Spain: Supreme Court reduces the sentences of anarchist comrades Mónica Caballero and Francisco Solar

On December 16, the Supreme Court reduced the sentences of comrades Mónica Caballero and Francisco Solar, accused of placing a bomb in the Cathedral-Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar in Zaragoza in October 2013, repealing the initial sentence of 12 years that was dictated by the National Court to 4 years and 6 months.

This decision was made after partially received an appeal by the defense for the comrade Francisco Solar, who asked that they should not be convicted for the crimes of terrorist damage and separate injuries as if they were the result of two different actions as it was originally in the National Court. In addition the defense noted that the comrades took care when they placed a small homemade device to attack the religious symbol of established power and that they did not intend to cause any injury to any person. To reinforce this defense it noted that at the time of the attack the Basilica was closed to the public and that in addition the device did not contain shrapnel and that they gave a warning before the device was detonated.

In addition to the reduced sentence the court also lowered the costs from 182.601 to 143.317 for the damages caused in the Basilica as there was no evidence that any damage had been caused to any items of historical or cultural value.

The National Court had also considered that both anarchists acted ‘autonomously’ since they did not participate in either the FAI-FRI informal organization or the Coordinated Anarchist Groups (GAC) platform.

Faced with this news we cannot contain our great joy for this new situation of our comrades, for they could still face new scenarios such as being expelled for being ‘foreigners’ and having a sentence under 6 years but for now we prefer to wait for the next move by our enemies and until we seem them on the streets again.

DEATH TO THE STATE AND LONG LIVE ANARCHY!

(via Instinto Salvaje, translated by Insurrection News)

Letter from imprisoned anarchist comrades Monica Caballero and Francisco Solar (Spain)

During the almost three years that we have been confined by different prisons of the Spanish State, there is one aspect that particularly calls attention to its determinant importance in prison life; we refer to the dispersion.

The dispersion corresponds to a policy of Penitentiary Institutions implemented by the socialist government in the mid-1980s, which consists of transferring determined prisoners to distant prisons many kilometers from their place of residence. In many cases these transfers are incessant and see the prisoners forced to go through various prisons in a short period of time preventing them from establishing themselves and establishing lasting relationships with others. The purpose of this policy was to curb the riots and protests inside the prisons that had been occurring during those years by drastically removing prisoners considered hostile to the prison system.

On the other hand the dispersion was applied to all political prisoners as an exceptional measure to aggravate their punishment, the transfers also affected their close ones who were forced to travel hundreds of miles to be able to visit a family member or friend in prison. Therefore, from its inception, the policy of dispersion affected both social and political prisoners, and continues to do so, contrary to many who think and express that it is only applied to ‘politicos’. The difference lies, as we stated, in that for the latter it is an exceptional measure that affects everyone only for the reason that led to their imprisonment, while it is applied against social prisoners for certain behaviors within the prison that are seen as disturbing to the ‘penitentiary order’. It is important to note that the difference between social and political prisoners is not used by us, however it is the making of this categorization that enables the structuring and functioning of the measure in question.

The dispersion is still as prevalent as it was in its beginnings. No doubt it has fulfilled some of its purpose to pacify the prisons of the Spanish State where the demands and protests are almost nonexistent, and where more than ever there is a close collaboration between prisoner and jailer. We can see how much prison is a reflection of society. The dispersion has so affected the prison life that the threat of prison transfer is permanently in the minds of each inmate. It is a constant threat that implicitly regulates and controls the behavior of the people here insofar as any behavior that disrupts the ‘order’ and manifests some intent is punishable by transfer. Thus, any breakthrough initiative is canceled by this tool of control, the transferred prisoner must begin to develop new relationships and complicities only to be warned by the jailers that they will again be subject to transfer. Today there are prisoners who, because of the provision of penitentiary institutions, do not stay for more than a year in each prison, mainly because of their history of conflict.

Although in its beginnings the dispersion was applied to the social prisoners who participated in and encouraged the protests and the rupture inside the prisons, nowadays since these initiatives are practically non-existent, the penitentiary system has needed to adjust to the current situation and has begun to apply this measure to any more or less repetitive behavior that breaks the internal norms, no matter how minimal. Sanctions that were previously mild are currently cause for possible conduct, for example if you are caught with a mobile phone or you get involved in a minor fight.

