The Case of Mumia Abu-Jamal: A Life in the Balance

A Compelling Argument Against The Death Of America’s Most Controversial Prisoner; The highly provocative case of Mumia Abu-Jamal has generated more international attention than that of any other inmate currently on death row in the United States. A black man, sentenced to death in Pennsylvania for the murder of a white police officer in 1981, he has constantly maintained his innocence. Since his trial in 1982, those campaigning for his release or retrial have questioned the validity of much of the evidence used to gain his conviction. But these accusations have also been countered by the police and their supporters, who have agitated for Abu-Jamal’s execution while maintaining that the trial was unbiased and fair. Responding to mounting international concern over the case, Amnesty International has held its own independent review of the trial and concluded that numerous aspects of this case clearly failed to meet minimum international standards safeguarding the fairness of legal proceedings. They argue that the interests of justice would be best served by the granting of a new trial to Mumia Abu-Jamal. This pamphlet explains why.