Author: earthfirst

Spirit of Freedom (December 2009)
Produced by EARTH LIBERATION PRISONERS SUPPORT NETWORK

“The whole experience has been tough, but all the kind and strengthening words and wise thoughts from strangers made it much easier!” (Former Swedish Animal Rights Prisoner)

Welcome to the December 2009 edition of Spirit of Freedom. A few months ago ELP reported the arrest of the American, Justin Solondz in China. As people will be aware Justin is wanted for questioning in connection to an FBI investigation into the ELF that led to the Oregon and Washington Trials.

When ELP first heard of the arrest we wrongly believed, like many others, that Justin would be extradited to America where he would be remanded to stand trial for his alleged ELF activity. However, a couple of days ago ELP learnt that rather than extraditing him, the Chinese decided to put Justin on trial accused of drugs related activity. Justin was duly found Guilty and sentenced to three years imprisonment followed by deportation. This is of course very bad news for Justin and if anyone has any contact details for Justin (or knows what prison he is held in, in China, please contact ELP as soon as possible).

Besides Justin’s imprisonment, sadly over the past few weeks ELP has learnt about the imprisonments of a number of people across Europe and North America accused of a variety of activity, this includes the imprisonment of former Italian ALF prisoner Sergio Stefani who has been accused of stealing a car and charged with “subversive conspiracy” and placed in a jail specifically designed for political activists! ELP encourages everyone to write urgent letter of support to all of the new prisoners on our list and remind them we are behind them. But also please don’t forget our existing prisoners. All of the prisoners listed below welcome letters of support.
So please, regardless of what languages you speak and regardless of where you live in the world, your letters of support really do make the world of difference to the prisoners. So please support the eco-prisoners and no compromise in defence of Mother Earth!

If anyone notices any of ELP’s prisoner details is out of date or we do not list a prisoner who we should list, please let ELP know as soon as possible.
ELP is run by a small group of volunteers and although we try to ensure our lists are accurate, we admit we do make mistakes. So help us help keep the lists accurate by letting us know of any changes we need to make.

ECO-DEFENCE PRISONERS

Grant Barnes #137563, San Carlos Correctional Facility, PO Box 3, Pueblo, CO 81002, USA. Serving 12 years for setting fire to a number of SUV vehicles. The letters ELF were spray painted onto all of the vehicles. (Grant is a vegan).

Nathan Block, #36359-086, FCI Lompoc, Federal Correctional Institution, 3600 Guard Road, Lompoc, CA 93436, 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. (Diet unknown).

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. (Marco is a meat eater who encourages organic living).

Niall Harnett, Castlerea Prison, Harristown, Castlerea, Co. Roscommon, Republic of Ireland. Severing 4 months for non-payment of a fine. The fine was issued following Maura’s involvement in an anti-Shell petrol company protest. (Diet unknown).

Maura Harringon, Dochas Centre, Mountjoy Gaol, North Circular Road, Dublin 7, Republic of Ireland. Severing 8 months for non-payment of a fine. The fine was issued following Maura’s involvement in an anti-Shell petrol company protest. (Diet unknown).

Leonardo Landi, Carcere Sanremo, Via Armea, 144, 18038 Sanremo (IM), Italy. Il Silvestre activist awaiting trial accused of robbery. (Leonardo is a vegetarian).

Jeffrey Luers, # 13797671, CRCI, 9111 NE Sunderland Ave, Portland, OR 97211-1708, USA. Serving 10 years for arson on a SUV dealership & the attempted arson of an oil truck. The original sentence was 22 years & 8 months, but was reduced on appeal. (Diet unknown).

Marie Jeanette Mason, #04672-061, FCI Waseca, Federal Correctional Institution, PO Box 1731, Waseca, MN 56093, USA. Serving 21 years and 10 months for her involvement in an ELF arson against a University building carrying out Genetically Modified crop tests. Marie also pleaded guilty to conspiring to carry out ELF actions and admitted involvement in 12 other ELF actions. (Marie is a vegan).

Eric McDavid, 16209-097, FCI Victorville, Medium II, Federal Correctional Institution, PO Box 5300, Adelanto, CA 92301, USA. Serving 19 years & 7 months for planning to destroy the property of the U.S. Forestry Service, mobile phone masts and power plants. At the point of his arrest no criminal
damage has actually occurred. (Eric is a vegan).

Daniel McGowan, 63794-053, USP Marion, US Penitentiary, PO Box 1000, Marion, IL 62959, USA. Serving 7 years for an ELF arson against a Poplar Tree Farm and an ELF arson against an old growth logging corporation. Also admitted his role in an ELF/ALF conspiracy. (Daniel is a vegetarian).

