Prisoner Support

Around the world, many people are spending time in prison because they acted on their conscience, rather than in obedience to the law of the land. They include anti-nuclear activists, whistleblowers, and anti-war activists. You could say that conscience of the world is found in prison.
Moral, political and practical support for those facing long sentences is an important part of human survival in these circumstances.
We focus on support for people in prison (or facing time in prison) for taking part in disarmament actions, conscientious objection to military service and for publishing research on nuclear weapons/nuclear power. We also have some info on other prisoners that we support.

This website continues that work with more up to date and in-depth information on the cases. This site forms a link in an international support network for political prisoners. Links to other websites are included. You can also find tips for writing letters to prisoners.

Prisoners for Peace Day, 1st December 2005

View the War Resisters International roll of honour, and background details on the situation of Conscientious Objectors in Eritrea

 

Disarmament activists

Weapons of Mass Destruction Ploughshares
Peace activists in jail for disarmament of US nuclear weapon site

Turi Vaccaro
Ploughshares activist who faces prison in the Netherlands for disarming two F16s
 Press Release
 Support Newsletter and prison address
 Local press coverage

Trident Ploughshares, UK
Activists in prison for disarmament actions against the British nuclear submarine fleet
 Prisoner list
 Trident Ploughshares website

Ulla Roder
Facing time in prison for disarming an RAF Tornado jet

School of the Americas
Activists imprisoned for taking action to close the US Army School of the Americas
 Prisoner Addresses

Vieques
Activists imprisoned for opposing US Navy bombing on the island of Vieques
  Vieques Prisoner Addresses, Nuclear Resister

Shannon Airport, Ireland
Activists acquitted for actions against US military transport flights
 Irish Anti-war Activist Jailed for 60 Days
 Support Statement for "Pitstop Ploughshares"
 Pitstop Ploughshares website
 Refueling Peace website

Helen Woodson, United States
Veteran peace activist back inside for another symblic disarmament action
 

Conscientious Objectors

Finnish Conscientious Objectors
In prison for refusing military service and civil service
 Prison Addresses
 Case Hermaja website
 Aseistakieltaytyjaliitto (Finnish Union of COs) website

United States Conscientious Objectors
Objection to Selective Service registration, and soldiers objecting to the war in Iraq
 Camilo Mejia
 Diedra Cobb
 American Friends Service Committee
 The Central Committee for Conscientious Objectors
 The Center on Conscience & War

Israeli Conscientious Objectors
Sentenced to 1 year in prison for refusing to fight in the occupied territories

The Right to Refuse to Kill
War Resisters International Conscientious Objectors action alerts
 

Nuclear researchers and Whistle-blowers

Yuri I. Bandazhevsky
Chernobyl researcher and whistleblower fraudulently convicted of corruption, 6/01
 Prison address
 Petition to Free Professor Bandazhevsky

Igor Sutyagin
Russian researcher convicted of treason and espionage
 Support campaign website

Mordechai Vanunu
Nuclear whistleblower convicted of espionage and treason
 kidnapped by Israeli agents, 30/9/1986
 released, 21/4/2004
 rearrested and placed under house arrest, 11/11/2004
 Prison address
 "I Am Your Spy", written from Ashkelon Prison, Israel
 The U.S. Campaign to Free Mordechai Vanunu
 

Other prisoners we support

Tessaloniki 7
After 64 days of Hunger Strike, all 7 have been released on bail