‘And this is what is asked of a man: that he should do well to other men. If possible to many. If not that, then to a few. If not that, then at least unto himself’ (Seneca).

He who refuses to struggle is a useless man indeed as well as being someone who places his future in the hands of those that are worse than himself.
Every prisoner must first of all search for freedom inside himself and start struggling for his fundamental rights to be respected. These are;
- The right to legality being present within prisons;
- The right to freedom and hope;
- The right to give and receive love and affection.
On the first of December 2008, Italian lifers shall start a hunger strike which will last a week for every prison across Italy. This is to ask for the abolition of life sentences lasting a whole lifetime.
Our lives have been stolen away. They have been taken from us for ever.
Why should we not struggle to get them back?
Will you leave us to stand alone?
Our battle can become yours.
- It is a way of asking for the abolition of life-detention lasting the entire span of lifetime. We are convinced that the hope of gaining back freedom is necessary if one does not want life detention to become a psychological and social death for individuals concerned by it
- It is a way of asking for the abolition of differential treatments, which hide inside themselves the possibility of receiving or being subject to menaces, intimidation, violence, abuse and cruel treatments.
Will you leave us to stand alone?
Our battle can become yours to ask for:
- Respect of Article 5 of the International Declaration of Human Rights of 1948:
That states that no man, woman or child must become subject to torture, are any cruel treatment or penalty, inhuman and degradating.
- Respect of the ONU Declaration of 30/08/1955, concerning the basic formal rules which should be respected in dealing with prisoners;
- of the international pact concerning civil and political rights of prisoners;
- of the Convention against torture and other cruel, inhuman or degradating treatments, which was signed in New York on the 10/12/1984;
- Of the Convention for the safeguard of Human Rights within European jails and prisons.
An American judge from California has already refused extradition towards a country which is the only one in Europe where you can still be tortured.
Even the European Court of Human Rights has expressed a negative opinion on this country –which has the cheekiness to comment on ’s attitude towards human rights- where some prisoners are submitted to total isolation. They are not allowed even to see, from their windows the sun, the stars or the moon. Many of them have spent decades without giving or receiving any kiss or simply human touch by their wives, mothers or children.
In this country there are prisoners who are not allowed to talk, let alone sing!
A right given even to the slaves who picked cotton in the past centuries!
Also, in this country there is a sentence –and it is the only country in the world where it is so- that really lasts a lifetime because it has been rendered opposite to any sort of benefit.
A life prisoner in this country is a living dead man. A live corpse, who cannot be resuscitated because there is a law which stops this person from coming back to life.
Will you leave us to stand alone?
Our battle can become yours in asking the European Parliament to introduce an Investigational Committee.
The first of December 2008, join us on our hunger strike.

If you want more information ask your relatives, friends or legal representatives to visit the website www.informacarcere.it – click on the ‘Mai Dire Mai’ –‘Never Say Never’- section, post in questions or comments which will receive response.