Support the Eco-Prisoners (June 2007)

Spirit of Freedom
(June 2007)
Produced by
EARTH LIBERATION PRISONERS SUPPORT NETWORK

"I thank you all dearly for writing”
(Jon Ablewhite, Animal Rights Prisoner)

Welcome to the June 2007 edition of Spirit of Freedom.  I know we
normally publish a May newsletter, rather than a June newsletter. 
But ELP has been waiting for the results of the Oregon sentences.  As
everyone who has been following these sentences will be aware, all
but one of the defendants has now been sentenced.  Jonathan Paul was
due to be sentenced on on the 5th of June 2007, but his sentencing
has been delayed over a dispute around the actual length the Judge
wants to sentence him to.  It is unclear how long the delay will be,
so ELP decided to go ahead and publish our next newsletter whilst
waiting.  Obviously, one of the big news stories is the Oregon
sentences in America.  But as you all know, there are people jailed
around the world for their actions and we urge people not to forget
any of the prisoners as they all need our support.  Remember, no
matter where you are in the world, support the real eco-prisoners and
no compromise in defence of Mother Earth!

COURT REPORTS & LEGAL UPDATES

OREGON UPDATE
Since December 2005 ELP has been regularly reporting the events
around a series of raids/arrests in connection with a series of
direct actions that occurred in Oregon during the late 1990s and into
2001.

Between the end of May to the beginning of June 07, ten people were
sentenced for their involvement in those actions.  The sentences were
as follows:

Joyanna Zacher and Nathan Block, both of whom refused to cooperate
with the authorities were sentenced to 7 years and 8 months each. 
Both are currently imprisoned and are expected to be moved soon.  ELP
is fully supporting Joy and Nathan and will bring you their new
addresses just as soon as we have them.

Daniel McGowan received 7 years.  Daniel is due to start this
sentence in early July.  ELP is fully supporting Daniel and will
publish his address just as soon as we have it.

Jonathan Paul, still to be sentenced.  ELP is fully supporting
Jonathan and will circulate his details just as soon as we have them.

Stanislas Meyerhoff (police informant) 13 years.

Kevin Tubbs (police informant) 12 years.

Chelsea Gerlach (police informant) 9 years.

Suzanne Savoie (police informant) 4 years.

Kendall Tankersley also known as Sarah Harvey (police informant) just
under four years.

Darren Thurston (police informant) 3 years.

Please note, ELP does not support any police informant and we will
not be offering support to any of these informants.

Also, we would like to remind people of ELP’s policy of other people
supporting police informants.
If anyone is identified as supporting a police informant and that
person later ends up in prison themself, they will be listed by ELP
as a “Friend of a Police Informant”.  ELP does not wish to see police
informants attacked or targeted in anyway.  But we do expect people
to isolate them from the movement and refuse to have any dealings
with them.

Also ELP is sad to report yet another police informant in this case. 
In the court papers it was revealed that Tubb’s fiancé, Michelle
Pace, who used to work for the Earth First! Journal, told the
authorities that she and Tubbs had received threats.  Pace claimed
that a British ELP volunteer had threatened her and she & Tubbs both
claimed a former American Animal Rights prisoner had also made
threats.  The lies that Pace & Tubbs told have not resulted in any
police action, but Pace’s lies are totally unacceptable and ELP is
naming Michelle Pace as a police informant.

ITS NOT OVER YET!
Despite the sentencing of the Oregon Defendants, ELP would like to
remind everyone that this case is not over yet.

Briana Waters is also accused of involvement in an ELF action which
has been associated with the Oregon case.  Briana has stated her
innocence.  Two of other police informants from the Oregon case,
Jennifer Kolar and Lacey Phillabaum, are due to testify against
Briana at her trial.  After they have testified these Kolar and
Phillabaum will both be issued with prison sentences.
ELP is supporting Briana Waters and we will bring you the results of
her trial as soon as we hear them.  The trial is due to start later
on this year.

