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Mumia Abu-Jamal

Johanna Fernández: Her Unrelenting Advocacy For Mumia Abu Jamal

August 23, 2026 Ann Garrison, Black Agenda Report. , , ,
Global peace and justice communities lost a warrior queen on July 30, 2026, when Dr. Johanna Fernández, associate professor of history at Baruch College and the CUNY Graduate Center in New York, joined the ancestors. She had been suffering from non-small cell lung cancer, which is particularly painful in its late stages. At her memorial, a number of speakers expressed gratitude that she was finally free of pain. Others said that she feared dying alone, not having a significant other at this point in her life, but she did die surrounded by friends and family.

Political Prisoner Mumia Abu-Jamal’s Petition To United Nations

August 5, 2026 Betsey Piette, Workers World. , , ,
Lawyers for Pennsylvania political prisoner Mumia Abu-Jamal filed a 20-page petition with the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention on his behalf on July 28 outlining nearly 45 years of “failures of the criminal legal system” in his case. The petition, filed by Brett Grote of the Abolitionist Law Center, along with the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and the Center for Constitutional Rights, argues that multiple violations of international law in Abu-Jamal’s case include an “unfair trial, a biased appellate process, decades of surveillance and censorship and a death by incarceration sentence that has been recognized by the U.N. as violating international human rights standards.”

Legal Team Of Mumia Abu-Jamal Appeals To The UN For Support

July 29, 2026 Renee Feltz, Truthout. , , , ,
World-renowned political prisoner Mumia Abu-Jamal is 72 years old, suffering multiple health problems, and may die in prison, say legal advocates in a new request they filed today that asks the United Nations to support his release. Abu-Jamal’s legal team decided to appeal to the UN after having exhausted nearly every legal avenue for relief available in the United States. Abu-Jamal was a Black Panther and journalist when he was convicted of the 1981 murder of Philadelphia police officer Daniel Faulkner, and he has always maintained his innocence. His death sentence was overturned in 2001, and in 2011, Pennsylvania resentenced him to life without parole.

On His 72nd Birthday, Philadelphia Marches To Free Mumia

April 28, 2026 Struggle - La Lucha. , , ,
Cold rain didn’t stop people today from marching in Philadelphia to free Mumia Abu-Jamal. The day before was the revolutionary writer’s 72nd birthday, which, like his previous 44 birthdays, was spent in a prison cell.  The political prisoner was framed for allegedly killing Philadelphia police officer Daniel Faulkner in 1981 and sentenced to death by Judge Albert Sabo. This bigot in robes declared in the presence of a court reporter, “I’m going to help them fry the [n-word].” Mumia’s real crime was as a 15-year-old helping to form the Philadelphia chapter of the Black Panther Party. He later challenged the city’s fascist mayor, Frank Rizzo, who urged his supporters to “vote white,” and threatened Mumia at a news conference.

Historic 12-Day March For Mumia Ends At SCI Mahanoy

December 12, 2025 Betsey Piette, Workers' World. , , , , ,
Around 150 participants filled both sides of the entrance road to State Correctional Institution (SCI) Mahanoy for a rally on Dec. 9 – the final day of the historic March for Mumia. The march demanded “Justice for Mumia Abu-Jamal, End Medical Neglect [in Pennsylvania prisons] and End Elder Abuse.” The 12-day, 103-mile march started in Philadelphia on Nov. 28 and ended in Frackville, Pennsylvania, with over 65 people walking the last three miles. A long-time supporter of Mumia, Pam Africa, with International Concerned Family and Friends of Mumia Abu-Jamal, reminded people that Mumia was a journalist, a teacher, and a family man, who was railroaded and never had a fair trial. She urged people to keep on fighting for justice for Mumia.

Long March For Mumia!

November 17, 2025 Zayid Muhammad, Workers' World. , , ,
The following is based on a lightly edited post from Zayid Muhammad in support of the Nov. 28-Dec. 9, 2025 March for Mumia: “Our struggle for freedom, justice and equality has always been a long, hard walk, to put it mildly,” says veteran voice for social justice Zayid Muhammad, chair of the Malcolm X Commemoration Committee. Muhammad will be among the marchers on Nov. 28 when supporters for [Pennsylvania] political prisoner Mumia Abu-Jamal will begin an incredible 108-mile walk to protest medical neglect he faces and the medical neglect characteristically facing aging prisoners! The walk is being simply called ‘March For Mumia’!

NPR Slants The Case Against Mumia Abu-Jamal

September 7, 2025 Jim Naureckas, Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting. , , ,
After attacks from police groups, National Public Radio quickly backed away from its plan to air commentaries by Pennsylvania death row inmate Mumia Abu-Jamal. Abu-Jamal, an African-American journalist, received a death sentence after being convicted in the December 1981 shooting death of Philadelphia police officer Daniel Faulkner—in a trial marred by gross procedural errors. NPR vice president Bill Buzenberg explained the 1994 decision not to air Abu-Jamal by saying it was “not appropriate to use someone in the commentator’s role who is the focal point of a highly polarized and political controversy without at the same time providing the context of the controversy and without other voices involved in that controversy.”

