Tampa, FL—On Tuesday, September 6, 2024, the jury and observers saw evidence supporting the innocence of the Uhuru 3 and heard closing arguments in the free speech trial of Chairman Omali Yeshitela, Penny Hess and Jesse Nevel.
Uhuru 3 attorney Ade Griffin presented documents and videos demonstrating the consistency of the views and work of the African People’s Socialist Party (APSP) spanning over 50 years. She displayed articles opposing U.S. wars and military intervention in Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Grenada, Syria and Ukraine that were printed in issues of The Burning Spear newspaper going back decades. She played video recordings of interviews, meetings and broadcasts featuring Chairman Omali showing the self-directed message that he delivers, to introduce him to the jury.
Griffin introduced the pamphlet “Tactics and Strategy” written in 1977 by Chairman Omali, then known as Joseph Waller, that has guided the work of the African People’s Socialist Party ever since. She read a segment that refutes the idea of Chairman Omali being willing to take direction or come under the control of the Russian government. “Our first and most important objective should be to WIN BLACK PEOPLE TO THE POSITION OF POLITICAL INDEPENDENCE. If the masses of black people are not won over to the position of independence, there will be no independence for black people. It is as simple and clear as that.”
Griffin also read point #4 from the APSP’s platform, adopted in 1979, that reads, “We want the right to free speech and political association, a guarantee of the right to work for the betterment and emancipation of black people without fear of political imprisonment and the loss of life, limb and livelihood.
“We believe that the liberation of African people throughout the world will come primarily as a result of our own efforts. We believe it is our duty to our mothers and fathers, our children and ourselves, to organize ourselves to overcome our oppression. We believe that the rights to organize and speak out against our oppression are basic human rights and that the U.S. government must discontinue its attempts to smash these rights and must discontinue criminal attacks on those African patriots who work for the betterment and emancipation of our people.”
The DOJ prosecutors repeated their baseless accusations that the Uhuru 3 have been secret agents in a Russian government conspiracy to sow discord and interfere in elections. They showed the jurors some diagrams to illustrate their story. They reviewed the same email and WhatsApp communications shown earlier in the trial and painted a picture of Russian interference reminiscent of the Cold War.
In her closing argument, Attorney Griffin accused the DOJ and FBI of being the only conspirators in the room, having conducted criminal activity by holding a press conference and issuing an indictment that accused Jesse Nevel of inviting Russian interference into his local mayoral campaign and then yesterday admitting they knew they had no evidence whatsoever to back it up.
Subsequent reports on the Uhuru 3 free speech trial will include publication of the entire closing arguments.
Jury deliberations begin Wednesday morning.
For updates and calls to actions visit HandsOffUhuru.org.