MICHIGAN EF! ACTIVIST RAIDED
On 10/04/07 the FBI raided the house of a well known American Earth
First! activist based in Detroit, MI, USA.  Ten FBI agents searched
the activists home on the pretext of looking for ELF incendiary
devices.  They said they were investigating an attempted arson three
years ago against the Ice Mountain (Nestle bottled water plant in
Michigan).  Despite the raid no charges have been bought against the
activist.

This is not the first time this particular activist has been targeted
by the FBI.  Seven years ago the activist was raided, arrested and
charged with involvement in an ELF tree spiking action in Indiana,
USA.  The charges in that case were eventually dropped due to a lack
of evidence.

IL SILVESTRE UPDATE
On 11/05/07 the Court of Appeal ruled that Il Silvestre defendants,
Costantino Ragusa, Benedetta Galante, Leonardo Landi and Francesco
Gioia, who had all been found Guilty of participating in COR actions
were innocent and they were cleared of the charge of participating in
a terrorist conspiracy.
Unfortunately the same court ruled that Alessio Perondi and William
Frediani were guilty of forming the COR conspiracy and of carrying
out some actions.  However both men had their sentences reduced by
four months.  Both men are appealing this decision and are under
house arrest whilst they do so.

Following this latest Court appearance only Costantino Ragusa remains
imprisoned.

EUROPEAN RAIDS
At the end of April 2007 the police carried out a series of raids in
Britain, Holland and Belgium resulting in 32 people being arrested. 
Most of those arrests occurred in Britain.

The raids appear to have been aimed at SHAC activists and as a result
of those raids a number of people have been charged with “conspiracy
to blackmail”, with four of those arrested being remanded into
custody.

One of the people who was remanded has subsequently been released on
bail.  However three people, Greg Avery, Natasha Avery and Heather
Nicholson remain on remand.

ELP supporters will be aware that Greg, Natasha and Heather are well
known British activists who were founding members of the
international SHAC campaign.  Their remandings can be regarded as yet
another attempt by the police to silence these three highly dedicated
activists.

WAYNE BUNCH
On 11/04/07 British animal rights activist, Wayne Bunch, was
sentenced to 12 months imprisonment having been found guilty of
"blackmail" after sending what the police described as two abusive
and threatening letters to employees of the Hall family who were the
farmers who bred guinea pigs for torture & death at the hands of
vivisectors.  The Hall family ceased their involvement in this trade
after a successful campaign against their business by animal rights
activists.

BELARUS ANIMAL RIGHTS PRISONER
At the beginning of April 2007, Zhenya Shimanskiy, a vegetarian
activist from Minsk was arrested for non payment of a $1400 fine
imposed after he was found guilty of spray painting animal rights
slogans.  It is also alleged by the authorities that after the fine
was imposed on him he bricked the windows of a McDonalds in Minsk.

The authorities have declared Zhenya to be a dangerous extremist and
will not allow anyone to visit him.  His supporters have told ELP
that Zhenya may face several years imprisonment for his alleged
crimes unless money is raised to pay his fine.

SWEDISH ARSON TRIAL NEWS
At the start of May 2007 a 16-year old Swedish girl from Linkoping
was sentenced to 70 hours community service after she admitted
throwing two Molotov cocktails into a McDonalds in October 2006.

BELGIUM ANIMAL RIGHTS TRIAL
In June 2005 there was a demonstration in Belgium in support of two
ALF activists who were accused of smashing both some McDonalds and
some fur shops windows.

During that demo the police decided to try and arrest one of the
demonstrators, former ALF prisoner Geert Waegemans.  The crowd tried
to protect Geert and the police ended up arresting 17 people, three
of whom where remanded into custody.

At the end of April 2007, Geert, along with the other two activists
who were remanded, Joppe Anthonissen, and Olivier Van Moen were found
guilty of assaulting the police during that demonstration.  Joppe and
Olivier were both given 18-month sentences whilst Geert received 12
months.

All three are appealing their sentences and all three are on bail
pending the appeals.

SWEDISH REMAND PRISONERS
In May 07, three Swedish people were arrested accused of raiding and
rescuing rabbits, from a rabbit farm.  All three have been remanded
into custody.

