Police Brutality and Corruption

EU Parliament Considering Case of Man Seeking
Asylum from u.s. Police Abuse

Date: Sun, 08 Oct 2000 12:54:48 -0700 To: stop-polabuse@egroups.com From: Michael Novick: part2001@usa.net

Ritt Goldstein was an activist against police abuse and for police accountability in CT.

As a consequence of developing and pushing for a state-wide civilian oversight body, he was targeted by the very officers he was seeking to bring under civilian control. In a series of incidents, he received death threats, had a shot fired at him, sabotage was carried out on his car, and he was repeatedly attacked with chemical agents. Eventually, he fled the country, and applied for asylum in Sweden.

Although his case is virtually unknown in the US, it has become a major issue in Europe. The Swedish asylum agency, although finding as a fact that Goldstein had been the target of attacks by police, ruled that he was not eligible for asylum because the officers had been acting as individuals, not as agents of the state, and that the US is a 'recognized democracy with a just legal system." therefore disqualifying Goldstein from receiving asylum in another country.

If allowed to stand, this decision is a threat to human rights in the U.S. and throughout the European Union. A committee of the European Parliament is now considering the issue. Although they cannot overturn the Swedish decision, they can put pressure on the Swedes to reconsider.

Activists in the US need to make this a higher profile case and to weigh in on the decision.

We know that "police authorities" in this country have allowed many unwritten policies and practices to take hold in their departments, racial profiling and impunity for the unjustified use of force among them. Retaliation by police officers against perceived 'enemies' has occurred; in some cases under the auspices of state operations like COINTELPRO.

Also, we are clear that the US legal system is far from "just." The existence of police brutality and use of deadly force with impunity is the rule rather than the exception in this country. We need to communicate these realities to European authorities.

You can write to Goran Nakansson, General Director of the Utlanningsnamnden, the Swedish asylum appeal agency, at: un@un.se.

You can also write to Goran Persson, the Prime Minister of Sweden at: registrator@primeminister.ministry.se.

Copies of these emails can be sent to: nrbusch48@hotmail.com Attention: Ritt Goldstein. (Busch is a leader of the Fortress Europe campaign for immigrant and refugee rights in Europe against both fascist violence and state repression).

You may want to note in your messages the Swedish section of Amnesty International has found that the handling of Goldstein's case "goes against Swedish legislation."

Goldstein had also received support and recognition from France Libertes, led by Danielle Mitterand, widow of the late French president.

The former mayor of Norwalk CT, whose own home was vandalized by police, has acknowledged that the cops, rather than he, ran the city. In New Haven CT, the existence of a group within the police force calling itself 'the beat-down posse' has been documented.

Such extra-legal activity by police officers is a threat to everyone who stands up against police abuse, as is the Swedish denial -- not only of Goldstein's asylum application, but also of the extent of the problem of police abuse and the lack of true justice in the U.S.

There is extensive documentation of the attacks against Goldstein, including chemical tests showing residue of tear gas on his clothing and car, lie detector tests, police and mechanics reports, etc.

Brian Reeder, president of the National Association for Civilian Oversight of Law Enforcement (NACOLE), currently executive director of the Citizens' Police Complaints Office in Indianapolis IN, has written to the European Court of Human Rights on behalf of Goldstein.

You can read more about Goldstein's case in the current issue of "Turning the Tide: Journal of Anti-Racist Action, Research & Education," available from PART.

In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. section 107, this material is distributed without charge or profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving this type of information for non-profit research and educational purposes only.

Join the "stop police abuse" list at: Stop Police Abuse List

People Against Racist Terror (PART), PO Box 1055, Culver City, CA 90232 Tel.: 310-495-0299 E-mail: part2001@usa.net

Send for a sample of our quarterly print publication: "Turning The Tide: Journal of Anti-Racist Action, Research & Education"

Mumia Must Live! End the racist death penalty! Free Leonard Peltier, Linda Evans, Mutulu Shakur, Oscar Lopez and all political prisoners and P.O.W.'s in U.S. prisons!

Minneapolis, Minnesota

Minneapolis Anti-Racist Action

Additional Testimonial Websites of Police Brutality

Shielded from Justice
Police Brutality in the North Coast
Police Brutality Organizations
Police Brutality in Massachusetts
California Prison Focus

National Police Accountability Project
National Lawyer's Guild

Stolen Lives Project
Testimonials of Police Brutality Across the Nation

Related Resources

Families to Amend California's Three Strikes Law

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