Related to the above, one aspect that has gained much relevance is everything that involves the prisoner’s conduct, transforming into a true institution within the prison system. In the Spanish State there are about 80 prisons, some of which are women only, many for men only, others for mixed quarters and also special sections for mothers. Therefore the options to carry out the transfers are varied and anecdotally in this they do not skimp on the expenses; if they are looking for a good punishment they do not mind giving you a good tour to the other end of the peninsula. The security guards in charge of transfers are the civil guards, they are responsible for transfers from prison to prison. Perhaps one who reads this will wonder what a transfer is like? They may vary by geographical location but more or less follow the same protocols. We can assure you that any prisoner who been through this experience would agree with us that it is disgusting. Usually they will take you from one prison to another at any given time and sometimes you do not know where they are taking you until you arrive, which causes much anxiety. Until arriving at your destination it is possible that you stop in several jails for a couple of hours or several days, this is what is called ‘transit’. When you are in this situation you cannot have more than what is strictly necessary (according to the whims of each prison). The means of transport for the transfer are called ‘kangaroos’, vans of the civil guard with interior compartments that have space for two prisoners in each one. These compartments are very asphyxiating, not enough space to move, not even to stand upright and where you can spend up to six or seven hours in a row. It is important to note that there are prisons destined to be transfer centers that are equipped with all the necessary infrastructure for this; large income modules for those who are in transit, special parking bays for the vans of the civil guards, among other things. The prison of Valdemoro in Madrid fulfills this function for prisoners and the prison of Soto del Real is where the majority of prisoners pass that are being transferred from the north to the south or vice versa.

All of this points to the importance of the transfer to the prison institution and shows that the dispersion is a fundamental tool with a clear and vengeful intention towards all prisoners and prisoners who are a nuisance since it attacks them where it has the most effect: Taken away from your loved ones, be they comrades, family or friends.

In this sense, an aspect of the dispersion that was applied to us was to keep us separated, we were kept in seclusion for the first eighteen months without seeing each other and there is nothing to prevent this situation from happening again. Penitentiary institutions are supposed to provide access for regrouping as soon as prisoners can ‘prove’ that there is a close and stable relationship, although this is often not the case, many prisoners will spend months or even years without seeing their close comrades or incarcerated relatives.

Being behind bars the closeness with your loved ones is essential, it is very important on an emotional level and also in some way, to break with the isolation that allows us in our case to maintain the political connection to the street. However this becomes much more difficult when it is not only bars and high walls that separate you but also hundreds of kilometers.

As anarchists we do not want more prisons, even if they are ‘better’, but we believe that we need to discuss how to deal with and fight against dispersion considering that it represents the fundamental pillar of prison control.

Francisco Solar and Mónica Caballero

Autumn 2016

via Publicacion Refractario, translated by Insurrection News

Italy: Update on Operation “Scripta Manent”

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(Received : 21/11/16)

The transfers of comrades, arrested in operation “Scripta Manent”, from one prison to another are continuing. Yet another transfer, the comrade Alessandro Mercogliano was transferred from prison of Alessandria to prison of Ferrara, always in AS2 [high security wing], where are already held the kidnapped comrades Nicola Gai and Alfredo Cospito.
So, the sleepless and paranoiac nights of miserable prosecutor Roberto Sparagna are continuing, in order to get some clues, since he does not have even a half, he enjoys torturing the comrades with “prohibition to meet each other” (I would remind that Sandro and Marco in Alessandria, as well Danilo and Daniele in Terni could never meet each other) and with continuous transfers.
Beyond any logic of “innocent” or “guilty”, I express my complete solidarity and my unconditional complicity to Sandrone and to every comrade arrested in operation “Scripta Manent”.