For legal reasons the three do not wish to be identified but they
would welcome messages of support.  Therefore an e-mail address has
been set up where e-mailed messages of support can be sent to.  The
e-mail address is: brevtillknivsta@yahoo.se

ECO-DEFENCE PRISONERS

Fadalla Idris Alajaimy (address unknown).  Sudan anti-dam protester
on remand accused of Waging War against the State for protesting
against the construction of a dam.

Mohamed Ahmed Alajaimy (address unknown).  Sudan anti-dam protester
on remand accused of Waging War against the State for protesting
against the construction of a dam.

Tre Arrow, CS# 05850722, Vancouver Island Regional Correction Center,
4216 Wilkinson Rd., Victoria, BC, V8Z 5B2, Canada.  On remand accused
of involvement with an arson on logging trucks and an arson on
vehicles owned by a sand & gravel company.  Both arsons occurred in
the USA.  Tre is fighting his extradition to the USA.

Grant Barnes #1533241, PO Box 1108, Denver, CO 80201, USA.  On remand
accused of setting fire to a number of SUV vehicles.  On one of the
vehicles the letters ELF was spray-painted.
Nathan Block, #1663667, Lane County Jail, 101 W 5th Ave., Eugene, OR
97401, USA.   Serving 7 years & 8 months for an ELF arson against a
Poplar Tree Farm and an ELF arson against an SUV dealership.   Also
admitted his role in an ELF/ALF conspiracy.

Marco Camenisch, Postfach 3143, CH-8105 Regensdorf, Switzerland. 
Serving 18 years.  1) Ten years for using explosives to destroy
electricity pylons leading from nuclear power stations.  2) Eight
years for the murder of a Swiss Boarder Guard whilst on the run.  In
‘02 Marco completed a 12-year sentence in Italy for destroying
electricity pylons in Italy.

Ibai Ederra, Carcel de Pamplona, C/San Roque. Apdo. 250, 31080 -
Iruñez – Pamplona, Navarra (España), Spain.  Serving just under 5
years for sabotaging machinery at the controversial Itoiz dam
construction site.

Jeffrey Luers, #13797671, OSP, 2605 State St. Salem, OR 97310, USA.
Serving 22 years & 8 months for arson on a SUV dealership & the
attempted arson of an oil truck.

Ali Mohamed Alhassen Massad (address unknown).  Sudan anti-dam
protester on remand accused of Waging War against the State for
protesting against the construction of a dam.

Eric McDavid X-2972521 4E 231A, Sacramento County Main Jail, 651 "I"
Street, Sacramento, CA 95814, USA.  On Remand accused of planning to
destroy the property of the U.S. Forestry Service, mobile phone masts
and power plants.

Costantino Ragusa, Casa Circondariale, Via Prati Nuovi 7, 27058
Voghera (PV), Italy.  Il Silvestre activist serving 2½ years.  1) 
18-months for burgling and firebombing a multinational company. 2)
12-months for organising an anti-GM protest.  Costanino is also
awaiting trial accused of using explosives to damage an electricity
pylon in protest at nuclear energy.

Joyanna Zacher #1662550, Lane County Jail, 101 W 5th Ave, Eugene, OR
97401, USA.  Serving 7 years & 8 months for an ELF arson against a
Poplar Tree Farm and an ELF arson against an SUV dealership.  Also
admitted her role in an ELF/ALF conspiracy.

ANIMAL LIBERATION PRISONERS

Jon Ablewhite TB4885, HMP Lowdham Grange, Lowdham, Nottingham, NG14
7DA, England.  Serving 12 years for attempting to blackmail a farmer
who supplied guinea pigs for vivisection.

Gregg Avery TA7450, HMP Winchester, Romsey Road, Winchester SO22 5DF,
England.  On remand accused of conspiracy to blackmail, in relation
to his involvement with the SHAC campaign.

