The Portugese social prisoner Antonio Ferreira de Jesus, 64 years old, received death threats from screws, and asks all, and in particular the anarchist friends and comrades, for their solidarity and to act on his behalf. Below you find a small text you can copy and paste and send/fax to the addresses given.
Antonio Ferreira de Jesus, 64 years old, has spent more than 11 years imprisoned in the prison of Vale de Judeus, Portugal. Before he got several other convictions, in total he served already 43 years imprisonment. Coming from a poor family, during the fascist Salazar regime, he revolts when he’s 17 when he’s thrown for the first time in prison. For years he suffers the horrors in prison, but he also learns to read and write and gains a greater knowledge about himself and the society he is living in. After his release, he is imprisoned three more times by the fascist state, and finally also by the “democratic” state. The worst crimes for which he was convicted are robberies of the rich and an assault on the boarding school of Leiria, where he was locked up several years of his life. His last conviction, without proofs and marked with unusual legal proceedings and violations of procedures, he got for the kidnapping of a heroin dealer.
Last year, a campaign of information, solidarity and action was launched to bring the case of Antonio Ferreira to the light - (http://libertemferreira.no.sapo.pt)
At this moment, the situation of Antonio is very delicate. Again, just as last year, he received death threats. On 20-7-05 he was threatened with death by a screw during a cell search. Also, a prisoner who recently stabbed another prisoner told to the other prisoners that the following “order” he got, is the killing of Antonio Ferreira de Jesus is. On the 6th of August he was threatened by death again by screws, who constantly intimidate and provoke him.
In a long declaration that was just released, he explains and gives more details about his situation and history; you can find it on the web in Portuguese (indymedia.pt), Castilian (alasbarricadas etc.), German (indymedia.de) and Dutch (ovl.indymedia, soon on our website too); Here is an exceprt from the translation:
“…Within Prison, I defend ideas and convictions, therefore I am persecuted. I defend my dignity, therefore I am persecuted. I write to the press since 1974, therefore I am persecuted. I became a member and correspondent of human rights and prisoners organisations, therefore I am persecuted. I profess libertarian ideas, therefore I am persecuted. I draw attention to the non-appliance of their own rules, the systematic violation of the Penitentiary Reform (Dec. Law 265/79), therefore I am persecuted. I challenge the corruption, the abuse of power, the random violence, the incompetence, the subjection of the prisoners to labour for a slave salary, therefore I am persecuted. Finally (although, not really...) I am a witness (and here comes the most delicate part for them, and the most dangerous for me) in several trials that are currently going on against prison officials of this prison (Vale de Judeus) who are suspected of being implicated in crimes of corruption, abuse of power and the death of detainees. Therefore I am hated, persecuted, oppressed and threatened with death! Since about one and a half year, I am in direct confrontation with the prison, where I am in a situation of great risk for my physical integrity. On top of the above mentioned persecutions and death threats, I am constantly subjected to cell searches…”
“…Now the hour has come to wait no longer and release an information to the public opinion and my libertarian friends and comrades, and that is that besides the persecutions and death threats I am also the victim of a personal act of vengeance of the Director General of the Penitentiary Services himself. And this is certain! These persons in general do not forget... Especially not when they politically belong to the extreme right and as such confront themselves with an individual, as in my case.
For crimes dating before the 25th of April 1974, which were strongly politically motivated against the old regime, I was still in custody in 1975 in the prison of Paços de Ferreira. At that time, the father of the current Director General of the Penitentiary Services was secretary of this prison. He was considered as a loyal and convinced Salazarist, especially because of the obstinate and super authoritarian manner in which he treated the prisoners.
In February of the same year, I was in the mean time elected as president of the Association of prisoners; I called for and started a strike with several demands like the dismissal of four officials, one of them being this father of the Director General of the Penitentiary Services...
They will never forgive me for this. The strike was repressed, after seven days, with a wave of bullets from machine guns, leaving one prisoner dead and several wounded at arms and legs. The first salvo was fired at me and they failed to kill me, but it was a question of millimetres.”
It is clear that the prison mafia wants to silence Antonio. The more he is isolated, the more the chance becomes real that the threats will be executed. Antonio sees how his telephone calls and visits are constantly refused; and at this moment nobody knows how long he still has to do. They want to bury him alive.
Let’s not be accomplices with the silence of the authorities.
His life depends on our solidarity!
Here below is a text you can copy and paste and send/fax to the addresses given. It is a small effort, but might be important, and a first step to show solidarity. You can also write him of course! (see the website http://libertemferreira.no.sapo.pt)
Estabelecimento Prisional de Vale de Judeus
2065-285 Alcoentre
Portugal
Considerando que António Ferreira de Jesus, prisioneiro no Estabelecimento Prisional de Vale de Judeus, se encontra numa situação jurídico-penal irregular que constitui uma flagrante violação ao disposto na lei, exigimos que seja de imediato restabelecido o cumprimento da legalidade referente ao cúmulo jurídico das penas desde 1975 a 1995, terminando assim a encapotada pena perpétua a que está submetido. Apesar de alegarem que os prazos dos recursos para o cúmulo jurídico em questão foram ultrapassados, o preso não pode no entanto ser culpabilizado por tal nem de sofrer uma pena adicional em consequência do mesmo.
Considerando que António Ferreira de Jesus, é alvo de sistemáticas perseguições, boicote de visitas e telefonemas, assim como de contínuas ameaças de morte (tendo as últimas sido a 20 de Julho e 6 de Agosto do corrente ano), exigimos que ele seja imediatamente transferido para outra prisão, enquanto não for restituído à liberdade!.
Os responsáveis e seus respectivos mandatários por tais ameaças são já bem conhecidos por nós. Não permitiremos que outro assassinato engrosse as chocantes estatísticas das mortes nas prisões portuguesas.
Liberdade para António Ferreira de Jesus!
(name-city-country)
email:
AR Presidente, 1ª Comissão, Deputado Mota Amaral - ascenso@ar.parlamento.pt
Deputado Mota Amaral - ivonen@ar.parlamento.pt
Deputado Mota Amaral - tmsantos@ar.parlamento.pt
Dr. João Portugal - joao.portugal@provedor-jus.pt
Ministério da Justiça - ministro@mj.gov.pt
Inspecção Geral dos Serviços de Justiça - correioIGSJ@igsj.mj.pt
Provedor de Justiça - provedor@provedor-jus.pt
Direcção Geral dos Serviços Prisionais - girp@dgsp.mj.pt
Procuradoria Geral da República - mailpgr@pgr.pt
fax:
Ministério da Justiça Fax: 21 346 80 31
Inspecção Geral dos Serviços de Justiça Fax: 21 322 36 66
Direcção Geral dos Serviços Prisionais Fax: 21 885 36 53
Procuradoria Geral da República Fax: 21 397 52 55
Provedoria de Justiça Fax: 21 396 12 43
Estabelecimento Prisional de Vale de Judeus Fax: 26 321 36 46 Tel: 26 348 62 61/26 348 62 92 (add country number of Portugal: 00351)