RadioAzione, 21 November 2016

Updated addresses:

BISESTI MARCO: Casa Circondariale San Michele – Strada Casale, 50/A – 15121 Alessandria (AL)

MERCOGLIANO ALESSANDRO: Via Arginone, 327 – 44122 Ferrara

BENIAMINO ANNA: Via Aspromonte, 100 – 04100 – Latina LT

CREMONESE DANILO EMILIANO: Str. delle Campore, 32 – 05100 Terni TR

SPEZIALE VALENTINA: Via Aspromonte, 100 – 04100 – Latina LT

ALFREDO COSPITO: Via Arginone, 327 – 44122 Ferrara

NICOLA GAI: Via Arginone, 327 – 44122 Ferrara

CORTELLI DANIELE: Str. delle Campore, 32 – 05100 Terni TR

(Original version : radioazione.org)

 

Italy: Update on comrades arrested in operation “Scripta Manent” (27/10/2016)

(Received 1/11/2016)

So, to recap, the situation of imprisoned comrades for the operation “Scripta Manent” is as follows…
Alfredo and Anna stopped their hunger strike, carried out while deathly silence prevailed outside. They ended the hunger strike following the revocation of prohibition on meeting between the arrested comrades in the same prisons. Therefore, Alfredo could meet Nicola again, and Anna was able to meet Valentina.
Instead, the prohibition on meeting is still applied in prison of Alessandria, where Alessandro and Marco are detained, and in prison of Terni where Danilo and Daniele are being held, despite the latter should not be in the High Security section AS2 for the charges he is being investigated for.
The comrades receive mail almost regularly (some letters and some envelopes with hard copy of updates from Internet are blocked).
I would remind to write to comrades in order to break the isolation that the prison itself creates. I would remind as well to put in envelope everything the comrades need to write you back (envelope, paper and stamp), to save their money which they are unfortunately forced to spend on weekly shopping inside the prison.

Break the isolation!
Solidarity and complicity with Alfredo, Nicola, Anna, Danilo, Valentina, Marco, Sandrone and Daniele!

RadioAzione

Addresses:
BISESTI MARCO: Strada Alessandria, 50/A – 15121 San Michele, Alessandria (AL)
MERCOGLIANO ALESSANDRO: Strada Alessandria, 50/A – 15121 San Michele, Alessandria (AL)
BENIAMINO ANNA: Via Aspromonte, 100 – 04100 – Latina LT
CREMONESE DANILO EMILIANO: Str. delle Campore, 32 – 05100 Terni TR
SPEZIALE VALENTINA: Via Aspromonte, 100 – 04100 – Latina LT
ALFREDO COSPITO I NICOLA GAI are still in Ferrara prison, section of high security AS2 (via Arginone 327, 44122 Ferrara)
CORTELLI DANIELE: Str. delle Campore, 32 – 05100 Terni TR

The account of Croce Nera Anarchica [Anarchist Black Cross] is open for money collected for the arrested comrades:
N° Carta PostePay: 4023 6009 1934 2891
addressed to: Omar Nioi
Being an emergency the money will be used to support the comrades in prison, but also for legal costs.
For any information, here is the address of Croce Nera Anarchica: croceneranarchica (at) autistici.org

Greece: Text from CCF members for the US Prison Strike and anarchist prisoners in Italy

181789-pirines

NON SERVIAM – I WILL NOT SERVE YOU

“Worse than enslavement is getting used to it…”

Life in the modern civilized world comprises false representations, false patterns, and false formalities. Formalities that determine our upbringing within a family, our education, our professional career, our relationships, our emotions, our smiles or tears. Patterns that castrate the scope of our perception so that our thoughts are directed onto a moving walkway going only one direction. Representations that disguise the system’s functions and pathogenies so that we see life unfold only on stage, and never wonder what’s hidden backstage. So, the thousands of suicides of desperate debtors is just another statistic among the unpleasant consequences of the economic crisis, the impoverishment of the so-called third world is just an unfortunate fact, and its wounds will heal by charity organizations, the countless dead of modern crusades, the unfortunate victims of the absurdity of war, and the convict slaves in American prisons are simply antisocial elements that provide social services to Democracy.

Prison itself is exile from life; a non-place and non-time behind the screen of a decent society, to make the ugliness that bothers the eyes of reputable citizens unseeable. Prisons are a proof of the perverse intelligence of authoritarian minds. They’re built onto walls echoing the screaming and weeping of thousands of people who’ve learned to sleep with anguish and despair. Prison is the country of captivity, the country where one learns to kneel before the “Forbidden”, a landfill for the disposal of human waste, an industrial dump where the social machine’s hazardous waste ends up. For most people, however, for all those who never learned to doubt, to question, to look beyond the obvious, prison is a security wall necessary to protect their peaceful and quiet life.

It’s certainly hypocritical on the part of a society to display the supremacy of its democratic civilization, its humanitarian values and social sensitivities so vulgarly, when those deemed unfit to exist within the same society are piled up in souls’ warehouses. But it’s infinitely more hypocritical, and infuriating at the same time, to turn these imprisoned existences, these living dead, into a marketable value through a modern and sophisticated slave trade.

Yet this is the reality for nearly 2.5 million inmates in US prisons, whom the modern Empire has turned into slaves. These prisoners-slaves are the lowest caste of social margins. They don’t only experience the cruelty of captivity, but are condemned to lose their human beingness altogether; to become slaves in the modern galleys of American hellholes to the financial benefit of privatized prisons and multinationals that, using part of this dirty money, support election campaigns of various politicians who promise order and security to their voters. In turn, the voters—predefined coefficients in a rigged equation—fulfill their role, and the solution is always obedience. That’s exactly why the happiest slaves are the greatest enemies of freedom.

But there are other slaves who aren’t so happy. They are the “fallen angels” in a society whose authoritarian perversion treats humans as cogs. But these human cogs are slowly turning against this very society. Throughout the US and the prisons in that territory, an increasingly growing whisper starts to spread. On September 9th, this whisper is transformed into an angry cry of freedom, screaming in the face of the almighty corrections system the ancient cry of rebellion: “Non serviam – I will not serve.”

September 9th is a landmark day for inmates in American prisons because 45 years ago, on September 9th 1971, the fire of Attica prison was lit. Nearly 1,500 prisoners rioted, took jailers hostage, and put forward a series of radical demands. Power replied with zero tolerance: four days later, on September 13th 1971, New York state troops stormed and retook the prison. The crackdown took a heavy toll, killing almost 40 (about 30 inmates and 10 hostages) and wounding 89 others. Because of this exact symbolic character, September 9th is a landmark day for the new coordinated prisoner mobilization, too.

Struggles as this one, despite their intermediary nature, are qualitatively upgraded—compared, for example, to strictly personal claims or unionist demands. Because this particular struggle concerns the total abolition of an institution that’s a pillar of repression and economy, social control and the security doctrine policy. Moreover, prisoners are waging a struggle under extreme and multifaceted oppression, so even calling it an intermediate struggle is something that may not eventually apply to the situation. Because forced labor in prisons is an institution that serves the system in many parallel ways. This is precisely the institution that defines a gray-zone status of millions of slaves for a limited or lifetime tenure. The fact that these are humans designated criminals one way or another, legitimizes this gray zone in the eyes of the rest of society, that don’t care to express some moral or values-related objection and, worse still, benefit from its existence. A struggle for the abolition and the denial of such an institution, a fight which also includes a form of sabotage against the interests served by this very institution, is nothing but a barricade of the most basic dignity against the cruelest face of Power. Certainly, this struggle alone will not determine the entirety of the repression policies that domination may adopt. Regardless of its outcome though, this struggle can be a civil disobedience beacon against the system, and the fact that this beacon will owe its strength to all the damned, the outcast, the socially disinherited—who nowadays receive “revolutionary” anathemas on some occasions—has its own special meaning.

Of course, we don’t seek to make any idealization or embellishment of the entirety of prisoners. Being exiled in the country of captivity for several years already, we’ve seen the composition of a prison population up close, and we don’t harbor any illusion whatsoever that they’re deterministically some kind of revolutionary subjects. In most cases, in fact, an abyss of values separates us from other inmates because of their choices or contradictions over the course of their lives. However, being captives ourselves, we cannot but feel the agony of all those prisoners in the US.

Beyond all this, it’s also a lucid political composure that allows us to put aside any differences we feel we may have with the subject of detainees, as these differences are not enough to make us stand indifferent and unmoved in front of the size, the moral implications, the stakes, the historical and political legacy of such a struggle. In other words, our solidarity reflexes haven’t been activated by emotional and experiential criteria only, but also originate in a political consistency. For all these reasons, we feel the need to express our support to the concerted campaign that began inside the US prisons from September 9th onward, during which prisoners deny the role of the slave imposed upon them by the democratic society, and factually demonstrate defiance and disobedience. And, as has been said: “Disobedience is the true foundation of liberty.”

