For this year’s International Anarchist Prisoner Solidarity Week, Freedom interviewed the Anarchist Black Cross-Moscow to discuss their long history in Russia supporting imprisoned Russian anarchists, the challenges they face under Putin’s regime and their work during the war on Ukraine. Russia has a long history of repressing both political prisoners and activists advocating on their
Tag: Prisons
Alfredo Cospito fights punitive prison conditions with hunger strike
Alfredo Cospito was imprisoned for 10 years in 2014 for the kneecapping of a power plant owner, in 2012, carried out by the Olga Cell of the Informal Anarchist Federation (FAI). He was later sentenced to life imprisonment without parole for ‘political massacre’ (where no one was hurt) for his role in Operation Scripta Manent
People, Prisons & Profit: Contemporary Abolition in the UK
When discussing matters of inequality and oppression, particularly through a radical framework, there always awaits a countering opinion that deep-rooted systemic issues such as the prison industrial complex are somehow uniquely American; the implication being that Britain, a nation regarded for its pragmatism, has nowhere near such issues and thus does not need to concern
France: Anarchist political prisoner begins hunger strike
Rojava veteran Libre Flot accuses the authorities of framing him because of his participation in the war against ISIS. On 8th December 2020, seven anarchists were arrested by the DGSI, the French anti-terrorist police unit, in various locations across France. They have been accused of partaking in “a criminal association planning a terrorist attack”. All
Racist attacks on Muslim prisoners in HMP Long Lartin exposed by protest
Protestors gathered at HMP Long Lartin on Saturday night to condemn the ongoing racist and Islamophobic abuse by prison officers. People held at the prison have said that Senior Officer (SO) Mark Noah participated in targeted attacks on Black Muslim prisoners. The protestors chanted, “No Justice, No Peace”. There have been at least three attacks
Anti-prison activists to target Kier Construction in New Year campaign
Anti-prison campaigners from Community Action on Prison Expansion (CAPE) are targeting Kier Construction with “New Year, No Kier” campaign. Kier is being targeted as the company contracted to build the mega-prison HMP Five Wells in Wellingborough, Northamptonshire, the most advanced of the new mega-prisons announced in the Prison Estate Transformation Programme in 2016. Kier Construction
Prisons in Argentina: a long-term abandonment
“Between 1776 and 1800, during the first decades of the Viceroyalty of Río de La Plata, the prison population varied between 33 and 130 prisoners. Overcrowding, spreading of illnesses, hunger and cold were part of the conditions of imprisonment, anticipating the logic of what would be the future prisons. The Chapter didn’t have an allocated
London Anarchist Black Cross launches online prisoner letter writing service
London Anarchist Black Cross has launched a virtual prisoner letter writing service. On their website, London ABC writes: “To write a letter just send an email with the content to london_abc(at)riseup.net with the number of the solidarity card of your choice (between 1,2,3 above). Include the name of the prisoner you would like send the
Old and jailing: Tories have prison population problems if unrest occurs
A great number of aggressive new laws have been introduced in recent months, from £10,000 fines for organising protests (a dictator’s wet dream that one) to increasing maximum sentences for anything related to assault PC. On Tuesday alone Boris Johnson was shouting the odds about ending early release. The strong implication is that the State
Protesters gather at Secretary of State for Justice home demanding prisons are emptied in the midst of COVID-19 pandemic
On Monday morning, a protest took place on the doorstep of the home of the Secretary of State for Justice, Robert Buckland in Wroughton, Borough of Swindon. The protesters demanded the immediate release of all incarcerated people from the unsafe conditions in which they are being held in prisons, detention centres and psychiatric hospitals, in