW) and is a long-time member and organizer with the California Coalition for Women Prisoners (CCWP). Incarcerated at 24 and released at 47, Romarilyn has seen and survived the effects of extreme sentencing and medical neglect in prison. Since her release, Romarilyn was a Women’s Policy Institute Fellow, a volunteer with the Ferguson Commission, and an organizer with the Formerly Incarcerated, Convicted People & Families Movement (FICPFM) voting rights campaign in Florida. Romarilyn is a prison abolitionist tirelessly advocating for the women she left behind in prison in California, many serving life without the possibility of parole.

Joseph Daher:

Author of Syria after the Uprisings, the Political Economy of State Resilience (Pluto Press and Haymarket, 2019) and Hezbollah: The Political Economy of the Party of God (Pluto, 2016). He is an academic, social activist,  founder of the blog Syria Freedom Forever and a co-founder of the Alliance of Middle Eastern and North African Socialists.

Sina Zekavat:

Architect, anti-war activist and member of the Alliance of Middle Eastern and North African Socialist.  He has written articles on the student movement in Iran and solidarity with Syrian revolutionaries.

Moderator

Shiyam Galyon:

Communications coordinator at War Resisters League, the oldest secular antiwar organization working to resist war in the United States and abroad since 1923. She is also a member of the Syrian Women’s Political Movement, a multinational network of Syrian women fighting for political justice for all Syrians.

The moderated discussion will be followed by 30 minutes for  answering questions from the facebook audience.