Current information about Amadeu Casellas (February 2010)
13 02 2010



February 12, 2010

In a letter from Amadeu dated February 5, 2010, he tells us that, together with the Girona prison warden and a legal expert, they have figured out the number of days of preventative detention that should be subtracted from the 37-year sentence Amadeu is serving for several bank robberies during the 1980s. Amadeu’s sentence was set for 2016 after an earlier reduction due to credit earned for work.

After calculating the amount of preventative detention that must still be deducted from his sentence, it was determined that, not counting the time he’s already been credited, he is still owed over 4000 days.

His lawyers have already petitioned to credit him some of these days, and Amadeu himself has written a report to the courts detailing the total number of days he feels he should be credited. If one were to compare the years already logged by Amadeu to the time he should be credited, it would reveal that the general administration of Catalan prisons has made him serve a sentence several years too long.

According to Amadeu, they owe him almost 12 years of credit for preventative detention served. That’s why they need to add six more years to the six years they’ve already subtracted from his total sentence.

Amadeu has been demanding his freedom for years, but the Councilor of Justice and the General Administration of Catalan Prison Services have not only denied him all possibility of release, but have also intensified the conditions of his imprisonment by depriving him of contact with his friends and comrades, both outside and inside prison.

Given the circumstances, Amadeu has been forced to go on several long hunger strikes in order to be heard. Just a little more than three months ago, Amadeu abandoned a hunger strike he had maintained for 99 days, and in the middle of January he planned to begin another, but dropped the idea in the hope that he would be credited with the days of preventative detention he is owed.

After sending several letters to the court, Amadeu has become aware that the prison has been notified about some of this credit, yet it has nevertheless still not been applied. For this reason, and after waiting more than a month for some response from the prison that would break the stalemate, Amadeu is considering beginning a new hunger strike on February 20, 2010 in the event that he is not set free.

Therefore, via this document, we want to bring the current situation to the attention of everyone who has expressed their solidarity. Keep an eye out for further information we will be disseminating in order to demand, once again, freedom for Amadeu Casellas.

Current information about Amadeu Casellas (February 2010)
13 02 2010



February 12, 2010

In a letter from Amadeu dated February 5, 2010, he tells us that, together with the Girona prison warden and a legal expert, they have figured out the number of days of preventative detention that should be subtracted from the 37-year sentence Amadeu is serving for several bank robberies during the 1980s. Amadeu’s sentence was set for 2016 after an earlier reduction due to credit earned for work.

After calculating the amount of preventative detention that must still be deducted from his sentence, it was determined that, not counting the time he’s already been credited, he is still owed over 4000 days.

His lawyers have already petitioned to credit him some of these days, and Amadeu himself has written a report to the courts detailing the total number of days he feels he should be credited. If one were to compare the years already logged by Amadeu to the time he should be credited, it would reveal that the general administration of Catalan prisons has made him serve a sentence several years too long.

According to Amadeu, they owe him almost 12 years of credit for preventative detention served. That’s why they need to add six more years to the six years they’ve already subtracted from his total sentence.

Amadeu has been demanding his freedom for years, but the Councilor of Justice and the General Administration of Catalan Prison Services have not only denied him all possibility of release, but have also intensified the conditions of his imprisonment by depriving him of contact with his friends and comrades, both outside and inside prison.

Given the circumstances, Amadeu has been forced to go on several long hunger strikes in order to be heard. Just a little more than three months ago, Amadeu abandoned a hunger strike he had maintained for 99 days, and in the middle of January he planned to begin another, but dropped the idea in the hope that he would be credited with the days of preventative detention he is owed.

After sending several letters to the court, Amadeu has become aware that the prison has been notified about some of this credit, yet it has nevertheless still not been applied. For this reason, and after waiting more than a month for some response from the prison that would break the stalemate, Amadeu is considering beginning a new hunger strike on February 20, 2010 in the event that he is not set free.

Therefore, via this document, we want to bring the current situation to the attention of everyone who has expressed their solidarity. Keep an eye out for further information we will be disseminating in order to demand, once again, freedom for Amadeu Casellas.

