It's been two months since Moben, author of the book "Eat Your Pain," was transferred to the Organized Crime Unit (QLCO) in Condé-sur-Sarthe. As a reminder, he was subjected to a punitive transfer on November 18th precisely because of his book, "Recipes from a Prisoner in Solitary Confinement," published by Éditions du Bout de la Ville. He was also paying the price for an unfortunate timing: the grand opening of these new-style high-security units, dedicated to "drug trafficking," which had to be filled to justify their creation.
"I'll pay to go back to solitary confinement," he said after spending a few weeks there. It took a month for him to receive his belongings, which he claimed had been sent with him. Six pairs of underwear: along with six pairs of socks, six t-shirts, and six pairs of pants, that's all he's allowed. And why? "That's how it is here." Here, this new place where he now wonders how to survive, surrounded by masked guards 24/7, silent when they open the cell, always outnumbered-between five and ten. His communication with the outside world is practically nonexistent: he has access to the visiting room-only with his lawyer for the time being, and even then, the visiting booths are equipped with intercoms. The mail is starting to come out, and he seems to be receiving it.
On the legal front, an emergency appeal for release was filed by his lawyer, which was rejected-so far, no emergency appeal for release for prisoners transferred to QLCO (Quartier Légère de Coopération et d'Orientation - Quality and Cooperation and Orientation Zone) has been accepted. This means that no judge-ah, the famous independence of the judiciary!-is willing to risk going against the Ministry of Justice.
Officially, this unit isn't considered isolated. A prisoner might happen to walk with a fellow inmate, something impossible in a typical segregated unit, but the conditions are far worse: not seeing another human face is profoundly dehumanizing. The balaclavas? They're granted because of the perceived dangerousness of the inmates in the segregated unit, drug traffickers with a sprawling network outside who could retaliate against the guards... One can only imagine the impunity their anonymity grants them over the prisoners.
These segregated units are laboratories; under the pretext of the prisoners' perceived dangerousness, a host of increasingly arbitrary measures can be tested there. If what's being implemented there isn't challenged and opposed, it will become entrenched and spread to all other prisons in the coming years. For example, in the Condé-sur-Sarthe 12th arrondissement prison, the guards have started doing the same things as in the QLCO (Quartier de Légion de Combat d'Occupation) and wearing balaclavas at all times. Faced with all this, a first prisoner uprising took place a few weeks ago at the QLCO; they blocked the peepholes and corridors. They haven't achieved much so far, but they are trying to establish a balance of power.
A support committee for Moben is being formed to secure his release from the QLCO, to document and denounce these units that routinely use torture through isolation. It is open; you can contact Éditions du Bout de la Ville (contact@leseditionsduboutdelaville.com) to join. They are willing to travel to talk about the book, about Moben, and about the specific situation in the QLCO.
Meanwhile, Moben says he's delighted that the book is circulating; it's something we shouldn't hesitate to do-a solidarity campaign for activist kitchens across the country to buy the book is underway-the first printing sold out completely, and the second printing of 1,500 copies is also being widely distributed. The funds raised will go to the support committee. And let's get cooking in solidarity!
Jolan
http://oclibertaire.lautre.net/spip.php?article4643
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Link: (en) France, OCL CA #357 - Moben: Two Months in Solitary Confinement, a Campaign, and a Support Committee (ca, de, fr, it, pt, tr)[machine translation]
Source: A-infos-en@ainfos.ca
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