A poster for Bashir Hameed created by the Jericho Movement

Bashir had a triple bypass heart surgery about two years ago, so we have to treat these symptoms very seriously. Call the prison immediately at (518) 639-5516 and demand the following:

1. Bashir must receive immediate medical attention.

2. He must be taken immediately to the hospital that performed his heart surgery.

3. He must be transferred immediately to a facility where his medical needs can be taken care of.

Make a similar phone call to Assemblyman Jeffrion L Aubry, chairman of the Corrections Committee. Call his Albany office at (518) 455-4561 and ask for Ms. Shauny Smoakes. Bashir has reached out to Assemblyman Aubry to investigate conditions at Great Meadows Correctional Facility with little success.

Call and send copies of your letter to

• Assemblyman Jeffrion L. Aubry, 102-13A Northern Blvd., Corona, NY 11368,

• Honorable David A. Paterson, Governor of the State of New York, State Capitol, Albany, NY 12224, (518) 474-8390,

• Chairman, State Commission of Corrections, 4 Tower Place, Albany, NY 12203-3764, and
• Commissioner Brian Fischer, New York State Department of Correctional Services, Harriman State Campus, 1220 Washington Ave., Albany, NY 12226-2050, (518) 457-8134.

And write to encourage Bashir. Address your letter to Bashir Hameed/ York, 82A-6313, Great Meadows Correctional Facility, P.O. Box 51, Comstock, NY 12821.

Who is Bashir Hameed?

According to the Malcolm X Grassroots Movement, "Bashir Hameed was born and raised in New Jersey. In 1968, he joined the Black Panther Party while residing in Oakland. Once he returned to New Jersey, he became deputy chairman of the New Jersey Chapter of BPP. FBI documents obtained during the ‘70s reveal that during this time Bashir became a COINTELPRO target. He was charged and convicted of the murder and the attempted murder of two police officers in April 1981. This conviction came as a direct result of his political activity.

"Bashir Hameed and his co-defendant, Abdul Majid, were tried three times. Their first trial ended in a hung jury divided along racial lines. The second trial was declared a mistrial by the judge immediately after the jury rendered a decision that acquitted Bashir on the murder charge. At a third trial, they were eventually convicted for murder. Bashir is currently serving a sentence of 25 years to life."

Last year Bashir was put in solitary confinement after his cell was raided and the guards found "political contraband." What was it? Pictures from the Black Panther Party reunion.

Safiya Buhkari of the Albert "Nuh" Washington Foundation tells of the Foundation's Bashir Hameed Project: It "was established by the children and grandchildren - Panther cubs - of parents who were members of the "original" Black Panther Party (OPs). With a concept that was initiated by OP Political Prisoner Bashir Hameed, the project seeks to secure and establish a rurally located and foundation owned Urban Youth Retreat Camp, which will be based on traditionally Afrikan-, Native- and Eastern-centered belief systems.

"The camp's primary objective will be to successfully bring "at risk" urban youth through a Rites of Passage Program which will provide them with the necessary tools to hopefully avoid the traps and pitfalls of the capitalist controlled and police enforced U.S. prison-military industrial complex."

Free all Political Prisoners!

Herman Ferguson is former co-chair of the National Jericho Movement, P.O. Box 1272, New York NY 10013, (718) 949-3937, This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it , www.thejerichomovement.com. Claude Marks of Freedom Archives, This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it , and Political Prisoner News updated the contact phone numbers. Bay View staff contributed to this story.

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