by Hans Bennett
(Abu-Jamal-News.com)
January 4, 2009

Earlier in 2008, I interviewed San Francisco journalist and former Black Panther Kiilu Nyasha about political prisoner Hugo Pinell, the only one of the San Quentin Six that is still in prison (Listen to the interview here). This audio interview complements the essay Nyasha wrote previously in 2004.

Today, in an email interview, Nyasha told me that “Hugo L. A. Pinell, nicknamed ‘Yogi Bear,’ will go to Board again on January 17, 2009. His last Board appearance was November 14, 2006 when he was denied two years, despite having no rule infractions for 24 years. Make that nearly 27 years clean time now. One of George Jackson’s closest comrades, Yogi has now been incarcerated in California prisons for almost 45 years, nearly 39 in solitary confinement, the last 19 in the Pelican Bay SHU (Security Housing Unit, or 24/7 lockup). The fact that he is still in great physical shape and hasn’t lost his mind under such prolonged, tortuous conditions is testimony to his amazing spiritual and physical strength. Please write a letter to the Parole Board in support of Yogi’s release — at least to a mainline facility near San Francisco so his mother, 85, and other family/friends can have contact visits, and he can see the sun again.”

As featured in the embedded video above, on January 2, I interviewed Philadelphia-based activist and author Dan Berger, who is featured in the new book Let Freedom Ring: A Collection of Documents from the Movements to Free US Political Prisoners. This segment about Hugo Pinell is part of a longer interview with Berger that will be released in the coming months.

Below is an article written by death-row journalist Mumia Abu-Jamal from 2006, the last time Pinell was eligible for parole (Listen to the radio-essay here).

You can also, listen to the audio and read the transcript from the June 15, 2006 KPOO Prison Focus discussion about Pinell with Luis Bato Talmante, Nedzada [Handukic], Kiilu Nyasha, and Gordon Kaupp.

For more information, go to www.hugopinell.org. Letters can be sent to:

California Board of Parole Hearings
P.O. Box 4036
Sacramento, CA 95812-4036
ATTN: Robert Doyle – Chairman
Ref: Hugo L. A. Pinell – #A88401

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