NLG Files Urgent Appeal To UN For Mumia Abu-Jamal

NEW YORK, NY – Members of the National Lawyers Guild (NLG) Heidi Boghosian and Natsu Saito, with Kathleen Cleaver of the Human Rights Research Fund, today delivered an Urgent Appeal Request on behalf of Mumia Abu-Jamal to Juan Méndez, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Torture. The Request addresses the life-threatening denial of medical care to the 61-year-old journalist, political activist, and human rights defender who has been described as “perhaps America’s most famous prisoner.”

According to the Request, Mr. Abu-Jamal, currently in the custody of the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections, has life-threatening medical conditions that have been caused and/or exacerbated by his conditions of confinement. It reports that prison officials have consistently denied him appropriate medical treatment and adequate nutrition, and blocked access to his doctors, his lawyers and his family members. As a result, Mumia Abu-Jamal’s health has deteriorated rapidly over the past four months, and has now reached a crisis point where his life appears to be in imminent danger.

“We are concerned by the pattern that has emerged of willful neglect of Mr. Abu-Jamal’s serious, even life-threatening, medical issues, interspersed with responses that deal with particular symptoms in a scattershot fashion, rather than trying to identify and address the underlying causes of his potentially life-threatening illness,” the Request states.

The Request asks the Special Rapporteur to review of Mumia Abu-Jamal’s treatment under the Urgent Appeal procedure and to urge the United States government to comply with its obligations under international human rights law by ensuring, immediately, that Mr. Abu-Jamal (1) be provided regular and ongoing examinations, reliable diagnoses, and medically appropriate, comprehensive treatment; (2) be provided access to an endocrinologist, a dermatologist, an oncologist, and other specialist(s) as necessary; (3) be provided with a diet appropriate to his medical conditions; and (4) be assured of contact with his attorneys.

“For over 30 years, from death row, Mumia Abu-Jamal provided a thoughtful and powerful voice for the dispossessed, and he continues to do so from his sickbed. It now appears that only other human rights defenders can prevent his voice from being silenced by death as a result of state sanctioned medical neglect,” the Urgent Appeal Request concludes.

View the full Urgent Appeal Request to Juan Méndez, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Torture, here.

The National Lawyers Guild is dedicated to the need for basic and progressive change in the structure of our political and economic system. Through its members–lawyers, law students, jailhouse lawyers and legal workers united in chapters and committees–the Guild works locally, nationally and internationally as an effective political and social force in the service of the people.

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Update from Noelle Hanrahan:

On Saturday May 2nd, Pam Africa and Abdul Jon visited Mumia Abu-Jamal at SCI Mahanoy. He was weak, stable, and alert.  The visit ended so that he could get rest.  Mumia is still in the infirmary.  He has been able to call his wife Wadiya Jamal.   After being denied a visit  on Monday, (the prison is closed for any visits on Tues & Wed) on Thursday, Mumia’s Attorney Bret Grote Abolitionist Law Center met with Mumia for 3.5 hrs. This was in the immediate wake of Grote having submitted an expert medical recommendation letter to the Dept. of Corrections. This letter from Mumia’s doctor outlined the need for Mumia to undergo immediate and thorough diagnostic tests in search for the cause of his persistent and recently life threatening conditions. Conditions which the prison has allowed to become nearly lethal.

On Friday, prison medical staff informed Mumia that they were going to proceed with the first diagnostic test recommended in the expert medical letter. This skin biopsy occurred Monday. Oversight and close monitoring of these tests is crucial.  The prison is preventing Mumia and Mumia’s doctors from adequate oversight and input. Because communication is being limited by prison officials Mumia does not have access quickly enough to information he needs to advocate for his own care.   We are clear that Inadequate testing, delays, and any deviation from the medically necessary course of treatment, will be challenged by Grote’s legal team, whom are prepared to act.

Obtaining a diagnosis is of paramount importance at this moment.

Mumia remains seriously ill. Public pressure has been key every step of the way, and remains extremely important.  Please keep up the calls, emails and faxes. Demand that (1) Adequate diagnostic testing be done (2) That Mumia’s doctor is able to communicate freely and regularly with the prison infirmary physicians who are delivering Mumia’s medical care (3) His doctor has meaningful and regular phone access with Mumia. (There are no phones in the infirmary, his calls are limited to 15 mins and and he has limited access to the day room where the phones are). (4) And allow Mumia’s chosen doctor to conduct an onsite medical examination.    

Call, write, fax continue to keep the pressure on demand freedom & medical care for Mumia: