Freedom News

Smash IPP hits out at scandal of UK’s “death sentence” prisoners

March will see the first major series of events in a year-long campaign against the hidden scandal of people serving indefinite sentences in UK jails under legislation that breaks human rights law and was formally repealed five years ago. Nearly 4,000 people are serving IPP (Imprisonment for Public Protection) sentences in British prisons and Smash

Prison Column: Prisoners are human beings

Freedom continues its new Prison Column with a perspective from Kev Thakrar, who is detained within the inhumane Close Supervision Centre (CSC) system: When the state disappears people, they imprison us. The whole process of becoming a prisoner is designed to strip the person of their personal autonomy. Individuality is something which must be removed

Electric shock is our way of doing things: investigation into Russian antifascist political prisoners

Between October 2017 and February 2018, the Russian security services tortured several Russian anarchists and anti-fascists as part of an investigation into alleged terrorism offences. As a result, eleven people in St Petersburg and Penza have been arrested and charged in the “Network” case. They are being detained awaiting trial in 2019. Those tortured have

Campaigners condemn far-right recruitment attempts among IPP families

Campaigners against indefinite IPP prison sentences publicly denounced efforts being made by far-right activist Tommy Robinson (pictured waving brick) to infiltrate and recruit from among the prisoners’ families of using his “media reach” as a lure today. Smash IPP said in a statement: We are sad and angry to announce that Tommy Robinson, founder of

The Freedom 2018 roundup

Over the last year Freedom News has covered, and in many cases broken, hundreds of stories, run a wide range of feature and analysis pieces and backed anarchist activity worldwide — below is just some of the news from around Britain that we picked up. Happy New Year everyone! Anti-fascism The rise of the alt-right

What chances for climate protesters at Court of Appeal?

Van Gogh soup protest and M25 blockade among cases in January hearing ~ Andy Meinke ~ In July, when five Just Stop Oil activists were jailed for a total of 21 years for a plan to block the M25 motorway in London, it was part of a huge jump in sentencing for peaceful protesters. Prior

The herbal solidarity project resisting state oppression

Freedom profiles organiser Nicole Rose, a longtime campaigner for animal rights, the environment, solidarity with political prisoners, migrants and those suffering from trauma. Nicole Rose became politically active at the age of 10. She fondly remembers discovering the anarchist writings of Errico Malatesta while babysitting for her mum’s friend and concludes, “Everything made sense. I finally had