Steve Murphy #39013177 (for his most current prison address check out the website http://supportsteve.org/ ). On remand accused of attempted arson and criminal damage at a town house construction site in 2006. The FBI claim the action was done under the banner of the ELF. (Steve is a vegan).

Jonathan Paul – See details in Animal Liberation Prisoners List.

Justin Solondz (Address Unknown – China). American Green Scare defendant accused of direct action activity in America. Serving 3 years in China for drugs related offences then due to be deported back to America. His exact prison location is currently unknown. (Diet unknown).

Jonatan Strandberg, Box 248, 59323, Västervik, Sweden. Serving 15 months imprisonment after admitting damaging a communication tower used by the Department of Defence, cutting the cables on a crane used in creating urban sprawl, and damaging a vehicle used in the logging industry. Jonatan is a diabetic and follows a paleo diet, demanding locally sourced food).

Michael Sykes 696693, Richard A. Handlon Correctional Facility, 1728 Bluewater Highway, Ionia, MI 48846, USA. Serving four to ten years for anti-sprawl arsons, criminal damage to a utility pole, spray-painting political graffiti and burning the American flag. (Diet unknown)

Briana Waters 36432-086, FCI Danbury, Federal Correctional Institution, Route 37, Danbury, CT 06811, USA. Serving six years for involvement in an ELF arson on a University. (Diet unknown).

Joyanna Zacher, #36360-086, FCI Dublin, 5700 8th St.- Camp Parks- Unit F, Dublin, CA 94568, 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. (Diet unknown).

ANIMAL LIBERATION PRISONERS
(All Animal Liberation Prisoners follow a minimum vegetarian diet and most are vegan).

Anonymous Female Prisoner One (E-mail messages of support to
holland@die-tierbefreier.de ) German woman held on Remand accused of raiding a mink farm in Holland. (She is a vegan).

Anonymous Female Prisoner Two (E-mail messages of support to
dbf-sg@riseup.net ) Dutch woman held on Remand accused of raiding a mink farm in Holland. (She is a vegan).

Jonny Ablewhite TB4885, H.M. Prison, Hewell Lane, Redditch, Worcs B97 6QS, England. Serving 12 years for attempting to blackmail a farmer who supplied guinea pigs for vivisection. (Jon is a vegan).

Dan Amos VN7818, HMP Guys Marsh, Shaftesbury, Dorset, SP7 0AH, England. Serving 4 years for conspiracy to blackmail Huntingdon Life Sciences. (Dan is a vegan)

Gregg Avery TA7450, HMP Coldingley, Shaftesbury Road, Bisley, Woking, Surrey GU24 9EX, England. Serving 9 years for conspiracy to blackmail Huntingdon Life Sciences. (Gregg is a vegan).

Natasha Avery NR8987, HMP Send, Ripley Road, Woking, Surrey, GU23 7LJ, England. Serving 9 years for conspiracy to blackmail Huntingdon Life Sciences. (Nat is a vegan).

Mel Broughton A3892AE, HMP Frankland, Brasside, Durham, County Durham DH1 5YD, England. Serving 10 years for “conspiracy to commit arson” against Oxford University vivisection department. (Mel is a vegan).

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. (Lauren is a vegan).

Alex Hall, Inmate #2009-06304, Davis County Jail, 800 West State St., Farmington, UT 84025, USA. On Remand accused of raiding a mink farm. Also accused of breaching bail conditions whilst on bail. (William is a vegan).

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

Robert Lewis (address unknown – England). Serving 18 months for sending threatening letters to a company linked to drugs testing. (Diet Unknown).

Daniel McGowan – See details in Eco Defence Prisoners List.

Robert Griffiths (address unknown – England). Serving 18 months for sending threatening letters to a company linked to drugs testing. (Diet unknown).

Gavin Medd-Hall WV9475, HMP Coldingley, Shaftesbury Road, Bisley, Woking, Surrey GU24 9EX, England. Serving 8 years for conspiracy to blackmail Huntingdon Life Sciences. (Gavin is a vegan).

Heather Nicholson VM5859, HMP Foston Hall, Foston, Derby, Derbyshire, DE65 5DN, England. Serving 11 years for conspiracy to blackmail Huntingdon Life Sciences. (Heather is a vegan).

Kevin Olliff, #1300931, TTCF 161 D-Pod, 450 Bauchet St., Los Angeles, CA 90012, USA. On remand accused of stalking. Exact details of the indictment have not yet been revealed but the charges appear to relate to a person employed by an educational facility so may be linked to vivisection. (Kevin is a vegan).

Jonathan Paul, #07167-085, FCI Phoenix, Federal Correctional Institution, 37910 N 45th Ave., Phoenix, AZ 85086, USA. Sentenced to 51 months for an ALF arson on a horse meat plant. Also admitted his role in an ELF/ALF conspiracy. (Jonathan is a vegan).

