NEWS & ALERTS
Greetings to all supporters of Political Prisoners,
Many of you, over the past month, have been following the case of our comrade, Ali Khalid Abdullah, who is a New Afrikan Anarchist Political Prisoner in Michigan, USA. As you may know, Ali's parole was recently denied for the sixth time by the Parole Board of the Michigan Department of Corrections. You may also know that Ali and his supporters learned of this decision after a month of state repression directed at Ali.
In mid February, Ali was subjected to an unexplained cell search which resulted in several of his letters, photos, and belongs being confiscated. He was later given an official "Notice of Intent to Conduct an Administrative Hearing" for possessing "suspected STG [suspected terrorist group] literature, photographs, depicting possible terrorist activity;" by the officials at Thumb Correctional Facility in Lapeer MI. Later that evening, he was suddenly told that he would be transferred, and the following day was transported to Kinross Correctional Facility in Kincheloe MI, where he remains. While he has yet to have been called to the above mentioned Administrative Hearing", he has received (last week?date?Vern?) a second "Notice of Intent to Conduct and Administrative Hearing" for XXX.
We will keep the public updated on Ali's situation. If you would like more information, please do not hesitate to contact us or check our website for updates.
Meanwhile, we ask for your support. We extend warm thanks to all who have written letters already, and ask that people continue to send letters to the Michigan prison officials listed below. We need to keep pressure on these people, so that they know people around the world are concerned about Ali and are watching his case closely. What follows is a new sample letter which can be used as a model for your letter. When possible, we encourage people to write their own letters in their own words for maximum effect. We also encourage people who write letters to check in with us, and let us know what responses you receive, if any.
We are also looking for a lawyer. Anyone with possible lawyer contacts in Michigan should contact us immediately. Additionally, we are sorely lacking in funds. Donations are much valued and appreciated, and can be sent in the form of check or money order made out to Todd Fifield and sent to the address listed above. Letters to Ali himself, (also much appreciated) can also be sent care of this address.
Thank you once again for your support, and please keep the letters coming!
Yours in Struggle,
International Campaign to Free Ali Khalid Abdullah
Please send letters to:
Director William Overton
Department of Corrections
Grandview Plaza Building
P.O. Box 30003
Lansing, MI 48909
USA
Phone: (517) 335-1426
Mr. Dan Boldenm, Deputy Director
Correctional Facility Administration
Grandview Plaza Building
P.O. Box 30003 Lansing, MI 48909
USA
Phone: (517) 373-0287
Mr. Arthur Stine
Michigan Department of Human Rights
Capitol Tower Building, suite #800
110 West Michigan Avenue Lansing, MI 48913
USA
Insert sending address
Insert your address
Date
Dear so and so,
i am writing as a concerned supporter/friend (depending on what
you consider yourself to be) of Ali Khalid Abdullah #148130, a
prisoner now residing at Kinross Correctional Facility (KCF). i
have been keeping myself updated with his ever-seemingly changing
circumstances in the past month: (1) being officially accused for
possessing "suspected STG [suspected terrorist group]
literature, photographs, depicting possible terrorist
activity;" (2) having had his mail, literature, and writings
in his cell confiscated immediately after being accused of
possessing STG literature [which the authorities preposterously
claim was a "routine shakedown];" and (3) several hours
later, being informed that he was being transferred to another
correctional facility [which the authorities preposterously
insist was a "routine" transfer.]) And, on March 5th,
approximately one month after Ali’s parole hearing, we were
informed that Ali was once again denied parole, for the sixth
time.
Though much has happened, i would like to focus on the recent denial of Mr. Abdullah’s parole. Mr. Abdullah has accomplished so much while in prison; earning a Bachelor’s degree from Ann Arbor College,running a prisoner anti-drug program called "People Against Drugs" while at TCF, good work and block reports, and acknowledgment that he was not amanagement problem. Thus, he has successfully completed every recommendation asked of him. Mr. Abdullah, along with his family, friends, andsupporters have worked hard to build an outside support group and have taken great pains to set up a community in which he could live and be supportive of the various needs that would be required if given a parole. All of this is clearlyverified in Ali's Parole Eligibility Report, which wasprepared by ARUS Jackson (now a Corrections officer)on November 3, 2001. (It should also be noted thatthis report was amended by ARUS M. Lange on January11, 2002 to include verification of Mr. Abdullah'scompletion of a housekeeping course and an assaultiveoffender group) Yet, despite all of this work and all of Mr. Abdullah’s actions, he is once again given a denialof parole for the following:
1) Crime involved a dangerous weapon(s);
2) Past history of substance abuse;
3) Was on parole/probation at the time of the offense.
These are events that happened 12 years ago, events that cannot be changed. Mr. Abdullah has so many times stated his sorrow for what has happened and (as has been explained above) hasworked so very hard to change his life.
So why was Mr. Abdullah denied parole? The factsgiven in his "Parole Eligibilty Report" seem to contradict the reasons in support of the parole board's decision to deny Mr. Abdulluh parole, as outlined in his "Parole Board Notice of Decision". This does not make sense to me.
Frankly, I am concerned that Mr. Abdullah is being persecuted because of his political beliefs. It is well known that since his incarceration, Mr. Abdullah has written extensively, with his writings (mcuh of which is of a political nature) being translated into several languages and published around the world. Mr. Abdullah is regarded by many people as a compassionate humanitarian, who has selflessly gone out of his way to help others in need. Others, however, may disagree with his views, which are often critical of U.S. government policies. Nonetheless, these views, however unorthodox, are protected by the first amendment of the U.S. Constitution, and cannot be used as a legal pretext for the denial of one's parole or for any other type of punishment.
I urge you to investigate the above factors and reconsider the MDOC Parole Board's recent parole decision for Mr. Ali Khalid Abdullah. Through his numerous acts of self-improvement and kindness towards others, he has shown that he is most deserving of his freedom.
Thank you for taking the time to read this and consider my appeal.
Sincerely,
