The leaflet discusses South Africa's failure to release all political prisoners by April 30, 1991, despite its agreement with the African National Congress (ANC) to do so. As of May 1, over 360 political prisoners in six prisons have gone on a hunger strike; some were even refusing water. The leaflet reports that some hospitalized hunger strikers had been chained to their beds and were being denied access to doctors and lawyers of their own choosing, which the government had agreed to. The government is blocking release of political prisoners in various ways. For example, contrary to its agreement with the ANC, the government has insisted that a court must commute the sentences of prisoners...
The leaflet discusses South Africa's failure to release all political prisoners by April 30, 1991, despite its agreement with the African National Congress (ANC) to do so. As of May 1, over 360 political prisoners in six prisons have gone on a hunger strike; some were even refusing water. The leaflet reports that some hospitalized hunger strikers had been chained to their beds and were being denied access to doctors and lawyers of their own choosing, which the government had agreed to. The government is blocking release of political prisoners in various ways. For example, contrary to its agreement with the ANC, the government has insisted that a court must commute the sentences of prisoners on death row before they can be released. The leaflet includes excerpts of a press release written by political prisoners in Pretoria's New Local Prison. It asks people to write immediately to State President F.W. de Klerk and Ambassador Harry Schwarz urging immediate release of all political prisoners. Also urge President Bush to demand that President de Klerk release all political prisoners immediately. Under the Anti-Apartheid Act of 1986, the U.S. Congress and President Bush may not lift sanctions against South Africa until all political prisoners are released.
