via https://abolitionmedia.noblogs.org/25351/

Last Tuesday, December 9, at 11:30 a.m., Yorch, an anarcho-punk comrade, passed away. He had been in critical condition for several days after not receiving the necessary medical attention in prison. Yorch, who died in the custody of the Mexican prison system, will be laid to rest at the San Nicolás Tolentino cemetery, located on Av. San Lorenzo, in the San Juan de Iztapalapa area.

Yorch was on life support due to neurological damage caused by not receiving adequate medical care in prison, commensurate with the severity of his condition. The problems began in 2019 when Yorch suffered from appendicitis that went untreated. From then on, his health began to deteriorate progressively, a situation exacerbated by his imprisonment and the constant obstruction by prison guards and the judicial system, which prevented him from accessing healthcare.

His friends shared the sad news: “Today at 11:30 a.m., our beloved comrade and brother Yorch fought his final battle, leaving his tired and weakened body behind. We will be in touch so that when the time is right, you can join us to embrace and say goodbye to our brother.” For the moment, NOTHING IS NEEDED (no money, nothing), everything is covered, and we are organizing the logistics. All that remains is the bureaucratic process for his release, and afterwards, we WILL need the loving presence of his entire chosen family, who have been such an important part of his life.”

The independent news outlet Noticias de Abajo lamented Yorch’s death and denounced the state as responsible: “It was the State that took Yorch’s life, the same State that, through a setup involving authorities from UNAM and the Mexico City government, imprisoned him. The same State that takes the lives of political prisoners with its jails and its prison and judicial system. He was murdered by the negligence of the State, he was kidnapped for several years by a bad government based on lies. He was persecuted and harassed by the university authorities. And after accusing him twice for the same case, and falsifying the reasons for his detention, he was mistreated while being denied the medical attention he needed in this kidnapping by the Mexican State.”

A few days ago, in La Zarzamora, we published an article about the serious health condition of the young anarcho-punk Jorge Esquivel “El Yorch,” and it’s truly difficult to communicate this. It’s terrible to see that the lives of our comrades in prison are in constant danger, that any health problem can worsen without options within the confines of prison. We know that the state, supposedly the guarantor of the lives of prisoners, actually seeks to isolate and eliminate us. Deaths in prison cannot continue to be tolerated.

From the south of Abya Yala, we send strength and love to his comrades, and all our hatred and condemnation to the prison guards and the state responsible for every death in prison.

By: La Zarzamora

December 2025

“I am surprised to say that I now reside in transitional housing. I left Waseca Federal Correctional Institution on October 1st, thanking God to have seen the beautiful face of my dear friend Julie Brown in the prison parking lot there to pick me up and transport me to my new home, a halfway house. It had been over 5 years since she and I said our goodbyes on the Des Moines Catholic Worker front porch, both shedding a few tears at the time, me a nervous wreck preparing for the greatest unknown I’d yet experienced. Needless to say, it was a heartfelt reunion.

So I’ve been in the halfway house scene for a few weeks now, settling in as well as possible, I suppose. Although I am no longer in prison, I am still Bureau of Prison property. Let me expand on that a bit further. If I had any doubt about what it means to be BOP property, it was cleared up when one time, a few years back, a group of us were playing a prison yard softball game. It was early in the year, and so we were all pretty stir crazy after a long winter indoors and eager to get out of our housing units and to get a little sunshine and fresh air.

Well, a few of the women got a little too much sun and by the following morning were pretty red-faced, and then one of the women was called to her counselor’s office to receive a disciplinary write up for her sunburn: “destruction of government property”. Wow! It kind of hit me in a different way at that moment. So, although there is no longer a fence surrounding me, until 10/01/2027, every move I make is monitored. Any and all doctor’s appointments, mental health therapy sessions, all communication on my phone and email, any employment endeavors, all overseen by BOP.

Taking it all in, where I’ve been, where I am now, and heading toward home confinement, am I doing alright? In a real way, no probably not. I am sad all the time. It is hard to be hopeful about too many good days ahead any time soon. Did prison do that to me? Can I blame the BOP? Is it because I still can’t garden or hike or swim? Or maybe I could blame the fact the world, at a glance, seems as bad as it ever was? All I know is that for a while now the laughter has left me.