The internationalization of this struggle through call outs of prisoners themselves, who ask support from every solidarity initiative, enhances the dynamics of international solidarity in total, making it, even coincidentally, another piece in the mosaic of international solidarity calls such as June 11th or the International Solidarity Week every August. But, for us, it’s not about limiting solidarity to dates marked on the calendar; instead, it’s about highlighting the beauty and authenticity of an informal anarchist coordination. That’s why we’ve endorsed the proposal of ABC Anarchist Solidarity Cell, to coordinate solidarity gestures on an International Solidarity Day (October 1st), as we believe their call out contributes to this direction.

Finally, we want to send our warm greetings to all anarchists and all politicized prisoners willing to be part of this struggle, regardless of their reasons for doing so.

PS: Words are sometimes not enough to capture all the intensity of one’s emotions in certain circumstances. The truth is we were struck at the news that the filth of the Italian counter-terrorism unit (DIGOS) launched yet another anti-anarchist attack against comrades in Italy, under the imaginative name “Scripta Manent” (written words remain). Raids, house searches, persecutions, suspect lists, arrests, pretrial detentions…

Once again the target of repression is the Informal Anarchist Federation (FAI), but now they remembered to dig up cases concerning the placement of explosive devices back in 2006 and 2007. Anna Beniamino, Marco Bisesti, Emiliano Danilo Cremonese, Valentina Speziale and Alessandro Mercogliano passed the prison threshold, while a new detention order was issued against our incarcerated brothers Alfredo Cospito and Nicola Gai, members of FAI’s Olga Cell (that claimed responsibility for the shooting of Roberto Adinolfi, the chief executive of Ansaldo Nucleare). In a separate investigation, during a house search where police found an electrician’s manual and some batteries, another comrade, Daniele Cortelli, who’s active in Croce Nera Anarchica (Italian Anarchist Black Cross), was charged with possessing materials for potential manufacture of explosive devices, and then sent to custody, too. We may be familiar with the notion of captivity, but we will never be able to accept the bad news of comrades’ arrest, no matter how far they are, without feeling tightness in our heart. Our thoughts are with them and everyone else who’ve abruptly entered into a new chapter in their life—the prison chapter.

Finally, we send our warmest salute to our brother Alfredo Cospito. On August 30th 2016, with complete disregard for any consequences, he smashed the glass partition window of the visitations room in the security wing of Ferrara prison in solidarity with the Conspiracy of Cells of Fire in Greece, after the 115-year prison sentence that was recently imposed on all of its imprisoned members.

Comrade, your act brightened our hearts and filled us with emotion. Such fraternal gestures prove the real beauty of authentic anarchist solidarity. We wish you strength to go through whatever might come next.

The Conspiracy of Cells of Fire members:
Haris Hadtzimihelakis
Theofilos Mavropoulos
Damianos Bolano
Panagiotis Argirou
Giorgos Nikolopoulos
Michalis Nikolopoulos

September 12th 2016
Korydallos prison (Athens, Greece)

(via Contra Info)

 

C.C.F. – For Alfreddo and Anna – until we meet.

181789-pirines

(We received 24/10/16)

In Italy, comrade Alfredo Cospito since October 3rd and comrade Anna Beniamino since October 10th, are on a hunger strike against the isolation imposed on them and on the anarchists imprisoned for the attacks of FAI too (“scripta manent” operation). We know that the struggle against authority is unequal ..Nevertheless we choose the war for freedom instead of the peace of fear.

Because we know that there are “free” people, which are more slaves than the prisoners, and alive people more dead than most of our dead comrades who fell in the battle for freedom.

Because for every battle that we lose, a new one begins.

“Because if I don’t get burnt, if you don’t get burnt, how will the darkness turn to shining…”

For us solidarity is not simply a “touching” word, but a way of life, of becoming people with the dream as our measure.

We stand by our comrades Alfredo and Anna with all our heart and mind, until our dream meeting..

