Marco Camenisch goes on trial for murder & attempted murder
Yesterday Swiss eco-activist Marco Camenisch, who is serving 10 years imprisonment for using explosives to destroy nuclear power station pylons, went on trial accused of murder and attempted murder.
As ELP supporters will be aware, Marco was initially jailed for his anti-nuclear actions in Switzerland in 1980. However in 1981, along with other prisoners, Marco escaped from prison. During the escape there was a shoot out between some of the prisoners and the prison wardens during which one prison warden died and another was injured.
Following his escape, Marco then went on the run for over ten years, carrying out a number of anti-nuclear actions (mainly blowing up electricity pylons) before finally being arrested in Italy in 1992. However after he was arrested it was suggested by the media and police that Marco may have been responsible for a Swiss boarder police officer who was shot dead in 1989.
After his arrest in 1992 Marco was held on remand, by the Italian authorities, before eventually put on trial in 1993 where he was found guilty of carrying out a number of anti-nuclear actions in Italy and was sentenced to 12 years imprisonment.
That sentence came to an end in 2002 and he was immediately extradited to Switzerland to complete the remainder of his 10 year prison sentence.
However after Marco was returned to Switzerland there was a lot of speculation that he might be charged with the murder of the boarder guard in 1989.
Marco has always denied killing the Swiss boarder guard. He has also always denied killing or injuring the prison warders during his escape from prison. However despite his innocence, Marco has been charged with the death of the Swiss boarder guard and the attempted murder of the Swiss prison warder in 1981.
These new charges against Marco can be seen as yet another attempt by the authorities to try and break Marco's spirit and an attempt to damage his international support base.
After all the years in prison, Marco, who defines himself an ecological anarchist, has never let the authorities change his mind about his political convictions. Instead, whilst behind bars, he has remained a political activist and by means of writing letters, he has organized a far-reaching international network of political and personal contacts.
Don't be under any illusion. The authorities want to break Marco. They hate the fact he has remained steadfast to his political identity and they loath his continued refusal to cooperate with the judicial authority. It is therefore no surprise that he has had these new charges laid against him.
It is up to the international prisoner support movement to make sure Marco receives all the support he can get and to remind the authorities that the support for Marco is as strong as ever.
Show your support for Marco by sending letters of support (in either English, German, Italian, Spanish or French) to:
Marco Camenisch
Flughafengefangnis
ZURICH-FLUGHAFEN
Postfach 8058
Zurich
Switzerland
For more information on Marco and his history, check out his prisoner profile on http://www.spiritoffreedom.org.uk or check out the multi-lingual website http://www.freecamenisch.net
In the run up to the run up to the start of Switzerland's political trial against Marco Camenisch a large number of Marco's supporters have carried out various protests, in both Switzerland and Italy, in support of Marco.
According to the British media, the Swiss police alone have revealed that they have made 98 arrests of Marco's supporters, most of whom are eco-anarchists and anti-globalisation activists.
In Italy as a result of one demonstration four people where remanded into custody. Two of whom (both Italians) have now been released. However the other two remain held prisoner by the authorities. One of the two is a woman from Zurich, Switzerland, called Andi, who is believed to be held because she is a known eco-radical and the authorities don't like her politics. The exact charges against her are unknown but her imprisonment can be regarded as political. The identity of the second person is still as yet unknown but it is believed they may be German or French.
Although we don't yet know Andi's prison location, ELP pledges our support to Andi and all of Marco's supporters who have been arrested and we will bring you regular updates about what's going on as and when we receive them ourselves.
In the meantime, we urge everyone to check out the multi-lingual website http://www.freecamenisch.net This website has pages written in English, Italian, Spanish, German and French.
As ELP supporters will be aware, Marco was initially jailed for his anti-nuclear actions in Switzerland in 1980. However in 1981, along with other prisoners, Marco escaped from prison. During the escape there was a shoot out between some of the prisoners and the prison wardens during which one prison warden died and another was injured.
Following his escape, Marco then went on the run for over ten years, carrying out a number of anti-nuclear actions (mainly blowing up electricity pylons) before finally being arrested in Italy in 1992. However after he was arrested it was suggested by the media and police that Marco may have been responsible for a Swiss boarder police officer who was shot dead in 1989.
After his arrest in 1992 Marco was held on remand, by the Italian authorities, before eventually put on trial in 1993 where he was found guilty of carrying out a number of anti-nuclear actions in Italy and was sentenced to 12 years imprisonment.
That sentence came to an end in 2002 and he was immediately extradited to Switzerland to complete the remainder of his 10 year prison sentence.
However after Marco was returned to Switzerland there was a lot of speculation that he might be charged with the murder of the boarder guard in 1989.
Marco has always denied killing the Swiss boarder guard. He has also always denied killing or injuring the prison warders during his escape from prison. However despite his innocence, Marco has been charged with the death of the Swiss boarder guard and the attempted murder of the Swiss prison warder in 1981.
These new charges against Marco can be seen as yet another attempt by the authorities to try and break Marco's spirit and an attempt to damage his international support base.
After all the years in prison, Marco, who defines himself an ecological anarchist, has never let the authorities change his mind about his political convictions. Instead, whilst behind bars, he has remained a political activist and by means of writing letters, he has organized a far-reaching international network of political and personal contacts.
Don't be under any illusion. The authorities want to break Marco. They hate the fact he has remained steadfast to his political identity and they loath his continued refusal to cooperate with the judicial authority. It is therefore no surprise that he has had these new charges laid against him.
It is up to the international prisoner support movement to make sure Marco receives all the support he can get and to remind the authorities that the support for Marco is as strong as ever.
Show your support for Marco by sending letters of support (in either English, German, Italian, Spanish or French) to:
Marco Camenisch
Flughafengefangnis
ZURICH-FLUGHAFEN
Postfach 8058
Zurich
Switzerland
For more information on Marco and his history, check out his prisoner profile on http://www.spiritoffreedom.org.uk or check out the multi-lingual website http://www.freecamenisch.net
In the run up to the run up to the start of Switzerland's political trial against Marco Camenisch a large number of Marco's supporters have carried out various protests, in both Switzerland and Italy, in support of Marco.
According to the British media, the Swiss police alone have revealed that they have made 98 arrests of Marco's supporters, most of whom are eco-anarchists and anti-globalisation activists.
In Italy as a result of one demonstration four people where remanded into custody. Two of whom (both Italians) have now been released. However the other two remain held prisoner by the authorities. One of the two is a woman from Zurich, Switzerland, called Andi, who is believed to be held because she is a known eco-radical and the authorities don't like her politics. The exact charges against her are unknown but her imprisonment can be regarded as political. The identity of the second person is still as yet unknown but it is believed they may be German or French.
Although we don't yet know Andi's prison location, ELP pledges our support to Andi and all of Marco's supporters who have been arrested and we will bring you regular updates about what's going on as and when we receive them ourselves.
In the meantime, we urge everyone to check out the multi-lingual website http://www.freecamenisch.net This website has pages written in English, Italian, Spanish, German and French.
Starmail - 12. Mai, 17:55
