[Pnews] Mumia Abu Jamal to have heart surgery

[Prisoner News]

*April 14, 2021, 6:01PM*

**

*URGENT CALL TO ACTION*: *MUMIA ABU-JAMAL TO HAVE HEART SURGERY*

We have learned that Mumia Abu-Jamal, the world renown veteran Black 
Panther, political prisoner and radio journalist, had heart pain over 
the weekend. He was rushed to the hospital, and is expected to undergo 
heart surgery tomorrow, April 15, 2021.

*We demand that:*

1.*Before surgery, Mumia be allowed to call his wife*, Wadiya Jamal; his 
longtime supporter Pam Africa; his chosen doctor, Dr. Ricardo Alvarez; 
and his Spiritual Advisor, Mark Taylor.

2.*Mumia not be shackled to his hospital bed,* as is the rule in 
Pennsylvania and across the United States.

3.*Mumia’s immediate release* of this innocent man from prison.

We need not look far to see the mortal danger that the shackling of a 
patient represents: our dear Ancestor, political prisoner Romaine 'Chip' 
Fitzgerald was chained and shackled to his hospital bed in his last days 
—while he was hardly conscious— and before making his final transition, 
just over 2 weeks ago on March 28, after 52 years in prison.

According to Dr. Ricardo Alvarez, Mumia’s chosen doctor, “Any evidence 
of shackling will be seen as a deliberate harm to Mumia and a 
perpetuation of the court documented trauma he has already suffered.” 
Loud and clear are the echoes of slavery, which —as Eric Williams shows 
in /Capitalism and Slavery /— for the first time in human history 
produced the global distribution and mass use of handcuffs, shackles and 
fetters to bring enslaved Africans to heel.

Dr. Alvarez continues, “There is significant evidence, both legal and 
medical, that Mumia has suffered severe harm because medical, legal, law 
enforcement, and judicial professionals have not met proper standards. 
Mumia has been recently hospitalized for COVID and Congestive Heart 
Failure and he already suffers from hypertension as well as liver 
cirrhosis and diabetes, both induced by court documented medical 
neglect. Freedom is the only treatment.”

Please call the following offices to make these demands: that Mumia be 
immediately allowed to call his wife, Pam Africa, his doctor and 
spiritual advisor; that he not be shackled to his hospital bed, and that 
he be immediately released.

**

*John Wetzel, Head of PA DOC*

717-728-2573

*PA DOC, Christopher Oppman, Deputy Secretary for Administration who 
oversees healthcare*

717-728-4122 or 717-728-2573 Ext 5

*SCI Mahanoy Superintendent*

570-773-2058

*Tom Wolf, Governor of PA*

717-787-2500 ext. 3



__
Johanna Fernández, PhD
Associate Professor
Department of History
Baruch College, CUNY


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