Date: Thu, 18 May 1995 21:56:31 -0400 (EDT) From: Carol Moore <[c--oo--e] at [CapAccess.org]> To: waco2 <[9--5--4] at [iona.sms.edinburgh.ac.uk]>, [alt activism] at [cs.utexas.edu], Subject: DAVIDIAN PRISONERS NEWS (fwd) Message-ID: <[Pine 3 07 9505182131 G 22521 e 100000] at [cap1.capaccess.org]> Carol Moore [c--oo--e] at [CapAccess.org] NEWS FROM DAVIDIAN PRISONERS After the Oklahoma City bombing the Bureau of Prisons moved the two Davidian prisoners, Renos Avraam and Livingstone Fagan, out of El Reno Prison in Oklahoma, the same prison to which Tim McVeigh was taken. Because they were in Oklahoma relocating them to other prisons probably was for their own good--more from guards than prisoners, as you will read below. However, they also have put at least four other Davidian prisoners in lockdown and are moving two, Graeme Craddock and Jaime Castillo. They were living across the hall from each other and will now probably be sent to different prisons, as well as being sent further from family and friends from Texas. However, as Native American and other prisoners know, the Bureau of Prison likes to move political prisoners around to keep them from getting local support groups. They're always paranoid there's going to be a local uprising or some such nonsense. Below a letter from Livingstone Fagan and Jaime Castillo's reply to Bill Clinton's statements on "60 Minutes." Livingstone: "The abuse we have received at the hands of officials of government and others since February 1993 continues. But in recent times, never more so than following events in Oklahoma. You are probably aware that since the above event both myself and Renos have been re-located. I had come on the compound, having been in solitary for 135 days (a total of 240+ days since being at El Reno) on April 19th, in lieu of our memorial of events in Waco. Two days later while in the compound library communing with renos, we were both set upon, cuffed and placed in solitary. Subsequently notified of an investigation (the reasons or conclusion we were never notified of) we were held in solitary for several days. Finally and without notice we were moved. "I understand that Renos is now house in a facility in Atlanta. I arrived here in Oxford Wisconsin on May 8. It is located in a rural setting. >From my observations a significant distance from the main cities. The officers appear more personable. This is in contrast to El Reno. An even greater contrast to Terre Haute, Indiana, where I stayed for a few days during the transit process. it was there I was to experience the must physical abuse of my entire experience in the prison system. "When I arrived and without provocation I made it clear I was unprepared to voluntarily subject myself to the B.O.P.'s policy of disrespecting its inmates by having them bear and spread their buttock cheeks and the rest. I was subsequently set upon by several officers who took the opportunity for sport. Stripping me of my clothing, I was hoisted in the air by one officer whilst the others in jest went through the process. When I did not cower, their jest turned to rage. Refusing to put on oversized clothing (a part of their jest), I was to tightly cuffed I could not move my hands without painfully pulling on my skin. I couldn't even sign my name on the forms presented before me. I was then hurriedly taken to lockdown where I remained until my departure. "On my departure I was again to be subject to the process only this time a lot worse. Several officers were similarly involved. My feet were kicked from under me whilst being slammed to the floor and my clothing virtually ripped from me. Again I would not cower, remaining unmoved in my demeanor throughout the ordeal. Their jest again turned to threatenings and profanity. Having dressed I was chained and again thrown to the floor. Manipulating the chains so that I was forced in a crouching position, but lying on my back, one officer was on my chest mouthing in my face words to the effect, " .I'm going to treat you like a bitch"--the extent of his perception of femininity. Remaining unmoved I was allowed on my feet, then forcibly dragged hands and feet chained to the bus. It make walking very difficult. "What I found most intriguing is, of the 2 years I have been in the prison system I have been knocked on my back twice. On both occasions it was done by officers. The inmates I have found to be much more civil." If you would like to write to protest this treatment of Livingstone at Terre Haute write: Warden J.J. Clark, U.S. Prison, 4200 Bureau Road No., Terre Haute, IN 48702-8128. CC: to Kathleen Hawk, Director of Federal Prisons, 320 First Street, NW, Washington, DC 20534. I can forward his new address if you want to write. He has a masters in theology and particularly enjoys correspondence on Biblical topics--as do they all, of course :-) ------------------------- Davidian Prisoner Jaime Castillo called last week and encouraged me to put out his reply to President Clinton's April 23rd remarks on "60 Minutes." (He had mailed them to another supporter who forwarded them by e-mail.) Jaime is a drummer, who had been a Davidians since 1987. CLINTON'S "60 Minutes" COMMENTS TO WHICH CASTILLO RESPONDS LESLIE STAHL: [Ms. Stahl had spent the day with the Michigan Militia.] What I kept hearing from the militiamen there, and I gather this is true among all these so-called "patriots", is the Waco incident. It seems to be their battle cry, it's their cause. They say that the feds went into a religious compound to take people's guns away. They say no federal official was ever punished; no one was ever brought to trial.I'm just wondering if you have any second thoughts about the way that raid was carried out? BILL CLINTON: [irate] Let me remind you what happened at Waco and before that [April 19th] raid was carried out. *Before* *that* *raid* was carried out, those people *murdered* a bunch of innocent law-enforcement officials who worked for the federal government. Before there was any raid, there were *dead* federal law-enforcement officials on the ground. And when that raid occurred, it was the people who *ran* their "cult compound" at Waco who murdered their own children. *Not* the federal officials. *They* made the decision to *destroy* all those children that were there. And I think that to make those people heroes after what they did -- *killing* our innocent federal officials and then *killing* their own children -- is evidence of what is *wrong*... JAIME'S REPLY "Ye are of your father the Devil, and the lust of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning