After a three week trial, on 21 November a jury at Blackfriars Crown Court acquitted 11 men who had staged a peaceful protest at High Down prison in October 2013. The prisoners had refused to return to their cells in protest against increasing reductions in the supply of food and access to exercise, showers, gym and association. After a short stand-off with prison officers they ended up all barricaded into one cell. Instead of using the internal prison disciplinary proceedings, which could have resulted in an additional six weeks each, the prison chose to prosecute them through the courts for the offence of prison mutiny, with the possibility of their being sentenced to additional years behind bars for standing up for their rights. Fortunately, however, the jury saw through this nonsense and acquitted them all.
Fight Racism! Fight Imperialism! 242 December 2014/January 2015
