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<font size=3>Date: Fri, 30 Jun 2006 13:13:16 -0700 (PDT)<br>
From: Ben Evans <ben_c_evans@yahoo.com> <br><br>
<br>
Zolo Agona Azania and Mumia Abu-Jamal are both Black<br>
activists who have been resisting a death sentence<br>
from their prison cells for the past quarter century;<br>
Mumia in Pennsyvania and Zolo in Indiana. Both were<br>
known as activists before their incarceration. Both<br>
were found guilty of killing a white police officer<br>
and were sentenced to death. Both have remained<br>
steadfast in their commitment to the struggle for<br>
human liberation and adamant in asserting their<br>
innocence. <br><br>
Mumia's lead counsel, Attorney Robert R. Bryan of San<br>
Francisco, writes: "Mumia remains on Pennsylvania's<br>
death row and is in great danger. He is a powerful<br>
symbol, the 'voice of the voiceless,' in the<br>
international campaign against the death penalty & for<br>
human rights. Our goal is to see that the many wrongs<br>
that have occurred in this case are righted and that<br>
this courageous man is freed."<br><br>
Attorney Bryan has explained that the court's decision<br>
last December was "the most important since Mumia's<br>
1981 arrest," because for the first time there was a<br>
ruling that could lead to a new trial and to Mumia's<br>
freedom. Attorney Bryan's opening brief on behalf of<br>
Mumia is due to be filed in the U.S. District Court of<br>
Appeals for the Third Circuit on July 13, 2006. That<br>
brief will address issues of great significance<br>
concerning Mumia's right to a fair trial and to due<br>
process of law, his right not to be subjected to cruel<br>
and unusual punishment, and his right to equal<br>
protection of the law guaranteed under the U.S.<br>
Constitution. The National Lawyers Guild, and the<br>
NAACP will be filing separate amicus curiae (friend of<br>
the court) briefs. <br><br>
For more info, see:<br>
<a href="http://www.mumia.org/freedom.now/" eudora="autourl">
http://www.mumia.org/freedom.now/<br>
</a><a href="http://www.freemumia.org/" eudora="autourl">
http://www.freemumia.org/<br>
</a><a href="http://www.freemumia.net/" eudora="autourl">
http://www.freemumia.net/<br><br>
</a>On June 27, 2006 Zolo Agona Azania's lead counsel,<br>
Michael Deutsch of the People's Law Office in Chicago,<br>
argued to the Indiana Supreme Court that they should<br>
uphold the May 2005 order by an Indiana superior court<br>
barring prosecutors from seeking the death a third<br>
time, after prosecutors illegally withheld evidence<br>
and the Indiana computer system used to select<br>
potential jurors was found to have systematically<br>
excluded Black people. <br><br>
Last Tuesday prosecutors asked the court to allow them<br>
to seek the death penalty against Zolo Azania for a<br>
third time despite the fact that so many years have<br>
passed since Zolo's 1982 conviction. One assistant<br>
district attorney told reporters after the hearing<br>
that unless prosecutors are able to seek and get a<br>
third death sentence, credits for good time served<br>
could make Zolo Azania eligible for release in about<br>
five years. Justice Frank Sullivan suggested that a<br>
due process limit might be needed to determine how<br>
many times the state has to get it right in a death<br>
penalty case. <br><br>
Anti-death penalty activists report that the defense<br>
side of the courtroom was packed with Zolo's<br>
supporters, including activists from the Duneland<br>
Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty and members of<br>
the Indiana Legislature's Black Caucus, so some of<br>
Zolo supporters had to sit on the prosecution side.<br>
There was a fairly large police presence, many in<br>
uniforms with black bands over their badges. Zolo's<br>
supporters however had been asked to remove the peel<br>
and stick Zs they had been given by the No Death<br>
Penalty for Zolo Committee, which also organized a<br>
caravan of supporters from Chicago. <br><br>
You can watch a video of Zolo’s lawyer’s arguments at:<br>
<a href="http://www.indianacourts.org/apps/webcasts/" eudora="autourl">
http://www.indianacourts.org/apps/webcasts/<br><br>
</a>For more info, see:<br>
<a href="http://www.zoloazania.org/" eudora="autourl">
http://www.zoloazania.org/<br>
</a>
<a href="http://www.prairiefire.org/freezoloazania.html" eudora="autourl">
http://www.prairiefire.org/freezoloazania.html<br>
</a>
<a href="http://www.thejerichomovement.com/zoloazania.html" eudora="autourl">
http://www.thejerichomovement.com/zoloazania.html<br><br>
<br>
</a>Free Mumia Abu-Jamal!<br><br>
Free Zolo Agona Azania!<br><br>
Abolish the racist death penalty!<br><br>
Free all political prisoners<br>
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