Stop the execution of Mumia Abu-Jamal!

Stop the execution of Mumia Abu-Jamal!

The following is an abridged version of a statement circulated by the Committees of Correspondence in the United States.

The governor of Pennsylvania [has] signed a death warrant to set the date of execution of Mumia Abu-Jamal for August 17, 1995.

It is the height of cynicism that Mumia Abu-Jamal, a talented journalist who happened to be a member of the MOVE organisation, is scheduled to die for a crime he did not commit, while not one of those responsible for fire-bombing a building, which cost the lives of many, has ever been indicted.

It has long been established that the death penalty has a race and class bias. Those who are on the nation's death rows are never wealthy and are disproportionately African American. People of colour make up nearly 50% of those who receive the death penalty.

Because he is indigent, Mumia was not given adequate defence against charges brought.

Members of the Philadelphia Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) were able to prevent National Public Radio from running weekly commentaries by Abu-Jamal. The FOP has, among its members, policemen who beat Jamal into unconsciousness before they arrested him.

The United States would take an important step by removing the death sentence from Mumia Abu-Jamal and granting him a new trial. His execution must be stopped!

We urge all freedom-loving people to join the campaign to rescind the death warrant for Mumia Abu-Jamal. Write to Governor Thomas Ridge, Main Capitol Building, Room 225, Harrisburg, PA 17120 or phone: (717) 787-2500, or fax: (717) 783-3369.

From GLW issue 197