<![CDATA[Celebrating Birthdays in January: Jeremy Hammond & Other Political Prisoners]]>
freehammond.com
Brought to you with love by the Chapel Hill Prison Books Collective, Political Prisoner Birthday calendars are created and circulated monthly to help increase solidarity to our comrades who are behind bars. The Prisoner Birthday Calendars are shared monthly to supporters via e-mail, to receive them send an e-mail to: ppbirthday@riseup.net. Consider sending a January birthday card to folks that would love to hear from you! Read on to find out more about political prisoner Jeremy Hammond, whose birthday is also this month.
Jeremy Hammond, a computer-cyber hacker that was told in a pre-trial that they could face up to LIFE in prison if found guilty of hacking into the intelligence group, Stratfor, website and revealing private data of more than 50,000 subscribers and employees. He is being charged with providing Wikileaks the documents for their latest Stratfor release.
Hammond was arrested back in March after he and other members of an alleged hacking collective were turned over to law enforcement. An international hacking group, known as Anonymous, put the pressure on the judicial system by exposing the judge residing over Hammond’s case has a direct connection with a victim of the Stratfor website, who happens to be her husband. Conflict of interest is extremely high and any hopes of a fair trial are non-existent unless Hammond’s case is handed over to a different judge. Unfortunately, the federal judge has refused to recurs herself from the trial.
Michael Ratner, president emeritus of the Center for Constitutional Rights, told the press, “Well, the rules seem to me very clear in federal court, that if there’s any appearance of impropriety, appearance of a closeness to the case, that basically you have to recuse yourself from being a judge in the case. You have to do it automatically, even if the defendant doesn’t make a motion.”
This month Jeremy will be celebrating his 28th birthday in prison, please send him a card!
Jeremy Hammond
#18729-424
MCC New York
150 Park Row
New York, New York 10007
There has been a lot of coverage on Hammond’s case. Here’s a look at what others are saying. An interesting article posted by The Atlantic in March after Hammond’s arrest.
Rolling Stone Magazine, who has been covering a lot of government infiltrated cases over the last couple years, including the Cleveland 4, recently posted an article called “The Rise and Fall of Jeremy Hammond.”
Democracy Now! and other news outlets are comparing Jeremy Hammond to Bradley Manning, here’s the broadcast of their coverage from December 27th, 2013.
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