Natasha Avery VM4846, HMP Bronzefield, Woodthorpe Road, Ashford,
Middx. TW15 3JZ, England.  On remand accused of conspiracy to
blackmail, in relation to her involvement with the SHAC campaign.

Nathan Block – See details in Eco Defence Prisoners.

Wayne Bunch  VB7189, HMP Brockhill, Hewell Lane, Redditch,
Worcestershire, B97 6RD, England.  Serving 12 months for blackmail
having been found guilty of sending abusive letters to an animal
abuser.

Jacob Conroy #93501-011, FCI Victorville Medium I Federal
Correctional Institution, P.O. Box 5300, Adelanto, CA 92301, USA.
Serving 48 months imprisonment for helping organise the SHAC-USA
campaign.

Donald Currie TN4593, HMP Whitemoor, Longhill Road, March, Cambs,
PE15 OPR, England.  Serving an Indeterminate Sentence, of not less
than six actual years, for carrying out arsons against targets
associated the vivisection industry including HLS.

Josh Demmitt 12314-081, FCI Safford, Federal Correctional
Institution, P.O. Box 9000, Safford, AZ 85548, USA.  Serving 30
months for an ALF arson on a University animal testing facility.

Darius Fullmer #26397-050, FCI Fort Dix Satellite Camp, P.O. Box
1000, Fort Dix, NJ 08640 USA.  Serving 12 months for helping organise
the SHAC-USA campaign.

Lauren Gazzola #93497-011, FCI Danbury, Federal Correctional
Institution, Route #37Danbury, CT 06811, USA. Serving 54 months
imprisonment for helping organise the SHAC-USA campaign.

Sarah Gisborne, LT5393, HMP Cookham Wood, Rochester, Kent, ME1 3LU,
England.  Serving 5½ years for conspiracy to cause criminal damage
following the damaging of 8 vehicles owned by people linked to
Huntingdon Life Science.

Joshua Harper #29429-086, FCI Sheridan Federal Correctional
Institution, P.O. Box 5000, Sheridan, OR 97378 USA.  Serving 36
months imprisonment for helping organise the SHAC-USA campaign.

Joseph Harris TN5728, HMP Bullingdon, Patrick Haugh Road, Arncott,
Nr. Bicester, Oxon, OX25 1WD, England.   Serving 2 years for damaging
the property of people associated with Huntingdon Life Sciences.

Kevin Kjonaas #93502-011, FCI Sandstone, PO Box 1000, Sandstone, MN
55072 USA.  Serving 72 months imprisonment for helping organise the
SHAC-USA campaign.

Josephine Mayo PR6508, HMP Drake Hall, Eccleshall, Staffs, ST21 6LQ,
England.  Serving 4 years for attempting to blackmail a farmer who
supplied guinea pigs for vivisection.

Heather Nicholson VM4859, HMP Bronzefield, Woodthorpe Road, Ashford,
Middx. TW15 3JZ, England.  On remand accused of conspiracy to
blackmail, in relation to her involvement with the SHAC campaign.

Trish Portwine, TM7153, HMP Cookham Wood, Rochester, Kent, ME1 3LU,
England.  Serving fifteen months for her role in loud demonstrations
outside the offices of companies with links to HLS.

Zhenya Shimanskiy, Evgeniy Dmitrievich Shimanskiy, Volodarskogo str.
2, room 35, 220050 Minsk Belarus. On remand for non-payment of a fine
imposed for spray painting animal rights slogans.  Also accused of
smashing the windows of a McDonalds.

John Smith TB4887, HMP Lowdham Grange, Lowdham, Nottingham, NG14 7DA,
England.  Serving 12 years for attempting to blackmail a farmer who
supplied guinea pigs for vivisection.

Andrew Stepanian #26399-050, FCI Butner Medium II Federal
Correctional Institution, PO Box 1500, Butner, NC 27509 USA. Serving
36 months for helping organise the SHAC-USA campaign.
Mark Taylor TT6636, HMP YOI Onley, Rugby, Warkwickshire, CV23 8AP,
England.  Serving four years for organising loud demonstrations
outside the offices of companies with links to HLS.

