On May 17, 2007, the appeal for a new trial in the case of political prisoner and prolific journalist Mumia Abu Jamal was heard in the 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals in Philadelphia, while hundreds of supporters protested outside for Mumia's freedom. On Thursday, Mumia's appeal was denied.

Instead, he was given a hearing on whether they will try to keep him in jail without the possibility of parole, which is a slow death sentence, versus trying to execute him, which is a fast death sentence. We, the people, demand no death sentence. Free Mumia, with no if, ands or buts about it.

MOI JR: Pam, what is the breaking news?

Pam Africa: The first thing that I want for people to understand is that under no circumstances are people to confuse this with a victory or a semi-victory on behalf of Mumia. This is one of the dirtiest low downest decisions made in Mumia's case.

The 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals made a decision to have a hearing based on Judge Yohn's decision in 1981 stating that Mumia should spend life in prison, without the possibility of parole. The District Attorney appealed that and asked for the death sentence.

This hearing is based on those two points. People must understand that all the evidence of innocence that has been put forth in the courts, those that were not allowed, and those that they threw out cannot be administered in this section right here. People gotta understand very clearly that if it is a decision that Mumia will be given life in prison without the possibility of parole, and they wonder how Mumia feels about this, all they need to understand is that in December 2001, when federal court Judge Yohn made that decision, Mumia immediately appealed it.

When you have evidence of innocence you have nothing to compromise. More than likely Mumia will appeal that decision again. People got to understand now is the time you got to rise up because for years people have been stating that there will be some fairness out of the federal courts.

The decision was made in 2001, and now it is 2008. Judge Yohn has barred evidence of innocence to be administered in this case. If Mumia is to appeal, it goes up to the next level, which will go before nine judges. One of them judges is Midge Rendell, the wife of Gov. Ed Rendell, who was the District Attorney who framed Mumia in the very beginning.

Mumia has complete evidence of innocence. It's up to us the people to rise up right now to stop this murder that is getting ready to take place.

MOI JR: What does this mean to the Black community, colonized, and poor people in general?

Ch. Fred: Again, as Comrade Pam just pointed out, we must intensify the mobilization out there on the streets. We got to remain principled, and our principled position is that Mumia has got to be free, got to be returned back to the community that he has served.

We recognized that the state has consistently attempted to silence this brother in one way or another, and we also take into account the history of this government, U.S. prisons in particular, who have a history of implementing the death penalty in one way or another, whether it be through the Shaka Sankofa style or tactic or whether it be through the Larry Davis type of style, or what have you.

Again, the state must be very clear that Mumia belongs to the people, and the state can't have him, in no shape or form. We must intensify the demand that Mumia must be free. We must remain principled, and we must remain focused and not let up one bit on our relentless demand that Mumia must be free.

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