SENZA CENSURA N.3 - APRILE 1997
CAMPAIGN FOR OSCAR LOPEZ RIVERA
National Committee To Free Puerto Rican Prisoners of War And Political Prisoners
[versione italiana]
Oscar Lopez Rivera is a Puerto Rican Prisoner of War illegally incarcerated by the U.S. and serving a 70 year sentence for his activities in support of Puerto Rican independence.
According to International Law (the Geneva Convention) and the United Nations, all Puerto Ricans have the legal right to fight for the liberation of Puerto Rico.
This right is granted by the UN General Assembly Resolution 1514XV of 1960. This right was granted to Puerto Ricans because the UN considers Puerto Rico to be a colonial territory of the U.S., not a "Commonwealth" nor "Free Associated State".
The United Nations does not recognize the U.S. as having any authority to govern the island and has asked the U.S. to leave the island and transfer all economic, political and juridical powers back to the Puerto Rican people.
Presently there are 15 Puerto Rican Prisoners of War and Political Prisoners illegally confined in U.S. prisons.
In holding them as prisoners, the United States is knowingly violating International Law. In addition, the U.S. is also violating International Law when it violates the human rights of these prisoners.
Since the 16 years of their initial capture, both male and female prisoners have been subjected to the following: Sleep deprivation, sensory isolation sexual abuse, medical neglect, threats and harassment, unhealthy living conditions, placed in prisons far from family and friends, placed in solitary confinement.
These prison conditions are a violation of the human rights of the prisoners of war and political prisoners and has been condemned by human tights organizations such as Amnesty International.
Presently there is an emergency campaign focusing on POW Oscar Lopez-Rivera who is suffering from rectal bleeding, at Marion penitentiary.
This medical condition is very similar to symptoms of colon cancer, an illness which was fatal to Nationalist hero Andres Figueroa Cordero.
Although various requests have been made for immediate medical attention, the prison officials have ignored his requests.
This is not the first time that POW Oscar Lopez-Rivera has been denied medical treatment.
Almost ten years ago, while suffering from bleeding hemorrhoids, Oscar was transferred to the hospital prison of Springfield. There, the hospital tortured him by chaining his hands and legs to the sheet metal bed while he was kept in the nude.
He was made to rest on a sheet metal bed while the room was maintained at extreme temperatures.
Due to the emergency nature of POW Oscar's situation, family members called for the emergency vigil to the White House in Washington, DC, this past December, which was immediately supported by the National Committee.
A demand for medical attention and examinations of POW Oscar have gone unanswered.
Taking Oscar to Springfield Prison hospital is not satisfactory since the last time he was sent there, no adequate care was provided, instead his medical condition was exacerbated.
We demand that he be seen by an outside specialist doctor of the family's choice and that he be immediately transferred out of Marion prison.
We are calling on all those who are interested in actively supporting the demand that Oscar Lopez-Rivera receive proper medical treatment, to contact the following two people and include your voice with the growing number of people demanding that he be granted the medical treatment Oscar requires for his health.
This campaign is active is Chicago, Philadelphia, Boston, New Jersey, Orlando, California, and Puerto Rico.
Please support Oscar's struggle to get reasonable heath care and his family's right to choose a doctor.
Write, call or fax your support for Oscar to the two people listed below, the last week of each month until March 28:
Patrick Kane, Director North Central Region, Federal Bureau of Prisons Tower II, 8th Floor, 400 State Kansas City, KS 66101 USA Phone: (913) 621-3939 Fax: (913) 551-1094
Kathleen Hawk, Director Federal Bureau of Prisons 320 First Street NW Washington, DC 20534 USA Fax: (202) 307-3250 Fax: (202) 514-6878
For more information come to our informative presentation on February 28 at the James Weldon Community Center 2205 First Ave. (114 St.) 7-9 PM. New York City. We also have a literature table, Sat. 12-3pm (116 & Lex..) New York City
National Committee To Free Puerto Rican
Prisoners of War And Political Prisoners P.O.
Box 1106 New York NY 10035 USA
Arm The Spirit P.O. Box 6326, Stn. A Toronto, Ontario M5W 1P7 Canada
E-mail: ats@etext.org
WWW: http://burn.ucsd.edu/~ats
MRTA Solidarity Page: http://burn.ucsd.edu/~ats/mrta.htm
FTP: ftp.etext.org --> /pub/Politics/Arm.The.Spirit
ATS-L Archives: http://burn.ucsd.edu/~archive/ats-l