A call for freedom for Mumia Abu-Jamal and all political prisoners is picking up steam, with solidarity actions on his status hearing on in Philadelphia, plus a court hearing on April 30, which could eventually lead to his freedom. After years of global community meetings, protests, petitions and legal challenges, the peopleâs movement succeeded in taking Mumia off death row in 2011 and elevating Mumia to internationally recognized stature.
Mumia now has name recognition rivaling top-tier athletes and entertainers and is considered a hero to all people seeking liberation - having inspired millions around the world, from Berlin to Brazil, Georgia to Ghana, who rally regularly on his behalf demanding he receive release or a new trial. In France Mumia is considered a freedom fighter because of his advocacy for the oppressed everywhere. Mumia is the âvoice of the voiceless,â who chronicles the legacies of peopleâs struggles worldwide and one of the greatest threats to U.S. imperialism is the uprising of âyoung Mumiasâ from the streets of Philadelphia to the streets of Paris. Weâll talk with French activists about their understanding and concerns that our courts in rejecting all challenges to evidence of Mumiaâs guilt have fueled questions worldwide about the fundamental fairness about the U.S. court system and demand that the freedom fighter Mumia, advocate for the oppressed everywhere be released or receive a new trial.
Twenty-five French cities have made Mumia Abu-Jamal an honorary citizen including Paris and two streets have been named after him in Saint Denis and Bobigny. And, one-hundred and twenty European representatives have mobilized for medical care for the now ailing Mumia, as he approaches his 64th birthday. Mumia has wrongly spent more than half his life in prison, most of which time was on death row and in solitary confinement, before the Supreme Court held that application of the death penalty to Mumia was unconstitutional and instead shackled him with a life-sentence for a crime, the killing of a police officer that he did not commit.
produced by Mimi Rosenberg and Ken Nash
please notify us if you plan to broadcast this program - knash@igc.org