Amnesty International Launches Campaign Supporting Herman Wallace And Albert
Woodfox Of The Angola 3
countercurrents.org | Jun 11th 2011 8:11 PM
Amnesty International Launches Campaign Supporting
Herman Wallace And Albert Woodfox Of The Angola 3
By Angola 3 News
Angola 3 News
This week Amnesty International launched a global campaign calling for the
authorities in the United States to end the solitary confinement of Herman
Wallace and Albert Woodfox. They state that "the treatment to which the two
men have been subjected was 'cruel and inhumane' and amounted to a violation
of the US' obligations under international law".
Guadalupe Marengo, Amnesty's deputy director for America said "We are not
aware of any other case in the USA where individuals have been subjected to
such restricted human contact for such a prolonged period of time." Amnesty
has also raised questions about the legal aspects of the case including the
lack of any physical evidence linking Herman and Albert to Brent Miller's
murder, lost DNA evidence and convictions based on questionable inmate
testimony.
Amnesty is calling for people around the world to contact Governor Jindal
via email or post and let their outrage regarding this injustice be heard.
The spotlight on injustice which Amnesty International is now shining on the
case of the Angola 3 is a monumental step of support to the campaign. We
hope Albert and Herman's supporters will lead the charge in responding to
Amnesty's call for action.
Please join us and take action today at Amnesty's action page.
Read/Download the full report: USA: 100 years in solitary: 'The Angola 3'
and their fight for justice.
Watch the Amnesty International video, featuring Robert King, here.
AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL PRESS RELEASE
EMBARGO: 7 June 2011, 00:01Hs GMT.
USA urged to end inmates' 40 year-long solitary confinement
The US state of Louisiana must immediately remove two inmates from the
solitary confinement they were placed in almost 40 years ago, Amnesty
International said today.
Albert Woodfox, 64, and Herman Wallace, 69, were placed in "Closed Cell
Restriction (CCR)" in Louisiana State Penitentiary - known as Angola Prison
- since they were convicted of the murder of a prison guard in 1972. Apart
from very brief periods, they have been held in isolation ever since.
"The treatment to which Albert Woodfox and Herman Wallace have been
subjected for the past four decades is cruel and inhumane and a violation of
the US's obligations under international law," said Guadalupe Marengo,
Americas Deputy Director at Amnesty International.
"We are not aware of any other case in the USA where individuals have been
subjected to such restricted human contact for such a prolonged period of
time."
Over the course of decades there has been no meaningful review of the men's
designation to CCR. The only reason given for maintaining the men under
these conditions has been due to the "nature of the original reason for
lockdown."
Both men were originally arrested for armed robbery.
The men are confined to their cells, which measure 2 x 3 metres, for 23
hours a day. When the weather permits, they are allowed outside three times
a week for an hour of solitary recreation in a small outdoor cage.
For four hours a week, they are allowed to leave their cells to shower or
walk, alone, along the cell unit corridor.
They have restricted access to books, newspapers and television. For the
past four decades they have never been allowed to work or to have access to
education. Social interaction has been restricted to occasional visits from
friends and family and limited telephone calls.
They have also been denied any meaningful review of the reasons for their
isolation.
The men's lawyers have told Amnesty International that both are suffering
from serious health problems caused or exacerbated by their years of
solitary confinement.
Amnesty International has also raised questions about the legal aspects of
the case against the two men.
No physical evidence linking the men to the guard's murder has ever been
found; potentially exculpatory DNA evidence has been lost; and the
convictions were based on questionable inmate testimony.
Over the years of litigation on the cases, documents have emerged suggesting
that the main eyewitness was bribed by prison officials into giving
statements against the men and that the state withheld evidence about the
perjured testimony of another inmate witness. A further witness later
retracted his testimony.
Apart from ongoing legal challenges to their murder convictions, Albert
Woodfox and Herman Wallace are suing the Louisiana authorities claiming that
their prolonged isolation is "cruel and unusual punishment" and so violates
the US Constitution.
"The treatment of these men by the state of Louisiana is a clear breach of
US commitment to human rights," said Guadalupe Marengo.
"Their cases should be reviewed as a matter of urgency, and while that takes
place authorities must ensure that their treatment complies with
international standards for the humane treatment of prisoners."
For more information or to arrange an interview with an Amnesty
International expert, please contact: Josefina Salomon,
[email protected], mobile: +44 7778 472 116.
Original Page: http://www.countercurrents.org/angola3110611.htm
Shared from Read It Later
--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups
"Sixties-L" group.
To post to this group, send email to [email protected].
To unsubscribe from this group, send email to
[email protected].
For more options, visit this group at
http://groups.google.com/group/sixties-l?hl=en.
