International Week of Solidarity with Anti-Fascist Prisoner Jock Palfreeman

via Indymedia UK

A call out for solidarity with Anti-fascist prison resister Jock Palfreeman

We are urgently calling all anarchist, anti-fascist and other anti-authoritarian left wing groups to act in solidarity with Jock Palfreeman (full story of his case is in the attached appeal below). Jock has already served several years of his 20 year sentence in Bulgaria. He actively works towards organising his fellow prisoners and highlights cases of repression by the prison authorities. He is one of the founders of the Bulgarian Prisoners Association. In the last few years, the response to his imprisonment and calls for solidarity with him from the anarchist and anti-fascist movement have been underwhelming. He needs more groups and individuals to join the campaign for his freedom. His family and some liberals have been organising support for him and trying to raise money for his fine; but Jock was always asking for a more direct kind of solidarity other than just politely asking the authorities to be nice. He needs people to not only constantly put pressure on the Bulgarian authorities in the form of letters and emails, but also organise demos and pickets outside embassies and/or any other Bulgarian institutions, generally spreading awareness about his case.

Please keep publishing information about Jock on your blogs, websites and social media. We hope you will all join the upcoming International Week of Solidarity with Jock Palfreeman on 22nd-28th April, and use your creativity and imagination to express solidarity.

Brighton Anarchist Black Cross
http://www.brightonabc.org.uk

International Week of Solidarity with Jock Palfreeman – 22nd-28th April

Jock Palfreeman is an Australian who, on the 27th December 2007, on a night out in Sofia, Bulgaria; had the courage to stand up against a group of fascist hooligans. Witnessing the fascists chasing and attacking two young Roma boys, Jock ran to the boys’ aid. He did his best to keep the fascists at bay but they ended up turning on and attacking him. Left with nowhere to run, Jock had no choice but to defend himself. Andrey Monov, one of the racist gang, was stabbed and later died. Another, Anton Zahariev was injured. The Roma boys ran away. Jock has since been tried and sentenced for murder and attempted murder. He was sentenced to 20 years imprisonment and has been given a fine running into hundreds of thousands of dollars. Andrey Monovs father is well known in Bulgaria and at his funeral there were a mixture of judges, police and politicians. Jock’s trial was (not surprisingly) a complete sham – yet another example of corruption, secret handshakes in the judicial system and media bias. The prosecutions case was built on the witness statements made by the other racists that were part of the attacking group, all claiming that Jock randomly attacked and chased them, with the intent of killing somebody. Key people and possible witnesses for Jocks defence were never interviewed by police and CCTV footage from the scene miraculously went missing. Many of the statements made at the time were different to the statements submitted to the court by the prosecution., while Jocks statement has remained consistent from the night in question.

Jock Palfreeman Solidarity Demo. Thursday 15th March. 11am. Bulgarian Embassy – LONDON.

Jock Palfreeman Solidarity Demo. Thursday 15th March 2012. 11 am. London

Demonstrate outside the Bulgarian Embassy in solidarity with Jock Palfreeman the young Australian man who was set up by the Bulgarian police and criminal justice system after he stepped in to stop an attack on a young Roma in December 2007. Jock Palfreeman was sentenced in December 2007 to 20 years in Bulgaria’s notorious Sofia Central Prison.
See the Free Jock website for in-depth information and analysis about Jock Palfreeman’s trial and imprisonment.
Watch the One Night in Sofia documentary for interviews with Jock Palfreeman, his family and supporters.
Check the 5 minute interview with Professor Dave Barclay, forensics expert.

11 a.m. Bulgaria Embassy.
186-188 Queen’s Gate.
London.
SW7 5HL

googlemap of bulgarian embassy

Prisoner List October 2011

The latest list of ‘political prisoners’, compiled by Bristol ABC from a large number of sources, is now available.

As ever the updating of this list is a labour of love in these times of ever growing numbers of comrades sent down, as resistance mounts around the world against the horrors unleashed by the forces of capital and states everywhere. Whilst we endeavour to make sure the information is correct, we could fill a hundred pages and still not include all those who need solidarity & support – and thats without even having the confirmed info from many parts of the world. As it is, in many instances we are now putting in links to sources in other countries for you to follow yourself. Here is the list (updated 25 oct 2011):
As an open office doc – Prisoner list_Oct2011
As a pdf – Prisoner list_Oct2011

For an explanation of the need to support prisoners, and tips on writing to prisoners, see our resources page.
In solidarity with all those locked up and still struggling!

Anti-repression round up

So two weeks after the wave of disturbances swept across England, and the state’s blinkered response is clear to one and all – revenge against all those that stepped outside the accepted norms of of our disfunctional society. Unless of course you are a politician, media tycoon, corporation, or cop, in which case the normal rules dont apply and you are free to get away with just about anything – like stealing £’s thousands and millions, and of course shooting people dead.

