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World Conference of WorkersMumia Abu-Jamal Must Be Saved!
1) They Assassinated Shaka Sankofa (Gary Graham)! We Cannot Let Them Assassinate Mumia
Abu-Jamal!
2) Appeal to the U.S. Presidential Candidates
"Take a Stand! Mumia Abu-Jamal Must Be Saved!"
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APPEAL FROM INTERNATIONAL COMMMITTEE TO SAVE MUMIA
International Committee to Save the Life of Mumia
Abu-Jamal
c/o International Liaison Committee for a Workers' International
87, rue du Faubourg Saint-Denis, 75 010 Paris, FRANCE
e.mail :
cimumia@wanadoo.fr
1)They Assassinated Shaka Sankofa (Gary Graham)! We Cannot Allow Them to Assassinate Mumia Abu-Jamal!
On Thursday, June 22, 2000, Shaka Sankofa (Gary Graham) was murdered in Texas. Till the very last moment, Sankofa continued to proclaim his innocence.
He stated:
"I am an innocent Black man that is being murdered. This is a lynching that is happening in America tonight. There's overwhelming and compelling evidence of my defense that has never been heard in any court of America. What is happening here is an outrage for any civilized country. ... I want to get my family and take this down to international court and file a law suit. ... Let the world see what is really happening here behind closed doors. ... You must continue to hold your heads up, and to be there. Keep marching, Black people!
Who is responsible for the assassination of Shaka Sankofa?
Responsible is the Texas governor, of course. George W. Bush, Republican candidate for the presidency, has ordered the execution of 135 people who were sentenced to death. He had the gall to declare, "Since I have been governor, no innocent person has been executed", and then to add, "Let God bless Mr. Graham!"
Responsible is the Democratic candidate to the presidency, Al Gore, who refused to take a stand, and declared that "he had no knowledge of the record number [of executions] in Texas."
Responsible are U.S. President Bill Clinton and U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno, who kept silent and did not intervene - although they could have done so, as thousands of demonstrators in Texas had insisted, through the opening of a federal investigation into the violation of Sankofa's Constitutional rights.
They murdered Shaka Sankofa (Gary Graham)!
Presidential elections in the United States are almost upon us.
The International Committee to Save the Life of Mumia Abu Jamal wishes to sound the alarm:
Mumia Abu-Jamal's life is in danger!
Mumia Abu-Jamal has been on death row in Pennsylvania for 18 years now. He is accused of killing a police officer in December 1981. He was sentenced to death in 1982 after a mock trial in Philadelphia that included the subornation of witnesses, the destruction of proof, the withholding of ballistic expertise proving he is innocent.
The Constitutional rights guaranteed to all citizens have all been violated in this trial. The execution planned for December 2, 1999, was delayed until mid to late 2000 thanks to massive national and international pressure.
Let us make a solemn pledge: We will not let them carry out again such a heinous act!
Let us make a solemn pledge: We will not let them assassinate Mumia Abu-Jamal!
Nobody can remain silent any longer! The International Committee to Save the Life of Mumia Abu-Jamal has decided to issue a call to all the candidates to the presidency in the United States [see below].
We call upon all those the world over who refuse to tolerate this attack against democratic rights, and ask them to sign by the tens of thousands the appeal below. We also ask labor and democratic rights' organizations to take a stand! Let us demand all together:
All candidates must give an answer! They must take a stand! Mumia must be saved!
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2) Appeal to the U.S. Presidential Candidates: "Take a Stand! Mumia Abu-Jamal Must Be Saved!"
To Mr. George W. Bush:
You took the responsibility as governor of Texas to order the execution of Shaka Sankofa (Gary Graham), although many citizens in the United States and the world over know that his trial -- which was over after 48 hours on the basis of one single testimony, without the hearing of ten other testimonies included in the police reports -- was unfair.
We consider you to be responsible for what can only be called a legal murder.
You are candidate to the presidency of the United States, and you are responsible for murder!
We won't let you murder Mumia Abu-Jamal as you killed Shaka Sankofa (Gary Graham).
Neither of them was granted a fair trial, their Constitutional rights were denied. Mumia Abu-Jamal, in fact, has established a list of 29 violations of his fundamental Constitutional rights as defined by the United States Constitution.
We call upon the American people and ask them to condemn you as responsible for this murder!
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To Mr. Al Gore:
Mr. Gore: We send this letter to you as candidate to the presidency of the United States, in the name of 1.5 million endorsers of the "Open Letter to President Clinton" whose signatures were collected in 70 countries.
Shaka Sankofa (Gary Graham) has just been executed on June 22 in Texas. He declared before his death: "I am an innocent Black man that is being murdered." You know that everything shows that his trial was manipulated and that his Constitutional rights were denied.
We consider that the execution of Shaka Shankofa (Gary Graham) was a murder and represents a major threat to the life of Mumia Abu-Jamal. Mumia's Constitutional and civil rights were denied, just as were those of Shaka Sankofa (Gary Graham).
President Clinton declared on June 28 that one had to "ascertain that the verdict was right and that the trial process was Constitutional and fair" before any death sentences were issued. But was not he aware that Shaka Sankofa's trial was unfair? Has he not been informed of the fact that Mumia Abu-Jamal's lawyers have found 29 violations of his Constitutional and civil rights? Is he not aware of the fact that the verdict therefore could not possibly be fair?
In the name of the most elementary principles of justice and democracy, we call upon you to take a stand against this execution, and to do it publicly! Ask President Clinton, for whom you serve as vice president, to order immediately the opening of a federal investigation concerning the violations of Mumia Abu-Jamal's rights - as Clinton has the authority to do!
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To Mr. Ralph Nader:
You are the only candidate to the presidency who has taken a stand against the death penalty. Therefore we call upon you to take a stand in support of a new trial for Mumia Abu-Jamal. We address you in the name of the International Committee to Save the Life of Mumia Abu-Jamal, and on behalf of 1.5 million endorsers in 70 countries of the "Open Letter to President Clinton." This Open Letter requests that Clinton intervene - as he has the authority to do - to prevent the execution of Mumia Abu-Jamal by ordering a federal investigation into the violations of Mumia Abu-Jamal's Constitutional and civil rights. Such an investigation would, without a doubt, pave the way for a new trial.
As you know, Shaka Sankofa (Gary Graham) was murdered on June 22 in Texas. This murder is a most serious threat to the life of Mumia Abu-Jamal.
Mr. Nader: We call upon you because you took a stand against the death penalty. We ask you to participate in the international campaign to demand that President Clinton order a federal investigation into the violations of Mumia Abu-Jamal's Constitutional and civil rights, and that you appeal publicly to President Clinton to do so.
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Endorsement Form:
[ ] Please add my name to the "Appeal to U.S. Presidential Candidates: Take a Stand! Mumia Abu-Jamal Must Be Saved!"
NAME
ADDRESS
CITY
EMAIL
UNION/ORG & TITLE (for id. only)
[ ] I will forward a financial contribution to the address below to help defray the cost of organizing this campaign.
(return filled-out form to
ilcinfo@earthlink.net )
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International Committee to Save the Life of Mumia Abu-Jamal",
* c/o International Liaison Committee of Workers and Peoples
87, rue du Faubourg Saint-Denis, 75 010 Paris, FRANCE e.mail :
cimumia@wanadoo.fr
Financial support: Please make your check or money order payable to: "Jean-Pierre Barrois, Comité International Vie Sauve pour Mumia Abu-Jamal"