ELP Updates: Eco-activist, SHAC 7 & ex-Austrian prisoners news

from email, 22 December 2008:

"Earth Liberation Prisoners Support Network, information bulletin (19th December 2008). "Jonatan, the 20-year old Swedish eco-activist who carried out a number of eco-sabotage actions, has been sentenced to 15 months imprisonment. He has also been given a 36,000 SEK fine... SHAC 7 prisoner Andy Stepanian has been released from prison. He has been moved to a half-way house and is expected to be granted his full freedom in a few months time... earlier this year, ten Austrian animal rights campaigners were arrested and remanded for crimes they clearly did not commit. Five of the former prisoners, all connected to the Basisgruppe Tierrechte group, have written the following open letter about their case..."

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ELP has 3 lots of news for you:

1) Jonatan to appeal his 15 month sentence
2) SHAC-USA News
3) Open Letter from Former Austrian Prisoners

1) Yesterday ELP reported that Jonatan, the 20-year old Swedish eco-activist who carried out a number of eco-sabotage actions, has been sentenced to 15 months imprisonment. He has also been given a 36,000 SEK fine.

Following the sentence Jonatan's lawyer lauched an appeal and this appeal will be heard on the 8th of January 2009. Whilst awaiting his appeal Jonatan will remain free.

It is the opinion of the "tingsrätt" (the Swedish low court that passed the sentence) that Jonatan is "capable of causing society so much damage/danger that even though he is under 21 there is no other possible punishment but [a] prison sentence". However it is now up to the "Göta Hovrätt" (highcourt) to decide if Jonatan does indeed have to go to prison.

ELP will bring you more news as we get it, but in the mean time we urge everyone to send messages to support to Jonatan by e-mailing freejonatan@yahoo.se

2) There are two pieces of SHAC news from America. First off, SHAC 7 prisoner, Andy Stepanian has been released from prison. He has been moved to a half-way house and is expected to be granted his full freedom in a few months time. This is of course excellent news.

Secondly, Jake Conroy, also of the SHAC 7, has been moved. His new address is:

Jacob Conroy #93501-011
FCI TERMINAL ISLAND
FEDERAL CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTION
PO BOX 3007
SAN PEDRO, CA 90731
USA

As ELP has often said, a move at this time of year can be very disruptive to a prisoner, so please send urgent letters of support to Jake to help bring him Festive Season cheer.

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3) Finally, as all ELP supporters will be aware, earlier this year, in an overtly political investigation, ten Austrian animal rights campaigners were arrested and remanded for crimes they clearly did not commit. Five of the former prisoners, all connected to the Basisgruppe Tierrechte group, have written the following open letter about their case. Please feel free to circulate and reproduce this letter on websites and in magazines.

"Dear political activists, dear people in solidarity,

In the mean time it's been about two months since we, Kevin, Leo, Sabine, Jan and Christof of the Basisgruppe Tierrechte, could leave jail behind us and regained the long sought after freedom.

Prison does not only mean normalisation on the societal level, but also isolation, arbitrariness, incapacitation, degradation, fear, boredom and complete powerlessness on the personal level. A situation which was a daily reality for each of us for 3.5 months. After months of intense surveillance we were held between three prisones for a quarter of a year along with other animal welfare and animal rights activists under the pretence of "Forming a criminal organisation" (§278a of the Austrian penal code.)

In the mean time we have some distance from the most direct from of this repression. Nevertheless we remain in agreement about the significance of the solidarity which so many people showed us during our time in jail: besides the personal network which supported us indefatigably it was the wide-reaching solidarity of progressive people which allowed us never to lose our courage.

Through the solidarity we felt a bit less isolated and had the strength to hold on and never doubted for a second that there is nothing more necessary than to fight for a world without violence, dominance, and oppression.

We want to thank all those who showed solidarity with us -- in whichever form -- from the bottom of our hearts, whether it was through letters, protests, donations, visits, press work, benefit parties, animal rights actions, etc...

But it is not all over yet: the investigations against us and an unknown number of other peole continue and when this all may result in a dismissal or charges and a trial is a matter which nobody can foresee. The fact is that unless the prosecuting attorney finally gives up, we are threatened with up to 5 years jail in the case of a conviction and in any case enormous costs for the trial.

But in order to try to work against this, we still need your support: please continue to organize benefit events in order to raise money for our legal bills and keep informed about the ongoing case. The criminalization is aimed at animal welfare and animal rights activists and animal liberators at the moment, but the repression could take aim at any other "annoying" political movement that tries to work against the capitalist logic.

Therefore we are offering to help you in your contemplations and discussions about state repression, prison, etc by sharing our personal experiences, for example through lectures, personal talks... in whatever form or setting you would like. We are happy to share our experiences, no matter how traumatizing they were, with many people in order to strengthen active, progressive social movements. Get in touch!

For freedom, Leo, Sabine, Jan, Kevin and Christof from the Basisgruppe Tierrechte (BAT)

http://basisgruppe-tierrechte.org
http://antirep2008.lnxnt.org

Earth Liberation Prisoners Support Network

See: http://www.spiritoffreedom.org.uk

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