JUSTICE NOW!
JUSTICE NOW!
On August 06th, 1996, we started our campaign in Internet demanding a fair trial and a fair sentence for Kevin Mitnick, as well as healthy imprisonment conditions, in view of the history of infringements and mistreatments he has gone through in previous situations.
During all this time, we have followed-up this man's fight for freedom. We had the opportunity of meeting his family, his mother and his grandmother, and of sharing these people daily suffering. And of sharing the courage which moves all mothers and grandmothers in the world who are deprived from the company of their dearest relatives.
We have followed-up the first hearings, when Kevin was taken to Court in handcuffs and chained as a highly dangerous prisoner and was not allowed to wear civilian clothes.
We have followed-up the practice of a subtle torture, with a devastating long-term effect, in which the mistreatments are evidentiated by the underneath threat of solitary confinement, by the lack of the daily bath (which caused skin rashes), by the return of our mail unanswered in order to isolate the prisoner; all of them enforced in order to cause the prisoner's dispair and physical and emotional stress.
We have followed-up his mother and grandmother's dispair, who placed their homes at the Court disposal in order to obtain the necessary guaranty for the bail, and its subsequent refusal.
We have followed-up this unfair proceeding, where Kevin Mitnick was chosen as the American Government scapegoat, without the least justice conditions. We did not know, when we started this campaign, that Kevin Mitnick had already been tried and sentenced by his torturers, namely Prosecutor David Schindler, who insists in arbitrarily manipulating the juridical and legal questions appertaining the case in order to justify the "circus" into which this "bonfire of vanities" was transformed.
We have followed-up the uncover of the contradictions promoted by the probation officers, where another absurd sentence against Kevin Mitnick was at stake.
We have followed-up, moreover, the humiliations and mistreatments that Kevin has been enduring along this proceeding, and even his personal belongings, documents, books, glasses and clothes were "seized" last December, when he was put under solitary confinement under the most diverse charges, from the ludicrous tuna fish hunting until the amazing transformation of a walkman into a secret microphone. Actually, what happened here was Kevin's belongings steal, where they would supposedly find the defense line studied by Mitnick.
Charges and situations are forged, in order to convict the myth Kevin Mitnick, no matter what, and to keep the "circus" performing.
We have followed-up the machyavellical maneuvers carried out by Kevin Mitnick torturers, taking advantage of the media and the lack of information of the population at large, disseminating the idea that hackers are dangerous criminals who deserve the community despise.
We have followed-up the unfair sentences which have been enacted against Kevin Mitnick in this unfair trial, where there only aggravating circumstances and where the same mistake is punished twice, in a clear and shameful disregard for the Law.
We have followed-up astonished the American society silence in view of this clear challenge to their Constitution.
And of the terrible perspective that, in the near future, any user of personal computers in the Planet become a serious candidate to have his/her life searched and his/her freedom threatened by any arbitrary government wishing to establish a power relation in this matter.
History has shown us, along time, that the authority not based in Justice degenerates into tyranny.
Hackers will never cease to exist, as their original ethics, the quest for knowledge, is one of the attributes most frequently found in mankind. It is necessary t o learn how to get along with its fact in its whole complexity, and to productively feasibilize the question, as already done in some European countries, taking advantage of this knowledge instead of extinguishing it.
Kevin Mitnick is a hacker, of course. A purist. But he is not a label. He is a human being, with a past, a present, with parents, family, friends, loves, values, persons and feelings. But there must be a future, and this future will have to be built by all of us. By the legislators, by those who enforce the laws. We can no longer incur historic mistakes which might cause distortions and abuses through which the human being will once again suffer the tyrants anger and the ignorant despise.
We have received demonstrations from all over the world supporting our campaign.
Tens of Non Governmental Organizations and universities accessed our homepage, as well as people from the most diverse nationalities.
We calmly followed-up the investigation carried out by Pac Bell (Pacific Bell) in our Internet access provider, as well as the violation of our e-mail, in a useless try of intimidation and challenge.
We have also watched moments of the most absolute generosity, as for instance the offer of an on-line job for Kevin Mitnick, offered by a data processing company. This company was unaware that Kevin Mitnick was convicted to stay away from any electronic appliance, telephone, etc. for 3 years, depriving him from any and all opportunities to restart his life and work.
- Universal Bill of Rights - Article XXIII. 1. All men are entitled to work, to the job free choice, to fair and favorable work conditions and to protection against unemployment.
Kevin Mitnick is being convicted twice for the same mistake. Where is the fair law enforcement? In the law enforcement, it is expected the infallible penalty application, not the application of a perverse penalty.
Following this bizarre scenario, we saw astonished and outraged the "indecent proposal" of a settlement made by the Government at the beginning of the year, through which Kevin Mitnick, among other things, would have to renounce for life to its right of obtaining any kind of benefits (copyrights, among others) out of his own story.
Definitely, it is not a trial. It is a persecution. And a shame for us all.
Kevin Mitnick is sick. This has repeatedly happened along the year. Dispair and the burden of injustice have been unbearable for Kevin and his family. Kevin Mitnick is being murdered slowly by this devouring system, which needs scapegoats to survive its own iniquity.
We cry with him and for him. But we will not give up.
We do hereby APPEAL TO ALL PC FANS AND NOSIES to come out of their islands and to join us in its crucial moment. It is a moment of union and of a show of strength. Of reflecting and acting. The computer underground has its own network, and it is about time of making it work in benefit of everybody. Omission, and the consequent conviction of Kevin Mitnick, might establish INJUSTICE as a prerogative in any future proceeding.
WE APPEAL TO ALL to manifest and SEND their letters during DECEMBER and JANUARY, demanding that Kevin Mitnick have a fair trial and a fair sentence, and that he be granted BAIL until the end of his trial.
This appeal must be sent to the HONORABLE MARIANNA PFAELZER (you can find the letter ready for printing in HTML or MS Word format here). Just sign and send it.
MANY LETTERS MUST BE SENT, as an effective and massive public demonstration of the wish for the Universal Bill of Rights to become a moving reality and for Kevin Mitnick to receive, with his family, suitable medical care, and that he be able to exercise his rights in full equality, pursuant to the Law, thus assuring the necessary guaranties for a broad and fair defense.
Our current fight is against time, in favor of life.
SUPPORT KEVIN CAMPAIGN
Fernanda Serpa and colleagues