A-Infos (en) France, OCL CA #357 - Moben: Two Months in Solitary Confinement, a Campaign, and a Support Committee (ca, de, fr, it, pt, tr)[machine translation]

It's been two months since Moben, author of the book "Eat Your Pain," 
was transferred to the Organized Crime Unit (QLCO) in Condé-sur-Sarthe. 
As a reminder, he was subjected to a punitive transfer on November 18th 
precisely because of his book, "Recipes from a Prisoner in Solitary 
Confinement," published by Éditions du Bout de la Ville. He was also 
paying the price for an unfortunate timing: the grand opening of these 
new-style high-security units, dedicated to "drug trafficking," which 
had to be filled to justify their creation.

"I'll pay to go back to solitary confinement," he said after spending a 
few weeks there. It took a month for him to receive his belongings, 
which he claimed had been sent with him. Six pairs of underwear: along 
with six pairs of socks, six t-shirts, and six pairs of pants, that's 
all he's allowed. And why? "That's how it is here." Here, this new place 
where he now wonders how to survive, surrounded by masked guards 24/7, 
silent when they open the cell, always outnumbered-between five and ten. 
His communication with the outside world is practically nonexistent: he 
has access to the visiting room-only with his lawyer for the time being, 
and even then, the visiting booths are equipped with intercoms. The mail 
is starting to come out, and he seems to be receiving it.

On the legal front, an emergency appeal for release was filed by his 
lawyer, which was rejected-so far, no emergency appeal for release for 
prisoners transferred to QLCO (Quartier Légère de Coopération et 
d'Orientation - Quality and Cooperation and Orientation Zone) has been 
accepted. This means that no judge-ah, the famous independence of the 
judiciary!-is willing to risk going against the Ministry of Justice.

Officially, this unit isn't considered isolated. A prisoner might happen 
to walk with a fellow inmate, something impossible in a typical 
segregated unit, but the conditions are far worse: not seeing another 
human face is profoundly dehumanizing. The balaclavas? They're granted 
because of the perceived dangerousness of the inmates in the segregated 
unit, drug traffickers with a sprawling network outside who could 
retaliate against the guards... One can only imagine the impunity their 
anonymity grants them over the prisoners.

These segregated units are laboratories; under the pretext of the 
prisoners' perceived dangerousness, a host of increasingly arbitrary 
measures can be tested there. If what's being implemented there isn't 
challenged and opposed, it will become entrenched and spread to all 
other prisons in the coming years. For example, in the Condé-sur-Sarthe 
12th arrondissement prison, the guards have started doing the same 
things as in the QLCO (Quartier de Légion de Combat d'Occupation) and 
wearing balaclavas at all times. Faced with all this, a first prisoner 
uprising took place a few weeks ago at the QLCO; they blocked the 
peepholes and corridors. They haven't achieved much so far, but they are 
trying to establish a balance of power.

A support committee for Moben is being formed to secure his release from 
the QLCO, to document and denounce these units that routinely use 
torture through isolation. It is open; you can contact Éditions du Bout 
de la Ville (contact@leseditionsduboutdelaville.com) to join. They are 
willing to travel to talk about the book, about Moben, and about the 
specific situation in the QLCO.

Meanwhile, Moben says he's delighted that the book is circulating; it's 
something we shouldn't hesitate to do-a solidarity campaign for activist 
kitchens across the country to buy the book is underway-the first 
printing sold out completely, and the second printing of 1,500 copies is 
also being widely distributed. The funds raised will go to the support 
committee. And let's get cooking in solidarity!

Jolan

http://oclibertaire.lautre.net/spip.php?article4643
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