STRENGTH AND SOLIDARITY TO THE COMRADES HUNGER STRIKERS ALFREDO COSPITO AND ANNA BENIAMINO

NEVER REGRETFUL NEVER DEFEATED

CCF / FAI- Urban Guerrilla Core

George Polydoros

Economidou Olga

Gerasimos Tsakalos

Christos Tsakalos

Korydallos prison.

Greece: Protests continue in Korydallos Women’s Prison

greekprisons

On Friday Oct. 14th a delegate from the Ministry of Justice came to the women’s prison as per our request. During the meeting we discussed in depth our issues and proposed solutions in order to re-allocate the prison space and satisfy the needs of women prisoners. The main issues concern the integration of the story below our wing into the women’s prison in order to achieve decongestion as well as the necessity of an area for our yard time where we could spend time outside in humane conditions. The discussion moved within the framework of providing information without the ministry making any commitment. However, there was a mutual understanding of our fair demands and a promise to provide solutions to our problems. Until those promises become actions we decided to continue our mobilizing which basically means that the prison will remain open during midday lock down and delay evening lock down by one hour.

Korydallos Women’s Prison

(via BlackCat)

Prison of Latina, letter from anarchist Anna Beniamino – Italy

Today – Monday 10th October – I decided to start a hunger strike against
the isolation that I am being subjected to along with other comrades who
are part of this investigation, from the moment of our arrest on 6th
September. This isolation has remain unchanged, despite comrades having
been transferred to different AS2 sections and the custodial
interrogations that have taken place. In solidarity with Alfredo Cospito
who is on hunger strike since 3rd October and is being held in isolation
in the AS2 section of Ferrara prison.
I knowingly use the hunger strike as an instrument that expresses a
minimal sign of reaction to barbarities that are rooted in captivity and
authority.
As always, I keep anarchism in my heart and mind, hold love and respect
for all the untamable comrades outside and inside prison, have rage in
my teeth and a smile on my lips.
Anna
———-
From CNA 15th October

(via : actforfree.nostate)

Santiago, Chile: Barricades in solidarity with the prisoners of war

3

Tuesday October 4, 2016.

Encapuchados erected barricades outside the UMCE (ex-educational) in solidarity with prisoners of war and clashed with the henchmen of the police Special Forces.

A banner was hung with the slogan: “Nothing is over, everything continues” and shouts thundered of “For the continuity of the fight against prisons, solidarity must be constant and active!”

Leaflets were left in support of Tamara Sol Farías Vegara, Andrés Aravena (Chico)*, Jean Gutiérrez (Legua) and the “PDI Case” comrades.

The day ended without any detainees.

*Comrade Andres Aravena (Chico) was released from Santiago prison 1 after a hearing on 09.08.16 where he was transferred from preventitive detention to night house arrest.

(via Contra Info, translated by Insurrection News)

12 22

Narrm / Melbourne: Anarchist demo at the US Consulate in solidarity with the September 9 Prison Strike

1 5 6 7

Today, 09.09.16, a small group of anarchists demonstrated at the US Consulate in Narrm / Melbourne, so-called ‘Australia’ in solidarity with the September 9 Nationwide US Prisoner Strike Against Prison Slavery.

A banner was unfurled at the entrance to the consulate that read: “SOLIDARITY WITH THE PRISON STRIKERS” and comrades began yelling several slogans including: “LAND OF THE FREE, HOME OF THE BRAVE, WHY DO YOU STILL HAVE FUCKIN’ SLAVES?” and “BURN THE BANKS, BURN THE PRISONS, JUST MAKE SURE THE COPS ARE IN THEM!”

In response to the demonstration and some of the comrades taking photos, the consulate staff locked the doors and turned the lights off inside the consulate, presumably as some kind of paranoid security measure. Officers from the AFP (Australian Federal Police) observed the demonstration but did not intervene or make any arrests.

A comrade read out the original declaration announcing the prisoner strike, some more slogans were chanted, then the comrades left as a group behind the banner, still chanting. As the comrades left the vicinity of the consulate an AFP car pulled up and an officer got out and attempted to ask for names and the reason for the protest however they were completely ignored and the comrades were able to leave the area without any problems.

INTERNATIONAL ANARCHIST SOLIDARITY WITH THE PRISON STRIKERS!
SOLIDARITY IS OUR WEAPON!

(via insurrectionnewsworldwide)