On 18th May 2014 Mr Koala Rosmane died after two years in Bruchsal Prison, Germany. A few days later the prison director, Mr M, was suspended.
The Details
In 2012 Mr Koala Rosmane was convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to ten years in jail. Maybe because he had trouble with a prison officer, and/or maybe because Mr Rosmane came from Burkina Faso in Africa, he was sentenced to another year and kept in solitary confinement for the past two years. It has been said that racist officers insulted the inmate often. For the past few months he refused prison food, maybe because he feared that the prison administration wanted to poison him.
The Death
The forensic doctor who carried out the post mortem examination said that the prisoner was extremely malnourished. Maybe he died of starvation.
The Suspension
It was the first time ever in Germany that a prison warden was suspended after an inmates death. Mr M was known for his special “character”. A couple of years ago, when he sent his Christmas greetings to inmates, he used a quotation from a song by a band which has been involved in racist attacks in the past. Inmates hang themselves, cut their veins, make hunger strikes. No one was interested in them. But it seems that now Mr M has gone too far!
The Prospects
A lawyer has informed the public that he has information about racist structures in Bruchsal prison. Maybe the shocking death of Mr Rosmane will be the beginning of a powerful struggle to stop the inhuman, racist and degrading treatment, not only in Bruchsal prison. Some detainees there began a hunger strike to fight back with their own bodies, to show the people on the outside that there are many other inmates who are in a difficult situation. A couple of months ago in Berlin's jail a 'Prisoners Union' was founded.
So there are still activities behind the bars in Germany – but we should not allow the prison directors to send inmates to isolation for years.
Mr Koala Rosmane is a victim of the German justice system, he is a victim, who should be honoured and never forgotten! R.I.P. Koala!
Thomas Meyer-Falk, September 2014
JVA (SV-Abtlg.)
http://www.freedom-for-thomas.de
In 2012 Mr Koala Rosmane was convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to ten years in jail. Maybe because he had trouble with a prison officer, and/or maybe because Mr Rosmane came from Burkina Faso in Africa, he was sentenced to another year and kept in solitary confinement for the past two years. It has been said that racist officers insulted the inmate often. For the past few months he refused prison food, maybe because he feared that the prison administration wanted to poison him.
The Death
The forensic doctor who carried out the post mortem examination said that the prisoner was extremely malnourished. Maybe he died of starvation.
The Suspension
It was the first time ever in Germany that a prison warden was suspended after an inmates death. Mr M was known for his special “character”. A couple of years ago, when he sent his Christmas greetings to inmates, he used a quotation from a song by a band which has been involved in racist attacks in the past. Inmates hang themselves, cut their veins, make hunger strikes. No one was interested in them. But it seems that now Mr M has gone too far!
The Prospects
A lawyer has informed the public that he has information about racist structures in Bruchsal prison. Maybe the shocking death of Mr Rosmane will be the beginning of a powerful struggle to stop the inhuman, racist and degrading treatment, not only in Bruchsal prison. Some detainees there began a hunger strike to fight back with their own bodies, to show the people on the outside that there are many other inmates who are in a difficult situation. A couple of months ago in Berlin's jail a 'Prisoners Union' was founded.
So there are still activities behind the bars in Germany – but we should not allow the prison directors to send inmates to isolation for years.
Mr Koala Rosmane is a victim of the German justice system, he is a victim, who should be honoured and never forgotten! R.I.P. Koala!
Thomas Meyer-Falk, September 2014
JVA (SV-Abtlg.)
http://www.freedom-for-thomas.de
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