Amadeu Casellas ends hungerstrike

iberia | crime prison and punishment | other libertarian press Wednesday September 10, 2008 20:48 by solidaridad

Amadeu Casellas, imprisoned by the Spanish state for 22 years, ended his hungerstrike after 76 days. Amadeu had been locked up for bank expropriations, and began a hungerstrike to demand release or transfer to 3rd degree imprisonment (where you only have to sleep in the jail or only stay there on weekends). Amadeu would likely have been released after 20 years imprisonment if not for his heavy involvement in the struggle against the FIES isolation regime in Spanish prisons during the 90s and beginning of this decade.

On Friday Amadeu Casellas, imprisoned by the Spanish state for 22 years, ended his hungerstrike after 76 days. Amadeu had been locked up for bank expropriations, and began a hungerstrike to demand release or transfer to 3rd degree imprisonment (where you only have to sleep in the jail or only stay there on weekends). Amadeu would likely have been released after 20 years imprisonment if not for his heavy involvement in the struggle against the FIES isolation regime in Spanish prisons during the 90s and beginning of this decade.

Amadeu won certain promises from the authorities with his hungerstrike: that once he is recuperated he will be given several furloughs, then given work in the prison and a limited 3rd degree (several hours allowed outside the prison a day) and then full 3rd degree.

Anarchists carried out protests and sabotages all around the world in solidarity with Amadeu.

From the prison hospital, Amadeu writes:

Yesterday 05/09/2008 at 14:30 I decided to quit the hunger strike that I was holding since 22/06/2008. I did it after dealing with the Sindic de Greuges from Catalonia (official charge to civil rights defense), concretely with Ignasi Garcia i Clavel which is the Director of Public Security and social relations. I also quited because of my health.

I want to thank for all the support that I got because I know that without it, a deal with them wouldn’t have been possible. I want also to thank my mum and specially my lawyer because even when she was ill, she was always there for me, together with his partner. Also thanks to CNT specially CNT-Manresa from where I’m member. I am also grateful for the support platform from Osona. To my friends, Maulets from Vic and my cousin (…) and all the organizations pro-human rights and against torture, to my comrades, anarchist groups from Spain and worldwide and all the people that wrote me letters and postcards because it was what gave me strength to go on. I don’t continue with the list because it could be too long, but once again I thank you all for your support and solidarity made possible this deal with the Sindic de Greuges. I have to say that I trust a lot in the Sindic because we know each other very well since a long time.

I hope that in a short time we all can celebrate my release. As you probably guess I have to remain at the hospital for a while and later some more time in the sickbay of the prison.

So I’ll try to inform about me through my relatives, friends or myself.

Salud y Anarquía.

Amadeu

A statement from a Barcelona support group:

Hey people,
in Barcelona we think that even though they have promised Amadeu permitted release when he recovers, until he is in the street we have not won. These promises are just words. Therefore, we are going to continue spreading information about this topic, giving presentations in locations that are close to us. It would be good if this were done everywhere. If you need information, get in contact with us.

Let's keep working, and not forget that Amadeu is still in prison.

Salud!