What we are seeing is naked class justice from the ruling class directed at the working class, as they break all the rules they expect us to abide by and make up new ones to suit themselves along the way. Or to look at it another way, on the 10th August they were scared, very scared, and they didn’t like it one bit. So thousands arrested, over 1600 so far railroaded through emergency courts, hundreds of images of people published by the media before any sort of trial, unusually long prison sentences and irregular bail conditions handed down, and so on. With the prisons & police cells full to bursting with both remanded and sentenced prisoners, it only needs one spark for the whole prison system to break down, whilst the conditions inside the prisons will cause many prisoners to break down. The suicide of a remand prisoner at Bristol prison last weekend will not be the last (remember that whatever charges the person may face, they aint even been to trial yet). Meanwhile back on the streets its business as usual for the ruling class with rising unemployment and inflation, more cuts to services, devalued wages and pensions and savings, and of course more bank bailouts from public money.

Political prisoners list July 2011

Here is the monthly list of political prisoners compiled by Bristol ABC, for July 2011.
As an open office doc: prisoner-list_july2011

It is a worrying fact that the list of political prisoners is growing both here in the UK and around the world. The fact of the matter is that we barely scratch the surface of the list of people doing time for their political beliefs and actions. Indeed, if you look through our list, you will note that details of political prisoners across eastern Europe, Africa, Asia and the middle east are almost entirely absent. These peoples’ plights are virtually unrecorded (in the english language at least) , and they number in the tens of thousands, with many disappearing forever, as often as not murdered by their repressive regimes.

Political prisoner list June 2011

Bristol ABC’s monthly prisoner list is now back on track and today we are publishing the list for June 2011. Download your copy here:
open office version – Prisoner list_June2011
PDF version – Prisoner list_June2011
We make an effort to keep this info a correct as possible. However if you have any verifiable additions or corrections please contact us by email at bristol_abc[AT]riseup.net
With an increase in political prisoners internationally it is becoming difficult to keep up with changes and moves. We are therefore slowly moving towards a list that provides good links to further information in countries, whilst still highlighting some cases. Here are some cases worth highlighting:

Jock Palfreeman’s sentence upheld after appeal – Support needed

Jock Palfreeman’s appeal against his 20 year sentence in Bulgaria has reportedly failed, as the Bulgarian state continues to ignore the facts (background – see previous articles).

This report come from FreeJock.com, a family based support website, dated 22 February:
“The appelate court has upheld the first court’s decision and maintained the 20 year sentence. This despite all the evidence supporting Jock’s story. The family finds this appalling and will file for a further appeal with the court of Cassation. When we have the written judgment from the appelate court we will be able to make a more detailed response to this decision.”

A similar report is posted on Anarchist Solidarity dated 23 February, and includes a defiant statement from Jock:
Jock finally received court verdict on his appeal. In blatant disregard for all the facts presented to them during the process, Bulgarian authorities upheld Jock’s ridiculous sentence, complete ingoring all evidence in his defence. There are no words to describe our contempt and disgust we feel towards all those people responsible for his imprisonment. Jock can appeal the decision within 14 days and the last appeal will take place within next few months. We have to put more pressure on Bulgarian authorities if we don’t want them to get away with what they are doing at the moment.

Here is Jock’s comment on the sentencing:

Prisoners welcoming support list for February 2011

Here is our monthly list of UK & international prisoners welcoming support.
Open office versionPrisoners list_Feb2011
Pdf version Prisoners list_Feb2011
As ever, if you have corrections, updates or additions then email them in to us please.

9 February – prisoner support letter-writing night.
From 7 to 9pm at The Factory, 2-8 Cave St, BS2 8RU
We have lists of prisoners in the UK and internationally who welcome support, along with info on specific cases and campaigns. We will have paper, pens, envelopes and info, all you need to bring is some writing power, and perhaps a donation towards postage. Come along to find out more of what we do, and the benefits of prisoner support. Drop in for a bit or for the whole 2 hours. Hot drinks etc available.

Prisoner support newsletter and updates

January 2011 finds us enthused by recent events around the world that point to the coming year as being a potentially significant one in the struggle against capital and oppression. Events in Belarus, Algeria and a little more successfully in Tunisia, show that many ordinary people can only be pushed so far before fighting back. Despite 2 decades of dictatorship and tightly controlled police states, and despite the consequences of resisting, people in these 3 countries have shown amazing bravery and determination.

We remain enthused by the actions of students and youth in late 2010 across the UK, into Italy, and spreading across Europe, giving a small indication that the ongoing 2 year rebellion in Greece is slowly spreading an anti-capitalist virus that the state has no final antidote to. Encouraging in these struggles have been displays of solidarity with people arrested, and a very fast learning curve amongst protesters of the need for legal info & support.

Jock Palfreeman appeal trial continues 19 January

New public statement issued by Jock!

Jock’s appeal against his sentencing/convictions for murder and attempted murder continued late into December 2010. His next court date is set for 19 January in Sofia, Bulgaria, when the judge is likely to hear pleas from both sides before retiring to consider his verdict – which may take a month or two?