Suzanne Taylor, TM7154, HMP Cookham Wood, Rochester, Kent, ME1 3LU,
England.  Serving two and a half years for helping organise loud
demonstrations outside the offices of companies with links to HLS.

Kerry Whitburn TB4886, HMP Lowdham Grange, Lowdham, Nottingham, NG14
7DA, England.  Serving 12 years for attempting to blackmail a farmer
who supplied guinea pigs for vivisection.

Joyanna Zacher – See details in Eco Defence Prisoners.

PLOUGHSHARES PRISONERS

Helen Woodson, 03231-045, FMC Carswell - Admin. Max. Unit, POB 27137,
Ft. Worth, TX  76127, USA.  Serving 8 years 10 months for actions
that focused on the interrelationship of war & the destruction of the
natural world.  The actions included pouring red paint over the
security desk of a federal court and making threatening
communications.  Previously Helen had served 20½ years for: 1) Using
a hammer to disarm a nuclear missile silo.  2) Burning $25,000 on the
floor of a bank whilst denouncing war, environmental destruction &
economic injustice.  3) Mailing warning letters with bullets attached
to Government & corporate officials.

OTHER ANTI-WAR PRISONERS

Brendan Walsh 12473-052, FCI/FSL Elkton, PO Box 10, Lisbon, OH 44432
USA.  Serving 5 years for an arson on an army recruitment office in
protest at the War on Iraq.

THE LECCE FIVE
The Lecce Five have been charged with “subversive association”
accused of damaging Esso petrol pumps to oppose the War on Iraq;
sabotaging the cash machines of a bank which funds an immigration
centre; and targeting the multinational company Benetton in support
of Mapuche land rights activists in Chile.  All of the defendants are
currently either under house arrest or released on bail.

ANTIFA PRISONERS

Lasandra Burwell W063658, Ohio Reformatory for Women, 1479 Collins
Ave. Marysville, OH 43040, USA.  Serving 5 years for taking part in
an anti-fascist demonstration which turned into a riot.

Vahtang Devitlidze, ul. Libbedova 42, UO 68/2, otryad 14, brigada
142, g. Hagyshensk, Krasnodarskiy Kray, 352680 Russia.  Serving 2½
years for stabbing a neo-nazi in the leg whilst defending himself
from attack.

Augustin Kraus, Vazebni veznice, PP-1, Litomerice, 41 201, Czech
Republic.  Serving 14 months for his participation in attacks against
local neo-nazis. His charge was "bodily harm". He speaks Czech,
Slovak and Polish.  You can also write him short postcards in English.

Tomasz Wiloszewski, Zaklad Karny, Orzechowa 5, 98-200 Sieradz,
Poland.  Serving 15 years for accidentally killing a neo-nazi whilst
defending himself.

PARTY & PROTEST
Around the world there have been several massive protests against
global capitalism and its environmental impact.  The following have
all been jailed in connection with the protests.

Jonathan Philip Robert, Crisp County Detention Center, 197 Ga. Hwy.
300 South, Cordele, GA 31015, USA  (12 months)

OTHER PRISONERS

Oscar Santa Maria Caro, CERESO, Miahuatlan de Porfirio Diaz, Oaxaca
en Hall B, Cell 5., Mexico.  On remand.  The exact charges against
Oscar are unknown but Oscar is a member of RATA, a known animal
rights group.

Sacramento Delfino Cano Hernandez, CERESO, Miahuatlan de Porfirio
Diaz, Oaxaca en Hall B, Cell 5., Mexico.  On remand.  Co-defendant of
Oscar Santa Maria Caro.

Olga Aleksandrovna Nevskaya, UU163/5, 7 Otryad, pos. Dzerzhinskiy,
Mozhaysk 140090 Moskovskaya oblast, Russia. Eco-activist serving 6
years for arson, criminal damage and causing explosions in protest at
the war in Chechnya.  Due for release in 2009.

Fran Thompson, #1090915 HU 1C, WERDCC, PO Box 300, Vandalia, MO
63382, USA.  Serving Life for killing, in self-defence, a stalker who
had broken into her home. Before her imprisonment Fran was an eco,
animal & anti-nuke campaigner.

