[Batko]

Petition to save Bernard Rappaz

We must put an end to the judicial harassment of which Bernard Rappaz is the object, the same of which has caused him to lose his farm and which also includes other forthcoming trials, if he survives.

But in any event, today we must recognize that, after his 100th day of hunger strike, the state of Bernard Rappaz is in a seriously grave condition which requires the immediate suspension of his sentence.

We urge the Swiss authorities to order the prompt release of Bernard Rappaz, by suspension of his sentence.
Hemp's pioneer in Switzerland, he was sentenced to 5 years and 8 months in prison.

Support Bernard Rappaz now.

Write to Bernard messages of support, even very short one (postcards ,...) in order to submerge prison authority, sign up regularly with a letter every 3 days.

Bernard Rappaz
Pénitencier de Crêtelongue
3977 Granges, Valais - Switzerland
GPS : N46.26104, E7.48202

Protest at the head of the Federal Department of Justice and Police (Minister of Justice of Switzerland) with the sample letter below, and copy your letter to one or several local representatives (the list is in the 2nd part of this page.

Send your donations to :
Donation:
Bernard Rappaz
ferme Oasis, Chemin des Iles 50,
CH 1907 Saxon, Valais - Switzerland
c.c.p. 19-10613-5

Follow day after day his hunting strike.

Join the international chaîne of the solidarity fast.

A facebook for Bernard Rappaz is online.

[Batko]

SPLIFr.com — SWITZERLAND — While Canadian cannabis activist Marc Emery sits unfairly in a U.S. prison, 10,000 miles away his Swiss counterpart lies in a Geneva hospital on hunger strike. Swiss cannabis activist and hemp farmer Bernard Rappaz (57) is now reportedly very ill after refusing to take food from prison authorities at Pénitencier de Crêtelongue in the canton of Fribourgin Switzerland.

He has been on hunger strike in protest of his prison sentence of 5 years and 8 months for drug offenses. In reality he was sentenced for growing plants. Rappaz is a well know hemp activist in Switzerland and Europe. he began the fight for the liberalisaion of the hemp trade and cannabis use in the early 1990′s.

His fight soon brought him to the attention of the Swiss authorities. In November 2008 at the Martigny court he was found guilty of growing hemp in violation of Swiss drug laws at his farm in the canton of Valais. When police raided his farm they confiscated 50 tons of hemp and at his trial admitted that he had sold 5 tons of hemp for around five million Swiss Francs (apx EUR 3.5 million). Swiss authorities also threw in charges of money laundering and driving offenses, just to be sure of a conviction. During his trial Rappaz also laid out the medicinal and health benefits of cannabis, a brave thing to do in the home of big pharma.

However, this fell on deaf ears and he was sentenced to 5 years and 8 months. The prosecution wanted Rappaz to spend at least 10 years in prison for growing a plant. Rappaz was detained in prison in Sion on March 10, 2010. He then went on hunger strike to protest at the criminal proceeding, which he says are unlawful and for his opinions on Hemp and cannabis.

He was then transferred to the prison wing of the Inselspital in Bern. After 50 days on hunger strike he was able to acquire a federal review of his trial. He was then released on probation and put under house arrest in Valais. On 26 August 2010, the Federal Court rejected his appeal and ordered that he must complete his sentence and if need be he should be force fed by prison authorities.

He was remanded again where he immediately began his 2nd hunger strike. Now over 80 days in, the once rugged and healthy Swiss farmer now weighs just 69 kilograms (132 pounds). he has explicitly rejected any medical assistance should he fall into a coma. The Rappaz case has now pitted Swiss doctors who refuse to force feed him, against legal authorities bent on upholding his prison sentence. A spokesperson at Geneva’s university hospital cited medical and ethical grounds and because of his weakened state against force feeding, despite switzerland’s high court confirming that the canton of Valais could order the doctors to force feed Rappaz.

A spokesman at Geneva hospital said on Friday that such a step was “inapplicable” because of the “constraint that would be necessary,” after their patient “reiterated his absolute refusal to submit to it.” It invoked local, federal and international laws and underlined in a statement that Rappaz was capable of making a lucid choice, regardless of whether he was jailed or not. “Political and judicial authorities are taking the medical profession hostage by ordering force-feeding of an imprisoned hunger striker, said the the director of the institute of biomedical ethics at the University of Geneva, Alexandre Mauron. Doctors should not be treated as “servants” for “the prestige and credibility of the Swiss justice system,” he said. However Ursula Cassany, a professor of criminal law, said “doctors could be liable for “intentional homicide by omission” if they refused a legal obligation to prolong the life of a patient”.

The regional government in Valais will meet on November 18 to review Rappaz’ request for a pardon. However the political forces in the region have an extremely uncompromising and hardline attitude toward his case. The local branch of the hard right Swiss People’s Party (SVP) have said that the authorities should not be blackmailed. The activist was also told yesterday (Nov 12) that his beloved farmhouse has now been sold in a force sale by the Swiss authorities. His lawyer said the sale meant Rappaz had lost his last will to live.

Please Support Bernard Rappaz now.

Write Bernard messages of support, even very short one on a postcard. Show your support! Bernard Rappaz – Political Prisoner Pénitencier de Crêtelongue CH-3977 Granges Contribute to buy the farm sold by the Court. Donation: Bernard Rappaz ferme Oasis, Chemin des Iles 50, CH 1907 Saxon, Valais – Switzerland c.c.p. 19-10613-5 Please contact Simonetta Sommaruga, head of the Swiss Federal Department of Justice and Police. Ask her to commute the sentence of Bernard Rappaz! Her email is: simonetta.sommaruga@gs-ejpd.admin.ch