Marco Camenisch: parole denied

Marco Camenisch: parole denied

The Zurich Office of Corrections denied the conditional release of Marco
Camenisch. The 60 years old eco-anarchist prisoner is incarcerated since
20 years. At present, he’s in the prison of Lenzburg, Switzerland.

This January he went on a limited hunger strike to protest against the
annual ‘World Economic Forum’ in Davos – a disgusting gathering of
self-declared business and world leaders, culture industry wankers like
Bono, and assorted rich arseholes. Two anarchist prisoners joined Marco’s
protest: Silvia Guerini (prison of Hindelbank) and Luca ‘Billy’ Bernasconi
(prison of Regensdorf).

This year Marco Camenisch has served 2/3 of his prison sentence. As a rule
prisoners in Switzerland are entitled to an early release on parole after
serving 2/3; Marco is not.

There should be a ‘hearing’ on his parole in February. But the Zurich
Office of Corrections informed his lawyer, they wouldn’t ask Marco any
questions at all – they simply wouldn’t release him. End of the story. The
‘hearing’ is but a farce. Marco will stay behind bars because he doesn’t
renounce. He remains steadfast in his political beliefs.

5 years ago a public prosecutor, Ulrich Weder, a member of Swiss Labour
(SP), tried to get Marco sentenced to indefinite incarceration. Asked for
his reasons, Weder said: But why, that’s an anarchist! Furthermore the
Zurich Office of Corrections refused Marco’s prison leave several times
for no other than political reasons. In preparation for parole, every
prisoner is entitled to a prison leave; again, Marco is not.

We ask everybody to take appropriate action in solidarity with Marco
Camenisch!

And write an email to the Zurich Office of Corrections and let them know
what you think of them: info-juv@ji.zh.ch or info-bvd@ji.zh.ch – there are
fax machines too: +41 43 259 84 40 or +41 43 259 84 41

Victory to the prisoners!

Friends and supporters of Marco Camenisch, 2/1/2012
Conact: knast-soli (at) riseup (point) net

More info: http://www.rhi-sri.org (mostly German and Italian) &
http://www.informa-azione.info (Italian)

Please write to Marco: Marco Camenisch, PF 45, CH-5600 Lenzburg, Switzerland
(Don’t forget to write down a sender)

***
Who is Marco Camenisch?
In the late 1970s Marco Camenisch (b. 1952) was a militant of the popular
movement against nuclear power stations. He was arrested in 1980 and
subsequently got a 10 year prison sentence for attacks against the Swiss
nuclear industry. Luckily, he was able to escape. In 1989 corporate media
and Swiss secret services accused him of murdering a border police
officer. Marco rejectetd these claims. In 1991 he was arrested again, this
time in Italy, and convicted for acts of sabotage against the nuclear
industry. In 2002 he was extradited to Switzerland and sentenced to an
additional 18 years of prison based on a dubious murder charge (the border
copper). Though afterwards, the Swiss Federal Supreme Court declared the
sentence inadmissible. In 2007 it was reduced to 8 years. As late as 2018
they must release him. Marco describes himself as a green anarchist. He is
a very active and sincere supporter of left and progressive social
movements; also, he took part in numerous protests behind bars.
***

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!

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.

News from Swiss prisons: hunger strike and international solidarity week

Marco Camenisch has announced another hunger strike from 6th to 8th December, in connection with the international week of solidarity with Silvia, Costa and Billy planned for the 6th to the 12th December.

Marco has denounced the extreme isolation that Silvia, Costa and Billy are being subjected to by the Swiss state and has remembered the “Gathering Against Isolation”, which this year was organised by Turkish activists to commemorate once more the many prisoners died in the infamous F-Type prisons in Turkey.

“In my heart and mind, every living being kept in a cage, isolated, tortured, exploited, annihilated. And all the social warriors that, caged or free, fight to end this system of State and capital, of dominion, racism, oppression and exploitation.”

Important update: Marco Camenisch has been transferred

Dear comrades,
Marco Camenisch has been transferred from Zurich to a high  security prison in Orbe, without even giving him the time to get ready or tell anyone! This happens after 8 years in Zurich, out of the blue and without any warning!

We don’t know the reasons for this, but can make our own conclusions. We think this is due to his recent hunger strike together with Silvia, Billy and Costa; to the international mobilisations around long-term revolutionary prisoners; to his long-term committment and his contacts with the international movement. Once again the system is trying to isolate him, by transferring him to a high security prison far away.

Solidarity is our weapon: let’s use this weapon by sending cards and greetings to Marco.

Marco Camenisch
Penitencier de Bochuz
Case Postale 150
1350 Orbe
Switzerland
Original article: International Red Aid

Hunger strikes in Swiss prisons by anarchist prisoners Marco, Billy, Costa and Silvia

Eco-anarchist prisoners Marco Camenisch, Luca Bernasconi, Costantino Ragusa and Silvia Guerini started an hunger strike the past 10th September.

Communiqué from Italy Indymedia:

We – Billy, Costa, Silvia and Marco – eco-anarchist and revolutionary individuals hostages of the Swiss state have decided to start a hunger strike from 10th September 2010. Because of our situation and the delay in communicating with each other (which for 3 of us means we can’t communicate with each other at all because we’re under preventative arrest), the arrangements and organisation of this initiative are very difficult and most probably you will only be able to have more detailed news, confirmations, and individual declarations only later on during the month.

Call-out for international solidarity with Marco Camenisch

Marco Camenisch, known for his active role in the anti-nuclear movement of the 70s, has been a political prisoner for almost 20 years. As a militant green anarchist he has been taking part in struggles, campaigns and protests in and outside prison during all these years. He is currently detained in Regensdorf, near Zurich.

In two years Marco should be granted conditional release (which is the norm in the Swiss prison system). However his situation is a particular one: he’s been refused all special privileges and preparatory measures for release. The medical treatment he needs continues to be insufficient (Marco has cancer). Day releases and parole are refused on the grounds that he does not renounce his political convictions and has to many friends all over the world who might help him escape – yet having good social contacts is one of the criteria for conditional release.

The lifelong struggle of eco-anarchist Marco Camenisch

Marco Camenisch, 58 years old this Thursday, has spent 20 of the last 30 years in prison for his political actions, and has at least another 8 years to do. For the 10 years he was not in prison, he lived on the run, clandestinely, in Italy, Switzerland and elsewhere. Recently, in late December, he participated in a global hungerstrike by some 15 anarchist prisoners to draw attention to their struggle and affirm their resistance to state repression.

The following article has been translated from the Italian website set up to support Marco, and gives a brief history of his life and motivation (any links & highlighting have been added by translator):

“Marco Camenisch was born on 21 January 1952 in Switzerland, in a small village of the Graubunden region. At the beginning of 1980 Marco was arrested for damaging electricity pylons and transformers, once against the NOK company (which ran nuclear power plants in Switzerland) and once against their distributors, the Sarelli company. The sentence was very harsh: 10 years. Marco was well aware this reflected the seriousness of what was at stake: the ecocide perpetrated by the the power industry as part of the wider system of destruction, which formed the target of his own struggle.