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Woman Fined $50 for Calling Condi a War Criminal Prior to Her Conviction for War Crimes
Desiree Fairooz was convicted today for calling out Condi
By DC Indymedia
Peace activist Desiree Fairooz was convicted of disorderly conduct today in US Superior Court. Fairooz approached and called US Secretary of State Condi Rice a war criminal at a congressional hearing in September 2007.
Government prosecutor and pro-war supporter, Jeffrey Scott Shapiro, asked Judge Richard Ringell to sentence Fairooz to 90 days in the DC Jail. Ringell told Fairooz that there is a price for civil disobedience that included jail time. However, the judge said he would not be sentencing Fairooz to jail time, according to peace activists who were in court today. Instead Ringell sentenced Fairooz to 5 days jail time suspended, 3 months of unsupervised probation, and the payment of $50 to the victims of violent crime fund activists said.
Fairooz, a Code Pink activist, is the latest peace activist to be convicted and sentenced for speaking out against the war and occupation of Iraq. In April, local DC activist David Barrows was convicted for speaking out against General Petraeus also in September 2007. Barrows was sentenced to 18 months supervised probation and a several hundred dollars fine. Barrows also did not receive a jail sentence in spite of the prosecutor’s request.
Statistics are being compiled by Baltimore peace activist Max Obuszewski for acts of nonviolent civil resistance that lead to the trials of these arrested activists. In 2007 over 1000 peace and social justice activists were put on trial for their acts of nonviolent resistance to the US war and occupation of Iraq, Afghanistan, and torture according to Obuszewski.
The requests by government prosecutors for significant jail time is increasing in an attempt clamp down on organized resistance and dissent against the war and torture by the US. A government prosecutor was recently overheard telling police that if the government could just go after the “leaders” they could stop the movement according to a DC activist who witnessed this interaction in the hallway of Superior Court.
Prosecutor Shapiro, who represents the government in many of the trials with activists, is a known Iraq War supporter. He has had opinion pieces published expressing his support for the war in addition to politicians like Joe Lieberman. He is a former tabloid reporter who covered the Jon Benet Ramsey case.
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Stay warm this winter in a black hooded sweatshirt. Order one. Order them by the dozen and donate them to occupations!
Shor of a "Not Guilty" verdict, this was a good result, IMHO. Many of us were worried about the possible outcome of this trial. Here's why:
Elena Sassower
This was either a sad story about a short-tempered judge, or a fabulously PITA defendent, or a cautionary tale of what really can happen when you anger powerful people - your choice.
The prosecutor in Desirees' case lowered the charge to one with a lesser penalty (137 days incarceration) in order to avoid a jury trial (requiring charge(s) with a possible penalty of 180 days) he would likely lose, like the Bangor 12, and some other recent cases in which dissidents have had jury trials. Even after rigging the trial to his best possible advantage, and getting his conviction, he still came up (almost) empty. I would like to learn the judge's findings as to the case law presented in court, for while it did not result in acquital, it definitely did not support the prosecution claim that Des was violent or threatening.
Desiree Fairooz is a brave woman who did a courageous deed, and I congratulate her wholeheatedly. If you ever want to meet Desiree, and a group of remarkable women, visit the Code Pink House on Wed. nite Potluck. Just go to the Code Pink website and look for the address.
Fined for speaking the truth ?Is this what some call democracy in the US ?
Political prosecutors- so very crazy. Only in the USA, thank god.