Update from SOA Watch

Watch Prisoners of Conscience released from federal prisons.
Pedro Guzmán released from the Stewart Detention Center!

We are so excited to tell you that Father Louis, David Omondi and Pedro Guzman have been released from prison!

Last Friday David was met by friends and family at Yazoo City, Mississippi, and Father Louie at the Lompoc Federal Correctional Institution, California. After serving six months in prison for crossing the line onto Fort Benning during the 2010 November Vigil, they are glad to see loved ones and open space. They've sacrificed a lot to help transform this culture of militarism into one of justice and peace.

Can you join them in taking a stand? If you haven’t already, contact your representative today and urge them to sign on to the congressional letter calling for the closure of the SOA/WHINSEC by executive order.

Following 19 months of incarceration at the Stewart Detention Center (one of the largest immigrant prisons in the U.S.), Pedro Guzman has been released! Pedro's unjust incarceration was the focus of a protest and civil disobedience action in the lead-up to the 2010 November Vigil.

As Father Louis, David and Pedro head home, and while the SOA Watch Prisoners of conscience Nancy and Chris remain locked up, we have been stepping up efforts in the halls of the Capitol to build support for two important Congressional sign on letters. If you take action today, it will help strengthen our case and bring us even closer to shutting down the SOA and archiving justice in Honduras.

Charges against SOA Watch activists still pending in Columbus, Georgia and Washington, DC
All charges against Kaelyn Forde and Jon Conway, two of the journalists who were among those indiscriminately arrested by the Columbus police during the 2010 November Vigil, were dropped on Thursday, May 19, 2010. Nineteen of those who were arrested in Georgia last November still have pending charges of "unlawful assembly," "demonstration without a permit" and "picketing" against them. The SOA Watch Legal Collective is working with them on their legal defense.

Fifteen SOA Watch activists are scheduled to go to court in Washington, DC on September 12. The 15 were part of the die-in on the White House sidewalk during the SOA Watch Days of Action in April 2011. They engaged in the nonviolent direct action to call for an end to U.S. militarization in the Americas and on President Obama to sign an executive order to shut down the School of the Americas.

Thank you for all that you do in this movement! Let us keep everyone who is being targeted by the criminal (in)justice system and Nancy and Chris in our thoughts, write to them in prison and help magnify the courageous actions of all the prisoners of conscience by turning up the heat in Congress to close the SOA/WHINSEC for good.

Yours in struggle,

SOA Watch

P.S. Already taken action? You can help spread the word about this vital work by sharing this action with your friends and family here.

Help SOA Watch accompany Honduran community leaders whose lives are being threatened.

Thank you so much to everyone who’s already given to our new Honduras Accompaniment Program. Since the 2009 coup led by SOA graduates, over 80 political assassinations have taken place in Honduras. As a recent SOA Watch delegation substantiated, the numbers of murders, detentions and death threats to community leaders and human rights activists have spiraled in recent weeks. Our partners in Honduras have asked that we send Spanish-speaking international accompaniers to vulnerable communities. The mere presence of international observers can literally save lives of those struggling for justice in Honduras.

Thanks to your generosity, we have already raised $4283. There is still time to help us reach our goal of $5,000 to allow us to launch this program in June. If you haven't already done so, please give today! www.soaw.org