Phil Africa's medical crisis and subsequent incommunicado placement

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[icffmaj] PHIL AFRICA'S MEDICAL CRISIS AND SUBSEQUENT INCOMMUNICADO PLACEMENT


Dear Friends,

Please see the letter below from Ramona Africa regarding Phil Africa's medical crisis, and his subsequent lack of access to any MOVE member, his wife (Janine Africa, also incarcerated), or anyone else either in person or by phone.

It is urgent that we all call both the prison where Phil was prior to getting ill, SCI Dallas in Pennsylvania, 570-675-1101, and the hospital where he is supposedly being treated for his medical crisis, Wilkes Barre General Hospital, 570-829-8111, and demand that:

1. Phil be allowed to make phone calls, and

2. that a full medical report be given to his wife, Janine Africa.

When I called the prison this morning they insisted they could only give a medical report to family members. Yet they have refused to provide Janine with that information.

When those at the prison or the medical facility repeat, as they did with me, that only his family can get a medical report, point out that we know they are withholding the information from Janine, Phil's wife, as well and that they are violating Phil's rights and his family's rights by not providing Janine with that information.

In the struggle and Ona Move!

Suzanne Ross, for the Free Mumia Abu-Jamal Coalition
(Updates from MOVE will follow)



LETTER FROM RAMONA AFRICA

LONG LIVE JOHN AFRICA

ONA MOVE! We, the MOVE family want to inform you about a serious situation concerning our brother, Phil Africa (William Phillips Africa #AM 4974). He is being held incommunicado at a hospital near the prison where he is incarcerated. We have heard nothing from or about Phil since our brother Delbert Africa called us Sunday Afternoon (1/4) saying that Phil had been sent to an outside hospital. We discovered that he is at the Wilks Barre General Hospital (570 829-8111) but can get no information from the hospital. Hospital officials are saying that Phil can have no visits and that he can’t make any phone calls. Prison officials say there is no phone in his room. A spokesperson at the prison (SCI-Dallas in PA. 570 675-1101)), a major, told us on Monday morning that they would keep Phil’s wife, Janine Africa, informed about him. Janine is an inmate at SCI-Cambridge Springs (in PA.). She called home and said that she has heard nothing. I called the prison this morning (1/6) and was told that I could not be connected to the superintendent and that I had to write a letter. Bret Grote, an attorney, also contacted the prison and spoke with the superintendent’s assistant. Mr. Grote was told that we were informed that the prison would be in contact with us concerning Phil. This is a lie. Nobody has responded to our calls. Nobody has been in contact with us or Phil’s wife. We are informing people about this problem because we all know that prison officials or hospital officials can’t be trusted. The prison and the hospital need to feel some pressure to inform Phil’s wife about his condition or allow him a phone call. Thanks for your support in this matter.

ONA MOVE

Ramona Africa for
The MOVE Organization

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[icffmaj] Critical update on Phil Africa


Critical Update

Phil Africa, one of the MOVE 9, was recently hospitalized. As of today the hospital claims that he is not there and the prison claims he isn't in the prison. Neither the prison or the hospital will give out information about where he is or the state of his health. He has not been allowed to call his MOVE family, his wife - Janine Africa (who they previously said they would allow him to call), or any of his blood relations.

On Monday a prison official said that Phil's medical records would be released to Phil's wife, Janine Africa. Today they are backtracking and refusing to release the medical records. This is blatant prejudice because Janine is a MOVE member and because she is in prison. There is no justifiable reason that Janine should not be given the records.and there is no justifiable reason that a hospitalized inmate should be refused the right to call home. This situation is even more critical becuase right now we don't even know where Phil is, how he is,or what is happening to him. This refusal to allow communication is typical of the casual cruelty and sadistic and unnecessary callousness of the prison system. This is a very dangerous situation. Please join us in demanding that Phil be given his right to call his family immediately.

Call SCI Dallas in Pennsylvania, 570-675-1101, the hospital where he was supposedly being treated for his medical crisis, Wilkes Barre General Hospital, 570-829-8111, and John Wetzel, Secretary of Corrections, 717-728-2578 and demand that:

1. Phil be allowed to make phone calls, and

2. that a full medical report be given to his wife, Janine Africa.

