Split verdict finds Uhuru 3 not guilty of being ‘Russian agents’

Sept. 16, 2024 — In a closely watched case of U.S. federal political speech persecution, on Sept. 12, an all-white jury in Tampa, Florida, delivered a split decision, finding the Uhuru 3 not guilty of being agents of the Russian government. This was the more serious of two charges, carrying a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. 

However, the jury did return a guilty verdict for “conspiracy to commit an offense against the United States,” because the three defendants were allegedly  “sowing dissension against the U.S. government.” 

The Uhuru 3 will file an appeal to overturn that illogical verdict, for which they face up to five years imprisonment. It is predicated on them allegedly following Russian orders — for which they were found not guilty.

Defense attorneys provided the jury with extensive information that the Uhuru 3 and their organizations had been engaged for more than 50 years in asserting and defending the rights of Black people in the U.S. and globally.

On July 29, 2022, in the early morning hours, police forces in St. Petersburg, Florida, and St. Louis stormed into the offices of the African People’s Socialist Party (APSP), the Uhuru House and the African People’s Solidarity Committee, as well as the homes of Party Chairman Omali Yeshitela and other members. Their rampage damaged doors, walls and windows as they seized computers, phones, files, hard drives, documents, photos, books and even scraps of paper –  and brutally mistreated the occupants. 

Months later, the indictments came down, charging Yeshitela, Penny Hess and Jesse Nevel with being “secret pawns in a Russian government conspiracy to sow political discord and interfere in elections.”

Hundreds filled the courtroom daily

While the trial had been anticipated to last as long as four weeks, the inability of the government witnesses to testify to any facts proving the defendants acted on orders from Alexander Ionov, the Russian identified as their “handler,” prompted the state to abruptly finish on Sept. 9. The trial began on Sept. 2.

Millions of dollars have been expended and some 30 FBI agents were engaged in examining and analyzing the voluminous seized materials, only to find nothing damning to convince the Tampa jury that the Uhuru 3 were operating under Russian orders.

The lawyers for each defendant called no witnesses. Rather they elaborated through documents and videos of the consistent advancement of political actions and speech by the defendants and their organizations to support Black people’s rights and self-determination. A history of opposition to U.S. imperialist wars, aggression and militarism, from Vietnam to Ukraine to Palestine, was addressed as an inherent element of the Black liberation struggle in the U.S.

The jury began deliberations on Sept. 11, and the contradictory verdict was announced on Sept. 12.

In remarks to supporters that day, Chairman Yeshitela declared that “the most important thing is that they were unable to convict us for working for anybody except Black people, that’s the most important thing. They could not convict us for working for anybody except Black people.”

Monica Moorehead, a Workers World managing editor, stated: “We welcome the not guilty verdict on the most serious charge and demand the verdict on the lesser charge be reversed immediately. The real ‘crime’ the Uhuru 3 committed was to protest NATO’s war against Russia, and they should be commended for doing that.”  

A sentencing date of Nov. 25 has been set, but the Uhuru 3 lawyers will appeal the conviction on “sowing dissent.”

In the meantime, the APSP’s mobilization for the annual Black Is Back March on the White House for Social Justice, Peace and Reparations on Nov. 2 is underway.

For additional information, see Burning Spear newspaper or handsoffuhuru.org.