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LOCAL News :: Civil & Human Rights

SOA 16 Trial: Chicago, Illinois Resident Sentenced to Two Months for Crossing the Line

Don Coleman of Chicago, Illinois, was sentenced to 2 months in federal prison today by the Columbus, Georgia federal court.
Coleman, 69, is among 16 defendants, ranging in age from 17 to 71, who were charged with trespassing after peacefully walking onto the Fort Benning military base in protest of the SOA/WHINSEC this past November 19 during the annual SOAW vigil at Ft. Benning. "Through my experience working in Central America, I have become very critical of US foreign policy," Coleman said. "We must work to close the SOA/WHINSEC and change US foreign policy towards Latin America."

Judge G. Mallon Faircloth presided over the trials of the SOA 16 today, sentencing eleven human rights activists, including Don Coleman, to between 30 and 71 days in prison. Trial proceedings will continue for at least the rest of the day. Judge Faircloth is known for handing down harsh sentences to opponents of the SOA/WHINSEC.

January 28-30, 2007 - Festival of Hope and SOA 16 Trials

Throughout the week of January 28-30 Columbus, Georgia is once again the meeting place for human rights activists from around the country. Families, friends and supporters traveled thousands of miles to accompany and share with the sixteen SOA Watch activists who will be facing trial on Monday the 29th.

- On Sunday, January 28th we gathered at the Howard Johnson's Presidential Ballroom to celebrate the Festival of Hope. We celebrated the struggle for human rights and justice by sharing stories, anecdotes, poetry and singing songs of hope.

Former Prisoner of Conscience, Ken Kennon, read a poem written during his time served in federal prison for protesting the SOA/WHINSEC. Father Roy Bourgeoise gave us an update from his recent trip to Latin America where together with Lisa Sullivan, Carlos Mauricio and Pablo Ruiz (Observadores de la Escuela de las Americas-Chile) he met with other human rights activists and government authorities in Panama, Ecuador, Colombia and Nicaragua. We also had the honor of hearing Jennifer Harbury, author of "Truth, Torture and the American Way" (Beacon Press, 2005) and widow of Efrain Bamaca Velasquez, a Mayan resistance leader who was abducted, tortured and executed by Guatemalan graduates of the SOA/WHINSEC.


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