Revolutionary journalist, and former member of the Black Panther Party, Mumia Abu Jamal is unjustly imprisoned for the killing of a police officer in Philadelphia. Overwhelming new evidence shows that Abu Jamal was denied a fair trial.

In 1981, Abu Jamal was driving a cab and working as a writer for local and national newspapers. Early one morning, he came upon a scene in North Philly. A police officer was struggling with a man, who Abu Jamal found out to be his brother. In the incident, Abu Jamal was shot, as was the cop. Witnesses not allowed to testify at the trial, describe seeing a third person fleeing from the scene. When the police arrived on the scene, Abu Jamal was beaten severely, then brought to the hospital. The officer died on the way to the hospital.

The Police claim that Abu Jamal the shooter, yet the gun registered to him was .38 caliber and the gun that killed the officer was .44 caliber. The prosecution was unable to connect Abu Jamal's gun to the murder. The prosecution could not confirm that Abu Jamal had even fired a gun that evening, which is standard procedure in a murder case. In later trials, none of this evidence was presented, because of lack of resources in his defense.

Prosecution witnesses have come forward and said the police intimidated them, to tell their (police) story. Some were actually told that pending charges against them would be dropped if they named Abu Jamal as the killer.

Judge Sabo presided over Abu Jamal's original case and the appeals to this date. Widely referred to as “the Hanging Judge,” Sabo has sentenced more people to death than any other judge in US history. All but two have been African American. Sabo has seen the new evidence, but ruled that it is not admissible for a new trial. To have a fair trial, Abu Jamal's case must be presided over by another judge.

Abu Jamal's life long commitment to the fight for justice was used in his trial as means to convict him in front of an all white jury. One issue, that he was a member of the Black Panther Party, was brought up over and over.

The stakes are high. Mumia's life is on the line. He is a Black man and working person who speaks out and tells the plain truth about America today, our country is in the hands of a small group of exploiters who will do anything to keep things the way they are. The rich and powerful hope that by jailing a liberator, they can jail liberation. And that by killing a revolutionary, they can kill the struggle for a world free of oppression.

The trial, conviction, and attempt to execute Mumia is motivated by politics, the kind of politics that says that the privileged have a right to privilege and this is how it has to be.

Anyone and everyone who stands for justice must demand another trial for Mumia. We must do this everyday and in every way. We must reach out to people that we work with, our neighbors, and those in our religious communities. We have to build a movement of millions to free this political prisoner, a brother who has done nothing wrong and everything right. All out to defend Mumia Abu Jamal!

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In earlier sentencing, Mumia had been given the death penalty, largely based on the prosecutor's argument that, as a member of the Black Panther Party, Mumia had been “waiting his whole life to kill a cop.” Judge Yohn's ruling, while possibly sparing Mumia the death penalty, did not overturn Mumia's conviction or grant him a new trial based on new proof of his innocence.

On Nov. 21, Philadelphia state judge Pamela Dembe also rejected Mumia Abu-Jamal's appeal to have new evidence heard in state court. Dembe's decision will be appealed to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court.

Police Attack Protest

A 1000-person Philadelphia protest to free Mumia was attacked by the Philadelphia police on Dec. 8, 2001. The Philadelphia police have been campaigning for the execution of Mumia since they first framed him. They stepped up this campaign Dec. 8, when, without warning, police beat protesters, sending three people to the hospital. One of those beaten, Hai Au Huynh, a 100-pound Vietnamese woman, suffered a broken tailbone.

According to eyewitness accounts and video footage, dozens of police converged on the protest and attacked the crowd as police commanders looked on. Eight people were arrested. The total amount in bail was set at the outrageous amount of $350,000, which was subsequently met by supporters. Serious charges against Mumia supporters include the felonies of assault on a police officer, conspiracy to riot, and rioting. So far, the charges against two of the protesters have been dropped. The police have not been charged for their crimes.

New Evidence

New evidence, that both state and federal courts refuse to hear, includes the confession of Arnold Beverly, who states in his sworn affidavit, “I shot Faulkner at close range.” Faulkner was the cop Mumia is framed for killing. Eyewitness statements corroborate Arnold Beverly's confession.

In federal court, Judge Yohn ruled that Beverly's confession is inadmissible, citing the Anti-Terrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act signed into law by Bill Clinton in 1996. The act, among other things, sets a time limit of one year for death row inmates to present new evidence. Yohn's chilling decision also cited the infamous 1993 Herrera decision that proof of innocence is no bar for execution.

A key ingredient missing in the prosecution's case against Mumia is a motive. Beverly's confession, however, does contain a clear motive. Beverly states, “I was hired, along with another guy, and paid to shoot and kill Faulkner. I had heard that Faulkner was a problem for the mob and corrupt policemen because he interfered with the graft and payoffs made to allow illegal activity in the center city area.” The entire chain of police command that “investigated” Mumia has since been removed from the Philadelphia police force for corruption.

Attorney Eliot Grossman stated at a press conference, “Mumia Abu-Jamal was in the wrong place at the wrong time when a hit was in progress on a police officer.” But, for the Philadelphia police, Mumia was at the right place at the right time. He had exposed the murderous police violence used against the MOVE organization. Corrupt police officers used the opportunity to kill two birds with one stone.

What we do makes a difference. The government's attempt to murder Mumia Abu-Jamal in 1995 was halted by mass protests, days before it was scheduled to take place. Continued support for Mumia Abu-Jamal in the streets will be necessary to keep Mumia alive and to free him.

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