[Ppnews] Political Prisoner Yu Kikumura needs legal support

[PPnews at freedomarchives.org]

Yu Kikumura, a Japanese National - US Political Prisoner is imprisoned at 
ADX Florence in Colorado. This is a super maximum security federal 
control-unit prison. He needs some direct legal support (advice and/or 
representation).

Yu Kikumura was a member of the Japanese Red Army. They acted in support of 
the Palestinian struggle. In 1986 Yu Kikumura was arrested in Amsterdam 
carrying a bomb in his luggage. He was later deported to Japan but released 
on a technicality. He was arrested on April 12, 1988 at a rest stop on the 
New Jersey Turnpike by a state trooper who thought he was acting 
suspiciously. Kikumura was found carrying three 18-inch pipe bombs loaded 
with gunpowder. Kikumura was indicted on several counts of interstate 
transportation of explosive devices and passport violations. After a bench 
trial, Kikumura was convicted on November 29, 1988. He is currently serving 
a sentence of 262 months.


There are two legal cases he is looking for assistance on. One, described 
below, is a challenge the BOP's policy on correspondence written in 
languages other than English (they are currently refusing to give him his 
mail - written in Japanese - saying that they do not have the staff to 
screen the mail).  The second issue involves is good time credit for 
federal prisoners - the BOP's failure to grant good time credit according 
to their own policies and procedures.

On June 21, Yu wrote, "First,  for three months all my Japanese mail was 
held up by the prison.  In March the doctor in Englewood FCI who had 
screened my Japanese mail since 1994 quit the screening job. The SIS 
(Special Investigation Service) that handles all mail screening for 
prisoners said that they found another 6 BOP employees who are qualified to 
screen Japanese material.  However, none of them want to screen my mail 
because they are too busy....

"In Kikumura v. Turner, the 7th Circuit held that under the 1st Amendment 
that the BOP has the affirmative duty to make reasonable efforts to screen 
my Japanese mail.  The ruling was only for equitable relief, not monetary 
relief because at that time there was no case law to rule the same - for 
the monetary damages claim we need case law that clearly establishes that 
their conduct is unconstitutional.  We now have such a law which clearly 
establishes my rights to receive my Japanese mail...

"The issue in the case is simple: The BOP refuses to screen my Japanese 
mail even though they have 7 BOP employees who can screen it and despite 
the 7th Circuit ruling."

Please help locate someone who can do some post-conviction legal work & 
make a donation to him.

Contact Michelle Foy, mich8423 at mindspring.com 510-593-7823,
who is coordinating sending funds & can answer questions about his current 
legal work/challenges.

If you would like to write Yu directly:
Yu Kikumura, #09008-050, P.O. Box 8500-ADX, Florence, CO 81226.

(Letters in Japanese will not be delivered)



The Freedom Archives
522 Valencia Street
San Francisco, CA 94110
(415) 863-9977
www.freedomarchives.org  
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://freedomarchives.org/pipermail/ppnews_freedomarchives.org/attachments/20050729/27679b12/attachment.htm>