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Dear Honourable Judge Lucretia Clemons,

Re: The Release of Mumia Abu-Jamal

I am writing to you as a Member of the UK Parliament for 26 years with reference the sustained injustice that has plagued the case of Mumia Abu-Jamal who has been spent many decades incarcerated.

This is a case I have followed closely and raised in the UK Parliament for decades, first under the Presidency of Bill Clinton, supporting an Early Day Motion asking the President “to intervene to prevent the execution of Mumia Abu-Jamal and to guarantee him the conditions for a fair trial.”

Members of Parliament across party divides have consistently raised the injustices associated with this case, which has caused great concern not just in the US, but also in Europe and around the world.

In the UK and the US, the Black Lives Matter campaigns have drawn global attention to racial injustice within the criminal justice systems. And in both countries, there is an onus on legislators and those in the justice system to correct past wrongs and to tackle persistent prejudice within the system that leads to discrimination against black citizens.

I welcome your decision in ordering the District Attorney’s office to allow Mumia’s defence to view all of the files relating to his case, some of which I understand have never previously been made available to them.

I very much hope that you, as an honourable judge, will act to put right this past injustice – as this case is being watched around the world.

Yours Sincerely

John McDonnell MP

Member of Parliament for Hayes & Harlington