[Ppnews] Sign petitions for Carlos Alberto Torres!

[Political Prisoner News]

Please read below.  Carlos is facing yet another 
level of repression and right on the heels of 
being recommended for parole!!  Attached are two 
petitions that we have to collect and get 
signed.  Please fax them to the fax numbers you see on the letters.

Thanks.  We need to flood their faxes with these 
letters and remind them that people care about 
what happens to Carlos Alberto & Oscar!

-- 
Michelle Morales
National Boricua Human Rights Network - Chicago Chapter

************************************************
Puerto Rican Political Prisoner Carlos Alberto 
Torres: parole bid foiled by Bureau of Prisons

July 30, 2009

In January, 2009, Puerto Rican political prisoner 
Carlos Alberto Torres was scheduled for a parole 
hearing, after serving 29 years behind bars for 
his commitment to the independence of Puerto 
Rico. On the eve of his hearing, prison 
authorities falsely accused him and eight of his 
cellmates of possessing knives which the tenth 
cellmate had hidden— unbeknownst to them all— in 
the light fixture of the cell. Having maintained 
an immaculate record for his 29 years in prison, 
why would Carlos Alberto do something to 
jeopardize his parole on the eve of his hearing?

The January parole hearing was postponed, the 
false accusation was ultimately expunged, and he proceeded to hearing in May.

At the May hearing, the hearing examiner for the 
Parole Commission recommended that he be paroled 
on April 3, 2010— by when Carlos Alberto will 
have served exactly 30 years in prison— and 
advised that we could expect the commission’s 
final decision within 21 days. However, in June, 
prison authorities reinstated the false weapons 
possession charges against Carlos Alberto and his eight cellmates.

On July 28, the Parole Commission notified Carlos 
Alberto that they would postpone their decision 
for at least 90 days, pending resolution of the charges.

Two days later, the prison disciplinary hearing 
officer held hearings on the false weapons 
charges. Carlos Alberto’s defense consisted not 
merely of his statement denying possession. The 
tenth cellmate appeared as a witness, admitting 
that the knives were his, and his alone, and that 
Carlos Alberto and none of the other cellmates 
knew he had hidden the knives in the light 
fixture. The guilty party also provided a sworn 
statement to this effect. Much to the surprise of 
Carlos Alberto and the other eight cellmates, the 
disciplinary hearing officer nevertheless found 
them guilty of possessing the hidden weapons.

The finding of guilt will undoubtedly adversely 
affect the decision of the Parole Commission. 
Indeed, one might suspect that the reinstatement 
of the charges and the finding of guilt were 
calculated to adversely affect the decision.

The National Boricua Human Rights Network and the 
Comité Pro Derechos Humanos de Puerto Rico are 
waging a phone and fax campaign to the Federal 
Bureau of Prisons and the U.S. Parole Commission, 
asking that the false disciplinary charges be 
expunged and that Carlos Alberto be released from 
prison. Sample letters and contact information are provided below.




Freedom Archives
522 Valencia Street
San Francisco, CA 94110

415 863-9977

www.Freedomarchives.org  
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