Partisan Defense Committee Letter

5 March 2012

Partisan Defense Committee P.O. Box 99, Canal Street Station, New York, NY 10013

email: partisandefense@earthlink.net   www.partisandefense.org

Contact: Kevin Gilroy (212) 406-4252

Free the MOVE 9!

On March 5, the Partisan Defense Committee sent the following letter calling for parole for the MOVE 9.

Dear Chairman Potteiger:

The Partisan Defense Committee once again joins with those supporting the release of the eight surviving political prisoners who have been collectively known as the MOVE 9. By any standard, such as ties to the community and a support network outside to “ease their transition,” there is absolutely no reason that any one of these men and women should be denied parole.

The main pretext for keeping the  MOVE members incarcerated is their supposed "minimization/denial of the nature and circumstances of the offense(s) committed." But it is clear that these men and women are innocent of the charges related to the death of  police officer James Ramp.  Even the presiding judge Edwin Malmed who was asked after the trial, “Who shot James Ramp?” replied, “I haven’t the faintest idea.”  Evidence released over time has clearly shown that Officer Ramp was killed in the massive crossfire by nearly 600 police officers who besieged the MOVE home on 8 August 1978. 

The continued refusal to release these prisoners effectively denies parole to those who have been imprisoned for crimes they did not commit. It is an injustice that these men and women were ever incarcerated at all. Their continued confinement compounds that injustice on a daily basis. We call once more for the immediate, unconditional release of Debbie Africa, Janine Africa, Janet Africa, Chuck Africa, Eddie Africa, Phil Africa, Delbert Africa and Mike Africa.