Stergio Stefani – See Other Political Prisoner List.

William James Viehl, Inmate #2009-05735, Davis County Jail, 800 West State St., Farmington, UT 84025, USA. Awaiting sentencing having pleaded guilty to raiding a mink farm. He is due to be sentenced in December. (William is a vegan).

Nicole Vosper VM9385, HMP Bronzefield, Woodhthorpe Road, Ashford, Middx, TW15 3JZ, England. On remand accused of blackmailing Huntingdon Life Sciences. (Nicole is a vegan).

Dan Wadham, A5705AA, HMP Camp Hill, Newport, Isle of Wight, PO30 5PB, England. Serving 5 years for conspiracy to blackmail Huntingdon Life Sciences. (Dan is a vegan).

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. (Kerry is a vegan).

Sarah Whitehead, VM7684, HMP Bronzefield, Woodthorpe Road, Ashford, Middx, TW15 3JZ, England. Serving two years for: 1) rescuing a puppy from horrific conditions. 2) rescuing over 100 animals from a pet breeder who was later prosecuted for animal abuse. Also awaiting trial for SHAC activity. (Sarah is a vegan)

GRAND JURY RESISTERS
The following people have been jailed for refusing to testify before Grand Juries in America which are investigating ALF & ELF activity.

Carolyn Feldman, Washington County Jail., 2185 Lexington Blvd. PO Box 6, Washington, IA 52353, USA. (Diet unknown).

Muscatine County Jail Inmate, c/o “Scott DeMuth”, 400 Walnut Street, Muscatine, Iowa 52761, USA. Scott has also recently been indicted for conspiracy under the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act. (Scott is a meat eater who advocates bow hunting).

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. (Diet unknown).

OTHER ANTI-WAR PRISONERS

Elija Smith VP 7551 HMP Lewes, 1 Brighton Rd, Lewes, Sussex, BN7 1EA, England. On remand accused of disarming a weapons factory, which, amongst other things, makes Hellfire Missiles. The action was in protest at Israel military action against Gaza. (Diet unknown).

THE LECCE DEFENDANTS
The Lecce Defendants 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

Aleksey Bychin, FBU OIK-2 IK-7 otryad No. 7, ul. Karnallitovaya d. 98, g. Solikamsk Permskiy Kray, 618545 Russia. Serving 5 years for defending himself against neo-nazis. (Diet unknown).

Andrei Mergenov, FGU IZ 64/1 OKB 2 komn. 73, Up. Kutyakova 107, 410601 Saratov, Russia. Serving 3 years for fighting with neo-nazis. (Diet unknown)

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

OTHER PRISONERS

Pavel Delidon, ul. Timiryazeva-1, FGU IK-7, 309990 Valuyki Russia. Anarchist/Animal Rights activist jailed for attempting to obtain wages owed to him, but which had not been paid to him by his employer. IMPORTANT: Pavel can only receive letters written in Russian. He is punished by the prison if he receives a letter not written in Russian so please, only send letters written in Russian. (Diet unknown).

Richard Sills (Address Unknown, USA). Serving 15 months for bomb hoaxing a University saying they would be targeted by the ALF if they didn’t stop their animal experiments. (Diet unknown).

Alessandro Settepani, Carcere San Michele, Via Casale, 50/A, 15122 San Michele (AL), Italy. Co-defendant of Sergio Stefani. Arrested for stealing a car and then remanded for “Subversive Conspiracy” and remanded into a prison for political activists. (Alessandro is a vegan).

Sergio Maria Stefani, Carcere San Michele, Via Casale, 50/A, 15122 San Michele (AL), Italy. Former ALF prisoner arrested for stealing a car and then remanded for “Subversive Conspiracy” and remanded into a prison for political activists. (Sergio is a vegan).

Fran Thompson, #1090915, CCC, 3151 Litton Drive, Chillicuthe, MO 64601, 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. (Fran is a vegan).

MOVE
MOVE is an eco-revolutionary group who carried out protests in defence of all life. All move prisoners describe themselves as vegetarians. 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 Graterford, PO Box 244, Graterford, PA 19426-0244, USA.

Edward Goodman Africa (AM4974), SCI Mahanoy, 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.

STATEMENT ON VIOLENCE
Some people listed in this newsletter have carried out violent actions including assault and murder. ‘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 monthly prisoner listing which is circulated by e-mail.

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

Greek language ELP Website
http://greekelp.blogspot.com

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

Australian ELP.SN is our Australian contact. For more info 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.

Greek ELP.SN is our Greek contact. For more info e-mail greekelp@yahoo.gr

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