The Broken Rifle

By Andreas Speck

Matt Meyer provides a review of the movement to free the Puerto Rican political prisoners and an exclusive conversation with former prisoner Alejandrina Torres

Dear Peace News readers,

By Andreas Speck

Since June the war that was not called a war is officially over. After 79 days of bombing Yugoslavia agreed to withdraw its forces from Kosov@ and to accept NATO to lead KFOR within Kosov@.

By Alberto Estefanía (Prisoner for Peace 1998), Basque Country

By Torsten Froese

If instead of being hanged by the neck
you're thrown inside
for not giving up hope
in the world, in your country, in people,
if you do ten or fifteen years
apart from the time you have left,
you won't say
'Better I had swung from the end of a rope like a flag'-
you'll put your foot down and live.
I might not be a pleasure exactly,
but it's your solemn duty
to live one more day
to spite the enemy.
Part of you many live alone inside
like a stone at the bottom of a well.
But the other part
must be so caught up
in the flurry or the world
that you shiver there inside

Lotahn wrote from prison,
"Ideas and morals cannot be locked in a prison. Aspirations for justice cannot be silenced or put behind bars. I was put in jail for fighting for justice, but imprisoning me cannot imprison the universal fight for a world where immoralities are not regarded as painful but necessary realities, where men are not sent off to kill or be killed in wasteful wars forced upon them, a world where greed does not control human existence nor detract us from what is right.

Samvel Manukyan (in 07/97, out 05/00)
g Kosh, ITK, Nachalniku, Armenia
Objector, Jehovah's Witness, reported to have been severely beaten.

Karen Voskanian (in 09/98 - expected out 04/01)
g Gyumri, SIZO, Nachalniku, Armenia
Objector, Jehovah's Witness

Gagik Ohanian
Artur Stepanian
Armen Asoian
Grigor Daian
Artur Martirosian
Ruslan Ohanganian
Gurgen Sevoian
All are imprisoned as a result of their conscientious objection to military service.