We know that these situations are critical! We have to be steadfast to protect our brother!

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RESPECT & LOVE TO THE
MOVE FAMILY
ON THE PASSING OF
PHIL AFRICA 1-10-2015

On Saturday, January 10th 2015 Phil Africa, revolutionary, John Africa’s First Minister of Defense, and beloved brother, husband and father, passed away under suspicious circumstances at the State Correctional Institution at Dallas, PA. On Sunday, January 4th Phil Africa wasn’t feeling well and went to the prison infirmary. Though he wasn’t feeling well, other inmates saw Phil Africa walking, stretching and doing jumping jacks. Hearing that Phil was in the infirmary MOVE members drove up to visit him and were denied a visit by the prison. While they were visiting with Delbert Africa, Phil was secretly transported to Wilkes Barre General Hospital where he was held in total isolation, incommunicado for five days.

Prison officials at SCI-Dallas wouldn’t communicate about Phil’s condition. They told MOVE that Phil was at Wilkes Barre General hospital but the hospital denied he was there and this back and forth lie went on for days almost the entire time Phil was being held. The hospital and the prison behaved very suspiciously denying Phil the ability to call family members or his wife of 44 years, Janine Africa, stating that she was not a blood relative. The hospital and prison received hundreds of phone calls in support of Phil from around the world. When they finally submitted to pressure and allowed Phil to call Janine on Thursday, January 8th he was heavily drugged, incoherent and couldn’t even hold the phone to talk to her

On Friday, January 9th Phil was sent back to the prison infirmary and placed in hospice care upon arrival. On Saturday, January 10th Ramona and Carlos Africa were granted permission to visit Phil in the prison infirmary. When they reached him he was incoherent and couldn’t talk or move his head to look at them. An hour after they left Delbert called with the news that Phil passed away.

Inmates in the infirmary and others in the prison were shocked when they heard the news. They had witnessed his vigorous health for decades in the prisons, had just seen him stretching and doing jumping jacks six days earlier. This rapid decline all occurred while he was being literally held incommunicado from his MOVE family at Wilkes Barre General Hospital or Dallas prison or wherever these conspirators were holding him with murderous intent.

The fact that Phil was isolated for the six days before he passed, The prison even refused to acknowledge that he was in the hospital is beyond Suspicious
This is another example of how the system hates MOVE and will do anything to stop MOVE. You can look at the example of August 8th, 1978 when the MOVE 9 were illegally imprisoned, and May 13th, 1985 when the government dropped a bomb and intentionally murdered 11 MOVE members to see this point clearly. When Merle Africa died in prison on March 13th, 1998 the conditions were very similar. She had been one way in the prison, but within hours of being forced to go to an outside hospital she was dead.

Phil made a deep impression on people all around the world. He was constantly writing, often dozens of letters a day, encouraging solidarity and strength, and warmly advising hundreds of people. Phil worked hard to learn to paint and created countless paintings which he sent to supporters for free to draw attention to issues, get raffled off for the struggle, and bring people together. Phil took his commitment and work as a revolutionary very seriously, but was often smiling, laughing, and giving people hugs and encouragement. He was a warm father figure to many in the prison where he taught inmates how to box, to think, and how to get stronger. Despite having two of his children murdered by the system and being separated by prison, Phil was a father figure to many. He was separated from his wife Janine for over 36 of the 44 years they were married, but he worked hard to stay connected with her even though they were so callously isolated by the system.

It’s this system’s intention for MOVE people to die in prison. The MOVE 9 never should have been imprisoned at all, and according to their sentence they should have been paroled over six years ago. The death of Merle and Phil Africa rests directly at the feet of this government! Phil will never be forgotten and this is not the end he is dearly missed but his strong example should inspire everyone to fight harder for the freedom of the MOVE 9 and all political prisoners .This latest government treachery will be the fuel needed to motivate people to step up the pace for this revolution .

LONG LIVE PHIL AFRICA!
LONG LIVE MERLE AFRICA!
FREE THE MOVE 9!
LONG LIVE JOHN AFRICA!

For More Info Or How You Can Help:

Contact Ramona Africa at [email protected]