Pennsylvania Supreme Court Denies Mumia Abu Jamal’s Appeal

April 24, 2025 Betsey Piette, Workers World. , , , ,
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania - On March 26, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court denied political prisoner Mumia Abu-Jamal permission to appeal a September 2024 Pennsylvania Superior Court denial of his latest petition to reverse his 1982 conviction. The Supreme Court ruling ends Mumia’s state court challenge at this time. Mumia’s sixth petition was based on credible new evidence of prosecutorial misconduct — including Brady violations based on incentives given to the state’s key witnesses Cynthia White and Robert Chobert to give false testimony. The new evidence, found buried in storage boxes in a remote area of Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner’s office and turned over to Mumia’s lawyers in December 2021 also included evidence of racial bias in jury selection, a Batson violation.

All Out For Mumia Abu-Jamal In December

December 6, 2024 Betsey Piette, Workers' World. , , , ,
Philadelphia, PA - December 9 will mark the 43rd year of unjust incarceration for U.S. political prisoner Mumia Abu-Jamal. Demonstrations, teach-ins and other events will be held in several U.S. cities and in Mexico City, Berlin and Paris. In Philadelphia, a teach-in on political prisoners and dismantling the prison industrial complex will take place on Dec. 7 from 1-3 p.m. at Community College of Philadelphia, Center for Business and Industry, 17th and Callowhill streets, Room C2-28. A photo ID will be required for entry to the campus.

Hundreds March In Philadelphia To Free Mumia Abu-Jamal

April 30, 2024 Stephen Millies, Orinoco Tribune. , , ,
Hundreds of people marched through the streets of Philadelphia on April 24 to demand freedom for Mumia Abu-Jamal. That day the world-renowned political prisoner turned 70 years old. Mumia Abu-Jamal has spent over 42 years in prison, including 29 years on death row, for a crime he didn’t commit. He was framed for the 1981 killing of Philadelphia Police Officer Daniel Faulkner. People gathered on the south side of Philadelphia’s City Hall in front of the statue of Octavius Catto. The Black educator and freedom fighter was assassinated by a racist in 1871 when Catto was 32 years old.

Mumia Turns 70 On April 24

April 18, 2024 Betsey Piette, Workers' World. , , ,
Political prisoner Mumia Abu-Jamal will turn 70 on April 24.  This important life milestone will be observed in Philadelphia with an afternoon demonstration outside City Hall and District Attorney Larry Krasner’s office.  Also, 1,000 petitions, collected in France, will be delivered to Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro’s satellite office, demanding that Mumia be released to rejoin his family and to seek necessary medical care. An evening indoor gathering will be held at the historic Waters Memorial AME Church at 11th and South streets.

How To Resist The Deliberate Medical Neglect Of Our Political Prisoners

February 29, 2024 Julia Wright, Black Agenda Report. , , , ,
Dr Joy James asked a crucial question on a Guerilla University podcast which she co-hosted with Kalonji Changa on February 13th, 2024: " How does one organize a resistance against the medical assassination of our elders behind bars?" As abolitionists, we believe that there is no resistance without testimony and in this case without first person singular testimony about the reality of the hidden and daily torture of death by incarceration that Mumia Abu-Jamal calls slow death row. The common denominator that links all our political prisoners is slow death row.

Mumia Abu-jamal’s Appeal Is Denied

April 4, 2023 Natalia Marques, People's Dispatch. , , ,
Despite an international, high profile campaign for his release, Mumia Abu-Jamal’s appeal was denied by Philadelphia Judge Lucretia Clemons on Friday, March 31. Abu-Jamal has spent over 40 years in prison, convicted of killing a police officer after being politically persecuted for his work as a journalist and Black liberation fighter. The movement for his release has spanned decades and has grown to international levels, with high-profile figures such as NUMSA General Secretary Irvin Jim counted among his supporters. As Angela Davis wrote in an open letter in February, on December 16, a judge ruled that over over 200 boxes of materials must be handed to Abu-Jamal’s defense after previously-unseen exculpatory evidence was mysteriously discovered in 2018.

Judge Clemons Denies A New Trial For Mumia Abu Jamal

April 2, 2023 Noelle Hanrahan, Popular Resistance. , , ,
Today at 4:08 pm, March 31, 2023, Common Pleas court Judge Lucretia Clemons denied Mumia Abu-Jamal’s request for a new trial. This is simply devastating news. After 43 years in prison, Mumia Abu-Jamal has exhausted nearly all of his avenues for relief. Make no mistake: Justice required that Mumia Abu-Jamal be given a new trial. The enemy now is time. At 68 years old Mumia is suffering from cardiac disease and has had a double bypass, and nearly died from lack of treatment for acute Hepatitis C. If you put thick blinders on that block out all reality and rely on procedural minutia for cover, honestly, it is still impossible to avoid the scorchingly blatant racism of trial Judge Albert Sabo, Assistant District Attorney Joseph McGill, Mayor and former police chief Frank Rizzo, District Attorney during Mumia’s trial Ed Rendell, and Ron Castille, DA and former Pennsylvania Supreme Court Justice.

Law Is Politics By Other Means: Mumia Case Update

March 2, 2023 Noelle Hanrahan, Popular Resistance. , , ,
It has been 43 years. When is Mumia Abu-Jamal going to receive a new trial? Philadelphia Common Pleas Court Judge Lucretia Clemons has the opportunity to overturn Mumia's conviction and grant a new trial. The time to do that is right now.  The shocking new evidence that suggests bribery, perjury, and packing the jury with white jurors should be heard in open court. Evidence of constitutional violations in jury selection (a Batson claim) and suppression of evidence favorable to the accused (a Brady claim) was buried in the prosecutors files for four decades. It is now before this court.
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