MOVE
MOVE is an eco-revolutionary group who carried out protests in
defence of all life. There are currently eight MOVE activists in
prison each serving 100 years after been framed for the murder of a
cop in 1979.  9th defendant, Merle Africa, died in prison in 1998.

Debbie Simms Africa  (006307), Janet Holloway Africa  (006308) and
Janine Philips Africa (006309)  all at: SCI Cambridge Springs, 451
Fullerton Ave, Cambridge Springs, PA 16403-1238, USA.

Michael Davis Africa (AM4973) and Charles Simms Africa (AM4975) both
at SCI Grateford, PO Box 244, Grateford, PA 19426-0244, USA.

Edward Goodman Africa  (AM4974), 301 Morea Rd, Frackville, PA 17932, USA.
William Philips Africa (AM4984) and Delbert Orr Africa (AM4985) both
at SCI Dallas Drawer K, Dallas, PA 18612, USA.

Mumia Abu Jamal, (AM8335), SCI Greene, 175 Progress Drive, Waynesburg
PA 15370, USA.  In 1981 Mumia, former Black Panther and vocal
supporter of MOVE, was framed for the murder of a cop.  He was
originally sentenced to death but is currently awaiting re-sentencing
following a court hearing in 2001.

MAPUCHE PRISONERS & OTHER LAND RIGHTS PRISONERS
Due to space limitation we cannot publish the names & addresses of
the Mapuche & Land Rights prisoners in this edition of Spirit of
Freedom, however if you would like a list please contact Spirit of
Freedom.

STATEMENT ON VIOLENCE
Some people listed in this newsletter have carried out violent
actions.  ‘Spirit of Freedom’ does not condone violence.  But we are
also against censorship & believe people can decide for themselves
who they wish to support.

ABOUT E.L.P. SUPPORT NETWORK
ELP is an international eco-prisoner support network founded, in
Britain, in 1993 to support jailed eco-activists.  We support the
prisoners by producing various regular prisoner lists:
Spirit of Freedom is ELP’s international bimonthly publication
(available via e-mail or in a paper version).  If you would like to
receive a copy contact Spirit of Freedom, BM Box 2407, London, WC1N
3XX, England.  Or e-mail ELP4321@hotmail.com

Urgent ELP! Bulletin is an e-mail service that distributes the names
of any new eco-prisoner as soon as ELP gets their details.  For more
info e-mail ELP4321@hotmail.com

On-Line Newsletters – ELP has a number of websites that provide news,
prisoner lists and additional info about ELP & the prisoners.

English language ELP Website
www.spiritoffreedom.org.uk

North American ELP Website
www.ecoprisoners.org

Turkish language ELP Website
www.geocities.com/yesilanarsi/elp.htm

ELP Extra is an e-mail group that circulates the details of political
prisoners, ELP learns about, who do not fall within the remit for
support by ELP.  To subscribe to the list e-mail ELP4321@Hotmail.com

Belgium ELP.SN is our Belgium contact.  For more info e-mail
elp_bel@hotmail.com

German ELP.SN is a prisoner led initiative run by eco-prisoner Marco
Camenisch.  For more info contact Marco Camenisch, Postfach 3143,
CH-8105 Regensdorf, Switzerland.

North American ELP is our North American contact.  For more
information e-mail naelpsn@mutualaid.org

Turkey ELP.SN is our Turkish contact.  For more info e-mail
yesilanarsi@yahoo.com

North American ELP Prisoner Fund.  The North American ELP group has
set up a fund where people can pay money, for North American
Eco-Defence and Animal Rights prisoners, which will then be
distributed to the North American prisoners.  For information about
the Fund and how to make a donation please contact
naelpsn@mutualaid.org

DEDICATION
This Edition of Spirit of Freedom is dedicated to Bill ‘Avalon’
Rodgers, the American ‘Oregon Defendant’ who ended his own life in
December 2005 whilst on Remand.