Freedom for the Prisoners

To all revolutionary prisoners and comrades: So long as there is illegality, injustice and exploitation in the world, there will also be resistance to them. So long as there is resistance there will also be those in this resistance who face prison. So there will also be revolutionary prisoners along with the resistance to the system that dominates the world, until that system falls. Besides those who lose their lives in the struggle, the revolutionary prisoners pay the highest price in the patriotic and revolutionary struggle. Resistance does not end with captivity. They are ready to give their entire lives to preserve their beliefs and political identity and contribute to the resistance outside the prisons. With this consideration in mind those who resist inside the prisons and the "inner" aspect of the struggle. It is not important that our prisoners, who hold fast to their beliefs despite all repression, are "unfree", because they are behind four walls or prison bars. They are “FREE PRISONERS”, “OURSELVES WHO ARE BEHIND PRISON WALLS", who live while maintaining their beliefs and their struggle. Comrades, the struggle and the resistance goes on. Hold on, our fighters continue to exist in the mountains and the cities.

The worldwide resistance demanding rights and freedoms is continuing to be organised. And it will never cease. IMPERIALISM IS ON THE ATTACK WORLDWIDE, WE MUST SPREAD OUR ORGANISATION AND OUR RESISTANCE THROUGHOUT THE WORLD All over the world, attacks "OURSELVES WHO ARE BEHIND PRISON WALLS" with its prison practices, torture, arbitrariness and isolation. We too must resist these attacks and organise ourselves, whether we are inside or outside prison. When we speak of organisation, we naturally do not think of denying the political identity that all political prisoners possess in any case. Political organisation at the national level just like organisation in the framework of prisoners' organisations in each country should go on. But there is also a need for organisation at international level. Some organisations exist that can fulfil this need. But it is not possible for them to fulfil this completely.

The biggest obstacle is communication with prisoners. It is essentially a "LANGUAGE" problem which gets in thew way of communication. So for example it is simply impossible for prisoners from Turkey and the Basque country to communicate, or prisoners from Ireland and France. We, the International Platform Against Isolation, have started a new project to solve this problem and strengthen the solidarity and organisation of Free Prisoners at the international level. ‘OURSELVES WHO ARE BEHIND PRISON WALLS' Actually the “language” problem could also be solved if all prisoners in the world learned several languages bu that is not realistic. The most realistic method is for all prisoners to send their letters in internationally-known languages or in their own language to a central address at the international level. At this central address the letter will be translated into the language of the person who will receive the letter, and be passed on.

As the International Platform Against Isolation we are applying ourselves to this task. We do need international support for this work. Support is needed in the following areas: - Information like names, addresses, length of imprisonment and the languages known by all Free Prisoners. If prison transfers take place, the information on the address should be updated. - Persons, who can translate into various languages in line with amount of correspondence there is, and can send the translations to our Platform, by e-mail, for example. - Cooperation of all, in organised structures at national or international level, to guarantee regular communication between prisoners. - Swift and timely dispatch of letters and financial help for publications and the exchange of letters, to foster putting joint initiatives of prisoners into action. In parallel with that, to make ties more organised and create regular channels of communication, to issue an international prisoners' newspaper, which would contain letters and texts from prisoners and create joint political activities and solidarity. Material and moral support is needed for the printing, publishing and distribution of such a publication. We would like to give this publication the name “OURSELVES BEHIND PRISON WALLS".

Of course all who are interested in such work can contribute their suggestions. Let us not forget that the reason for imprisonment is to cut off from social production those who resist the system and to separate them from their ties to resistance.

The system tries to create a prisoner who does not participate in social production, who simply lets life pass by in jail and who is isolated from the world and from resistance. Only when the system can manage that can it actually break “OURSELVES WHO ARE BEHIND PRISON WALLS“.

The participation of the prisoners in social production, thus making it possible to take part in political activity and to break the isolation which the authorities try to create, thus means the victory of the struggle against the authorities' campaign to break prisoners through captivity and isolation.

To experience such a victory will give all Free Prisoners the strength to resist, whatever prison they find themselves in. We would like to be the voice of the Free Prisoners. We would like to make the voice of the Free Prisoners heard throughout the world. So we would like to receive suggestions and support from all Free Prisoners as well as from persons and organisations, who are active with regard to prisoners at both the national and the international level.

NO TO ISOLATION
LONG LIVE THE STRUGGLE OF FREE PRISONERS

July 3, 2003
INTERNATIONAL PLATFORM AGAINST ISOLATION

Contact address:
Rue Stevin 190, 1000 Brussels, Belgium
00.32.2.230.08.66

isolation@post.com