Subject:

Silvia Baraldini -- political prisoner

Date:

Thu, 10 Apr 1997 10:05:07 -0400

From:

PARC & the Prison Issues Desk <parcer@igc.org>

To:

Prison activist list subscribers <prisonact-list@igc.org>

fwd: From: MichaelP <papadop@peak.org>

Subject: Silvia Baraldini -- political prisoner

There is an urgent letter writing campaign being waged in support of Silvia

Baraldini - an Italian citizen serving an absurd 43 year sentence because

of her political associations. To learn more about her case and the

campaign visit:

http://www.justice-for-silvia.org

FACT SHEET ON THE CASE OF SILVIA BARALDINI

Silvia Baraldini is a 48-year old Italian citizen who has served 14

years in the U.S. prison system.

Her sentence, imposed in 1984, is 40 years, longer than most rapists

and murderers receive. The acts for which she was convicted were attempted

robbery, for an action that never took place, and aiding a prisoner

escape. She was never accused, let alone convicted of aiding and/or

participating in any act which resulted in injury to anyone. She was never

armed and was arrested on a busy street in Manhattan without incident and

without a weapon. (Elizabeth Fink, Silvia's attorney.)

Four times the Italian government petitioned for her transfer to an

Italian prison. The U.S. Government (both the Bush administration and the

Clinton administration) refused each request.

Silvia has been eligible for parole since 1993.

Why has the U.S. government refused to release Silvia Baraldini?

Silvia was a student radical in the 1960s and 70s, fighting against

racism, protesting the Vietnam War and demonstrating for women's rights.

Later she campaigned for an end to apartheid and colonialism in Africa

and, as a result, was invited to the inauguration of the new government in

Zimbabwe. She worked to expose the FBI's illegal COINTELPRO program that

spied on and harassed domestic political

opponents.

Silvia was an early supporter of the Black Panther Party and a member

of the Committee to Free the Panther 21. All 21 defendents were acquitted

of all charges. From prison, she has spoken tirelessly on behalf of Mumia

Abu Jamal, the African-American radio journalist on death row in Pennsylvania.

The U.S. denies that it punishes people for their political beliefs.

But Silvia fits every definition of a political prisoner. She received an

incredible 40 year "racketeering" sentence for aiding in the escape of

jailed Black Panther leader, Assata Shakur and for "conspiring" to commit

a robbery. Another three years were added when she refused to testify

before a grand jury investigating the Puerto Rican independence movement.

Silvia's case shows a pattern of government persecution:

In 1989, Italy signed the Strasbourg Convention, specifically to

petition for Silvia's return. The Convention provides for the transfer of

prisoners to their country of origin to complete their sentences. Though

the U.S. has transferred thousands of prisoners to their homelands under

the Convention, Silvia's appeal was denied. Since then, the Republic of

Italy has asked for her return three more times.

In 1990, a million Italian citizens sent letters calling for Silvia's

release. U.S. religious leaders visited the Justice Department in 1992 and

in 1994 to petition for her transfer. Also, in 1992 ten thousand

signatures by U.S. citizens were presented to the Justice Department.The

European Parliament unanimously voted for her repatriation in 1995.

Yet the United States refuses to release Silvia:

Silvia Baraldini's life since her incarceration reflects her social

commitment. She has organized, with other prisoners, an on-going AIDS

project, bilingual in Spanish and English; completed her Bachelor's degree

and entered a Master's program in Comparative Literature. All while she

was in prison. Currently, she teaches African-American history as her

prison job.

Yet she continues to be held prisoner:

For two years, Silvia, with two other political prisoners,

Alejandrina Torres and Susan Rosenberg, was entombed in an experimental

"small group isolation" unit in Lexington, Kentucky. The unit was closed

after an international and domestic human rights campaign led to a court

decision finding a violation of constitutional rights. This unit was the

focus of a PBS documentary entitled Through the Wire.

Silvia contracted uterine cancer in Lexington and was given late,

inadequate treatment. She received regular, prescribed follow-up medical

treatments only after another nationwide campaign.

Silvia Baraldini should be immediately paroled!

The parole guidelines specify 40 to 52 months incarceration for the

crimes for which Silvia was convicted. She has served more than 167 months.

We, the members of the Committee to Return Silvia Baraldini to

Italy, call on the Parole Board, the U.S. government, President Clinton,

the Justice

Department and the Bureau of Prisons to cease their abusive and disparate

treatment

of Silvia Baraldini and release her to Italy.

Please take these steps:

1. Write a letter to the Parole Board supporting Silvia's parole effort

Commissioner John R. Simpson

US Parole Commission

5550 Friendship Blvd., Suite 420

Chevy Chase, MD 20815

BUT MAIL YOUR LETTER to:

ElizabethFink

294 Atlantic Ave

Brooklyn, NY 11201.

2. Help financially:

make checks payable to:

CRSBI

PO Box 02-1140

Brooklyn, NY 11202

or

CRSBI

3543 18th Street

#30 SanFrancisco, CA 94110.

3. Write Silvia a letter:

Silvia Baraldini (05125-054)

FCI Danbury

Pembroke Station

Danbury, CT 06811.