---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Tue, 29 Sep 1998 22:33:20 -0400 From: National Peoples Campaign - DC <npcdc at mnsinc.com> To: peacecent at aol.com Subject: Day of Outrage for Assata Shakur
Day of Outrage for Assata Shakur
On September 15th, the US House of Representatives passed a resolution demanding that the Cuban government extradite Assata Shakur (Joanne Chesimard) and all 77 political exiles in Cuba to the US to serve the rest of their sentences. The Cuban government regards Assata's case as political and has consistently refused to return her under the extradition treaty with the US.
!!DEMONSTRATE AGAINST THIS RACIST OUTRAGE OF THE CONGRESS!!
MONDAY, OCTOBER 5TH, 12 NOON
INDEPENDENCE AVENUE, BETWEEN 1st STREET SW AND 1st STREET SE (INDEPENDENCE AND SOUTH CAPITOL)
Called by Black Autonomy International, blanarcho at hotmail.com
Excerpts from a legal Analysis by Michael Ratner of the Center for Constitutional Rights:
First, even apart from Assata Shakur's innocence and the unfairness of her trial, it is politically hypocritical for the United States to insist on her extradition. If there is a place where terrorists can call home, it is the Untied States. It gives refuge to criminals who have attacked and murdered scores if not hundreds of Cubans. Most notorious of these is Orlando Bosch, living in Miami, who was convicted of blowing up a Cubana airliner killing 76 people, including a young Cuban fencing team. And what of the agents of the CIA who planned and paid for numerous sabotage and terrorist attacks in Cuba.
.......stuff deleted for brevity
Second, under the extradition treaty with Cuba, it has the absolute and unfettered right not to extradite Assasta Shakur. Assuming the treaty is still valid, it contains a clear exception to extradition for crimes that are of a "political character."
Cuba has made the decision that Assata Shakur's case fits the "political exception" of the treaty. On April 2, Cuba forcefully turned down any request for Assata's extradition. A spokesman for the Foreign Ministry, Alejandro Gonzalez, said Assata was "a civil rights activist." He stated that she would not be extradited as the "government of Cuba has sufficient reasons to disagree with the charges against her and fears that she might be the target of unfair treatment."
If anyone would like the full text of Ratners analysis, reply by email and we'll be happy to forward it.
----------------------------------- The law, in its majestic equality, forbids the rich as well as the poor to sleep under bridges, to beg in the streets, and to steal bread.—Anatole France
National Peoples Campaign - DC PO Box 3700 Washington, DC 20037 Phone: 202-588-1205 email: npcdc at mnsinc.com Web: www.mnsinc.com/npcdc