Blog – Page 40

February 4, 2011 by Admin

Solidarity Rally

Come out today and stand in solidarity with the Egyptian people as they demand an end to Mubarak’s oppressive regime. Let us remember that freedom is an unalienable right for all. Dress warmly, and join us in our demonstration of solidarity and support for the Egyptian Revolution!

WHEN: February, 4, 2011 @ 5 PM

WHERE: Upper E. Illinois Avenue and N. Michigan Avenue.

Bring as many Egyptian and American flags as you like

Event sponsored by:
CAIR-Chicago
Arab American Action Network (AAAN)
United States Palestinian Community Network (USPCN)
Palestine Solidarity Group (PSG)
International Socialist Organization
DePaul SJP
Council of Islamic Organizations of Greater Chicago (CIOGC)
American Muslims For Palestine (AMP)

January 29, 2011 by Admin

Support Oscar López Rivera

The U.S. Parole Commission is scheduled to make a determination as to the release of Puerto Rican political prisoner Oscar López Rivera by February 1. The Parole Commission is reviewing a biased and tainted recommendation to continue Oscar’s detention.

Please send this petition to the U.S. Parole Commission via fax — (301) 492-5307 — and demand that the Commission reject the Parole Examiner’s Recommendation and to order Oscar’s release on parole. Time is running out.

For more information about Oscar, visit the National Boricua Human Rights Network. Oscar is represented by NLG Chicago attorney Jan Susler, of the People’s Law Office.

December 22, 2010 by Admin

Peter Erlinder Holds Special Briefing in Chicago

Professor Peter Erlinder, Formerly Imprisoned in Rwanda, Holds Special Briefing in Chicago

The Hotel Rwanda Rusesabagina Foundation, in conjunction with the Chicago Chapter of the National Lawyers Guild and Loyola University, hosted a Special Briefing with Professor Peter Erlinder and his Kenyan attorneys, Gershom Otachi Bw’Omanwa and Kennedy Ogeto.

View the videos of the special briefing at the Hotel Rwanda Foundation site here!

NLG Chicago and the Hotel Rwanda Foundation thank Loyola University for allowing the use of Kasbeer Hall at the Corboy Law Center (CLC) at the School’s Water Tower Campus.

December 21, 2010 by Admin

Support Peter Erlinder

About Professor Erlinder

American law professor C. Peter Erlinder (William Mitchell College of Law — Minnesota) was imprisoned in Rwanda over accusations related to negating the Rwandan genocide. The Hotel Rwanda Rusesabagina Foundation deplores this clearly politically-motivated arrest, and implores the international community to act quickly and decisively to demand Professor Erlinder’s immediate release from custody.

Prof. Erlinder, an outspoken critic of the Kagame regime, is frequently criticized by the Rwandan government. His name recently appeared on a publicized list of foreigners whom the Rwandan government allegedly wants silenced for their views. Erlinder traveled to Rwanda last month to defend presidential candidate Victoire Ingabire on the charges brought against her by the Rwandan government. Mrs. Ingabire, a political opponent of current President Kagame, was jailed recently and is currently under house arrest for expressing her political views, which are in opposition to official government policies.

Prof. Erlinder is a defense lawyer and leader of the association of defense attorneys at the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda in Arusha, Tanzania. His current trip to Rwanda was intended to provide defense counsel in a peaceful legal process, but, with this arrest, his human rights, liberty and, possibly, his personal safety are in danger.

Prof. Erlinder was reportedly arrested on charges of “genocide negationism,” which means that he disagrees with the official version of the 1994 genocide perpetuated by the current Rwandan regime. This law is frequently applied to silence critics of the regime. In the past it has been applied to Mrs. Ingabire, Human Rights Watch investigators, and even the BBC.

About the Hotel Rwanda Rusesabagin Foundation

The Chicago-based Hotel Rwanda Rusesabagina Foundation was founded by Paul Rusesabagina, the real- life hero of the acclaimed film Hotel Rwanda. Rusesabagina, portrayed by Don Cheadle in the film, saved the lives of more than 1,200 people during the Rwandan genocide and has been honored internationally for his heroism. The Foundation works to prevent future genocides and to raise awareness of the need for a new truth and reconciliation process in Rwanda and the Great Lakes Region of Africa.

December 19, 2010 by Admin

Jon Burge Sentencing: Pack the Courtroom

BURGE GUILTY: Sentencing hearing on Thursday, January 20, 2011 @ 9am.

PACK THE COURTROOM. Get there early to get in.

12 noon, rally and press conference
219 S. Dearborn, Courtroom 1925

Former Chicago Police Commander Jon Burge is finally facing his own sentencing hearing after a jury convicted him last June of three counts of obstruction of justice and perjury for lying about the torture he and others committed on the force.

For years, lawyers, activists, the torture survivors and their family members worked tirelessly to expose police torture and hold Burge accountable for his crimes. Let’s pack the courtroom and demonstrate our ongoing commitment in seeking justice for all torture survivors.

ICAT objection to Burge’s sentence PDF.

This event is sponsored by the Illinois Coalition Against Torture (ICAT). For more information, visit the Illinois Coalition Against Torture website at http://illinoiscat.wordpress.com/. Also, see John Conroy’s blog on the Burge trial at http://www.wbez.org/content-categories/57894.

(Photograph taken by Eric Rogers.)

December 17, 2010 by Admin

“Know Your Rights” Materials Available for Activists Targeted by the FBI

The National Lawyers Guild recommends that activists consult and make use of these resources. The Guild advises anyone visited by the FBI to assert your right not to answer any questions, to get the card of the FBI agent and state that you will have an attorney contact the agent on your behalf.

The National Lawyers Guild, founded in 1937, is the oldest and largest public interest/human rights bar organization in the United States. Its headquarters are in New York and it has chapters in every state.

Contact:

Paige Cram, Communications Coordinator, communications@nlg.org, 212-679-5100, ext 15

New York:

The National Lawyers Guild (NLG) and its Mass Defense Committee provides legal defense and educational resources to activists, including those subjected to the September 24 raids and grand jury subpoenas in Michigan, Minnesota, and Illinois. The Guild denounces the attacks on free speech, freedom of association, and the right to dissent that these actions represent. The raids and summonses reflect escalating hostility toward individuals and groups working in solidarity with the Palestinian and Colombian people and are blatantly political attacks on peaceful activists.

National Lawyers Guild lawyers, in their continuing efforts to protect the right to dissent, are coordinating defense of these activists. The NLG offers several resources for activists who are subject to similarly aggressive and politically motivated breaches of their rights.

NLG Hotline:

888-NLG-ECOL (888-654-3265)

A hotline for U.S. activists who have been contacted by the FBI. Callers are matched with NLG defense attorneys in their states who have experience dealing with similar cases.

Know Your Rights Brochure:

A two-page brochure that summarizes the rights of citizens when they are contacted or stopped by the police or federal authorities. Available in English, Spanish, Chinese, Arabic, Farsi and Punjabi. Click here to see the brochure.

Operation Backfire:

A booklet that discusses government attacks on activists and subsequent prosecutions. Available for free download.

If an Agent Knocks:

A 49 page pamphlet by the Center for Constitutional Rights discussing what to expect and what you can do when an agent knocks. Available for free download.

Grand Jury Resistance Project:

Information on grand juries and the contemporary history of resistance to this method of government repression. Visit the website here.