and abode not in the truth. Because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: For he is a liar and the father of it." (John 18:44) "If a ruler hearkekn to lies, all his servants are wicked." (Proverbs 29:12) (KJV) "Let the lying lips be put to silence, which speak grievous things proudly and contemptuously against the righteous." (Psalm 31:18) (Jaime will be moved soon but should have new address in a month or so.) ------------------ STATE WOULD LOVE TO CONFISCATE MOUNT CARMEL Federal, state and local governments are just looking for an excuse to confiscate the Mount Carmel Memorial property which has become a Mecca for hundreds of tourists every week. Because there are so few survivors in Waco--i.e., Clive Doyle and several elderly women--they have had trouble organizing an effort to raise money to keep the property and to make it a true memorial. (For last year the common law wife of the former leader, George Roden, has been living on property and selling books and videos. She doesn't have a very good legal claim to it, but she's defacto in charge.) Anyway, feel free to help Davidians with contributions, write for their price list of books and videos, or offer any other advice or aid you might. Also you can make contributions which will help them forward money to the prisoners and pay for the collect calls the prisoners make. (address/checks to) Mount Carmel Survivors Memorial, Inc. Box 120, Axtell, Tx 76624 ========================== Below is information about the trial and the prisoners. FREE THE BRANCH DAVIDIANS! The 1994 trial of 11 Branch Davidians was marred by judicial and prosecutorial misconduct. Nevertheless, jurors found Davidians innocent of conspiracy and murder charges because of evidence that Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms agents' February 28, 1993 attack was brutal and unprovoked. Jurors were convinced Davidians acted in self- defense. Jurors thought five Davidians should get little time for what they thought was the "minor charge" of "aiding and abetting voluntary manslaughter"--for which the judge gave the jury no instructions that they could find Davidians innocent on self-defense! He sentenced them to the full 10 years each. And jurors did not understand that "carrying or using a firearm during a crime" should be tied only to the conspiracy charge on which they found Davidians innocent--the verdict form did not specify this as did the judge's instructions. Despite the jury never finding Davidians guilty of having illegal weapons, the judge sentenced 7 Davidians to an extra 130 years for having them! Avraam, Branch, Castillo, Craddock, Fatta and Whitecliff are appealing the verdicts. Fagan is non- cooperating by refusing to appeal. Riddle fears a longer sentence if she appeals. Below is information about the prisoners, including the paltry and dubious evidence against them--all related to self- defense against the 76 BATF agents who shot machineguns, threw dangerous flash-bang grenades and even fired from a helicopter. The attack left six Davidians dead. Prosecutors bullied two Davidians into testifying, mother of four Kathryn Schroeder and badly burned Marjorie Thomas. (Schroeder was sentenced to three years.) Ex-Davidian Victorine Hollingsworth admitted she was angry at David Koresh. Federal agents' testimony was confused, inconsistent and lacking in credibility. The Davidians' imprisonment is a travesty of justice. RENOS AVRAAM, 31, a British business-man of Greek heritage, joined the Davidians in 1991 and escaped the fire. Schroeder and his not-credible cell mate of only one day testified that Avraam said or inferred he fired a gun on February 28th. He received 10 years for manslaughter and 30 years for weapons charges. BRAD BRANCH, 35, a Navy veteran and technician and frequent visitor to Mount Carmel, left during the siege. Thomas claimed he said he shot a gun on February 28th; Hollingsworth claimed he said he shot an agent while defending the women and children. He received 10 years for manslaughter and 30 years for weapons charges. JAIME CASTILLO, 26, a California musician, joined the Dav- idians in 1988 and escaped the fire. Thomas, Schroeder and a BATF agent saw him with a gun February 28th. The judge would not allow jurors to hear his statement he did not shoot on February 28th, though he allowed Craddock to make such a statement. He received 10 years for manslaughter and 30 years for weapons charges. GRAEME CRADDOCK, 34, an engineer from Australia, had been at Mount Carmel a year and escaped the fire. He admitted having but not firing a gun on February 28th and being given what he was told was a live grenade on April 19th. However, FBI agents had access to the grenade before Texas Rangers found it after the fire. He received 10 years for possessing a hand grenade and 10 years for weapons charges. LIVINGSTONE FAGAN, 35, a British minister and father of two, left during the siege to be spokesperson for the group. His wife Yvette and mother Doris died during the fire. Schroeder saw him with a gun February 28th; Hollingsworth claimed Fagan said he shot an agent who was shooting at him; two BATF agents gave questionable testimony Fagan had shot at them outside the building. Three Davidians asserted he did not shoot at them. He received 10 years for manslaughter and 30 years for weapons charges. PAUL FATTA, 35, a Hawaiian business-man, father of one and long time Davidian, was at a gun show in Austin on February 28th. He defended Davidians' innocence to the press--until BATF put him on its "most wanted" list. Prosecutors alleged two guns Fatta purchased had been converted to illegal automatic weapons. (BATF often tampers with legal guns.) There was no testimony that Fatta had knowledge of illegal conversion of guns. He received 15 years for illegal machinegun-related charges. RUTH RIDDLE, 31, a Canadian member for several years, escaped the fire with David Koresh's first chapter of the Seven Seals. Her husband Jimmy Riddle died on April 19th. Thomas and Schroeder saw her with a gun February 28th; she admitted to authorities she gave her rifle to another Davidian. She received 5 years for weapons charges. KEVIN WHITECLIFF, 33, a father of two from Hawaii, had been at Mount Carmel a year and left during the siege. Schroeder and Thomas claimed he said he shot a gun February 28th. He received 10 years for manslaughter and 30 years for weapons charges. Committee for Waco Justice * Box 65518 * Washington, D.C. * 20035 * 202-986-1847 * 202-797-9877 From: Carol Moore, member [c--oo--e] at [capaccess.org] Feel free to repost and distribute freely.