Amadeu Casellas: a life story of struggle Amadeu Casellas is a prisoner who has spent more than 25 years in jail due to his participation in dozens of bank robberies, helping with that money to the funding of worker’s struggles in the late 1970’s. None of his activities involved blood crimes. Amadeu has always been a committed and active person, participating in many actions, in the streets as well as in prisons. When he was 14, in 1973, working at a factory, he discovered anarchism. He believed in the armed struggle and in an essential revolution. In 1976 he robbed the Banco Mercantil de Manresa. During the next two and a half years he robbed more than 50 other banks. In 1979 he enters prison and is welcomed with a brutal beating. During all the time he has spent jailed, he has undertaken many hunger strikes and other types of protests, he has sewed his lips and has made countless denounces: about the prices inside prison, against the irregularities and exploitation of the inmates work, against the faking of blood analysis or penitentiary reports… All of this has caused him many “first grades” (isolation) and transfers from prison to prison, with the intention that he gave up. He has reported abuses to prisoners rights and of the entire prison system. Last year, after holding a 76 day hunger strike, Amadeu gained the compromise of the penal institution to enjoy permits that would allow him to get to the “third grade” (weekend permits, the possibility to work outside prison and just go there to sleep…) and a subsequent freedom. Such compromise was blatantly ignored by the institutions. Since july 15th, Amadeu is again on hunger strike. More than 85 days already. This particular hunger strike started after the repression he has suffered since he wrote some communiqués where he explained, with actual names, some facts related to the people in charge of the Catalonian prison system. Since july 2008, Amadeu has spent more then 200 hundred days in hunger strike! He has been in forced feeding: 3,5 litres a day since september 24th. His lawyers and family find it extremely difficult to talk to him. Many “prison workers” and jail unions have tried to sanction the lawyers. When he wants to smoke, the rest of the inmates of the penitentiary wing of the Terrassa Hospital are forced to go back to their rooms. As well as the hunger strike, Amadeu has felt forced to add a thirst strike so to be able to get visits from family and lawyers. That first thirst strike accomplished his intentions. Since Sunday October 4th, he has started another one because they're trying to transfer him again to prison, because “his health has improved”. Some actions and demonstrations have taken place, in Spain as well as in other countries. We feel the need to ask for solidarity with this anarchist fighter. A call for decentralized actions has been made until he gets his third grade and leaves the hunger strike. It should be noted that Amadeu's position depends solely on the Catalonian prison and political system, not of Spain's. Anyway, actions, information and solidarity should be carried in any possible way. It might also help (as happened during last year's hunger strike, along with many actions) to saturate this fax number and e-mail accounts with messages supporting Amadeu: 5th, blatantly ignored by the institutions. nd just go there to sleep...ding a 76 day hunger strike, Amadeu gained the compromise of the penal institution.-th the intention that he gave up.-hunger strikes and other types of protests, he has Fax number: (++34)932140179 You can send it with this program for free: http://www.myfax.com/free/ e-mail accounts: sindic@sindic.cat justicia@gencat.cat We should not leave Amadeu in the hands of the State. Adelante compeñeros, until the liberation of Amadeu and the demolition of their dirty prisons!

Amadeu Casellas: a life story of struggle Amadeu Casellas is a prisoner who has spent more than 25 years in jail due to his participation in dozens of bank robberies, helping with that money to the funding of worker’s struggles in the late 1970’s. None of his activities involved blood crimes. Amadeu has always been a committed and active person, participating in many actions, in the streets as well as in prisons. When he was 14, in 1973, working at a factory, he discovered anarchism. He believed in the armed struggle and in an essential revolution. In 1976 he robbed the Banco Mercantil de Manresa. During the next two and a half years he robbed more than 50 other banks. In 1979 he enters prison and is welcomed with a brutal beating. During all the time he has spent jailed, he has undertaken many hunger strikes and other types of protests, he has sewed his lips and has made countless denounces: about the prices inside prison, against the irregularities and exploitation of the inmates work, against the faking of blood analysis or penitentiary reports… All of this has caused him many “first grades” (isolation) and transfers from prison to prison, with the intention that he gave up. He has reported abuses to prisoners rights and of the entire prison system. Last year, after holding a 76 day hunger strike, Amadeu gained the compromise of the penal institution to enjoy permits that would allow him to get to the “third grade” (weekend permits, the possibility to work outside prison and just go there to sleep…) and a subsequent freedom. Such compromise was blatantly ignored by the institutions. Since july 15th, Amadeu is again on hunger strike. More than 85 days already. This particular hunger strike started after the repression he has suffered since he wrote some communiqués where he explained, with actual names, some facts related to the people in charge of the Catalonian prison system. Since july 2008, Amadeu has spent more then 200 hundred days in hunger strike! He has been in forced feeding: 3,5 litres a day since september 24th. His lawyers and family find it extremely difficult to talk to him. Many “prison workers” and jail unions have tried to sanction the lawyers. When he wants to smoke, the rest of the inmates of the penitentiary wing of the Terrassa Hospital are forced to go back to their rooms. As well as the hunger strike, Amadeu has felt forced to add a thirst strike so to be able to get visits from family and lawyers. That first thirst strike accomplished his intentions. Since Sunday October 4th, he has started another one because they're trying to transfer him again to prison, because “his health has improved”. Some actions and demonstrations have taken place, in Spain as well as in other countries. We feel the need to ask for solidarity with this anarchist fighter. A call for decentralized actions has been made until he gets his third grade and leaves the hunger strike. It should be noted that Amadeu's position depends solely on the Catalonian prison and political system, not of Spain's. Anyway, actions, information and solidarity should be carried in any possible way. It might also help (as happened during last year's hunger strike, along with many actions) to saturate this fax number and e-mail accounts with messages supporting Amadeu: 5th, blatantly ignored by the institutions. nd just go there to sleep...ding a 76 day hunger strike, Amadeu gained the compromise of the penal institution.-th the intention that he gave up.-hunger strikes and other types of protests, he has Fax number: (++34)932140179 You can send it with this program for free: http://www.myfax.com/free/ e-mail accounts: sindic@sindic.cat justicia@gencat.cat We should not leave Amadeu in the hands of the State. Adelante compeñeros, until the liberation of Amadeu and the demolition of their dirty prisons!

Llibertat Amadeu Casellas! Solidarity with Anarchist Political Prisoners!

Goldsmiths Autonomy and Solidarity offer solidarity to Amadeu Casellas Ramón, Spanish anarchist political prisoner held for 26 years by the State, with a banner drop from faculty buildings at Goldsmiths, New Cross, South East London.