I thank everyone for their prayers, thoughts, letters, and contributions along the way. Without you I don’t know where I’d be during these dark times. Thank you so very much.

Jessica Reznicek”

You can write directly to Jess at:
Fresh Start Women’s Center (Women’s Residential Correctional Facility)
1917 Hickman Rd,
Des Moines, IA 50314

On this day in 1986, former Black Liberation Army & New Afrikan, anarchist Political Prisoner Kuwasi Balagoon died of complications from AIDS.

We highly recommend reading Kuwasi’s writings at the link below, especially the Brinks trial opening and closing trial statement:
https://theanarchistlibrary.org/library/kuwasi-balagoon-brink-s-trial-opening-statement
https://theanarchistlibrary.org/library/kuwasi-balagoon-brink-s-trial-closing-statement

Video of Kuwasi:

A Solider’s Story:
https://bookshop.org/p/books/soldier-s-story-revolutionary-writings-by-a-new-afrikan-anarchist-kuwasi-balagoon/a9b0146cca243fdc?ean=9781629633770&next=t

In Memory Of Kuwasi Balagoon

Died of AIDS, 12/13/86, nine days short of his 40th birthday by David Gilbert

Kuwasi Balagoon (Kuwasi means Born on Sunday, Balagoon means Warrior) was a New Afrikan Freedom Fighter and anarchist and all around wonderful human being— creative, courageous, principled. He had been a light heavyweight boxer in the Army, then a tenant organizer in Harlem, and also a sparkling poet who read on the same programs as the Last Poets (considered the 1960s precursors to hip hop).

In 1969, he was indicted as part of the Panther 21. the most notorious case of the police bringing false charges to suppress political organizing, and he went underground to avoid arrest. Later, with incredible daring and brilliance, Kuwasi managed two different escapes from New Jersey state prisons. Each time he was out and clear, and only got caught later because he continued to try to free other comrades. Kuwasi was a free spirit and loving human being who didn’t feel bound by the gender binary. In his last year, at Auburn Correctional Facility, he whistled jazz tunes, painted surreal watercolours, and got up at 5:00 a.m. to work in the kitchen so that he could bake for friends.

He had a deep commitment to both uphold militant struggle and to openly admit and analyze errors—and was in the process of writing about that when he died. His sudden and surprising death led three of his close friends to initiate the first comprehensive peer education project on AIDS in a prison.

David Gilbert

via NYCABC
We’ve finished the latest version of the NYC ABC “Illustrated Guide to Political Prisoners and Prisoners of War” and it’s available for viewing (and download) by clicking on the tab at the top of this page. This update includes updated mini-bios, photos, and address changes for several prisoners. Sadly, this edition includes the removal of Imam Jamil Al-Amin. Rest easy, Imam.

Download the Illustrated Guide at
https://nycabc.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/nycabc_polprisonerlisting_latestdec2025-1.pdf

Holiday Writing Event for Prisoners at THRIVE, 99 Market St, Lowell MA with Lowell/Lawrence ABC
December 12th at 4pm.

Here is the latest compilation of every-other-week updates via NYC ABC
https://nycabc.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/9-dec-2025.pdf

NYC ABC, along with several other individuals and prisoner support
crews, now send hard copies to all political prisoners and prisoners of
war we support.

If you consistently mail the latest updates to a specific prisoner,
please let us know so we can insure there’s no overlap. The goal is to
have copies sent to all of the prisoners we list.

We’ve also been told that some prisoners are not receiving the copies
sent in, yet we aren’t getting rejection notices. If you are in steady
contact with a prisoner, please ask them whether or not they are
receiving the updates and let us know.

Free ’em all,
NYC ABC

The full archive of updates from March 2011 to today are available for download at
https://nycabc.wordpress.com/pppow-updates-announcements/

The Xinachtli Freedom Campaign is calling on the community to join us this Saturday, December 13, for a protest at Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s Mansion to demand urgent medical care and freedom for 73-year-old Chicano Indigenous political prisoner Xinachtli.

Xinachtli’s health is rapidly declining, and he is being denied basic medical care. We must mobilize now and fight for X before it’s too late!

• WHERE: 1010 Colorado St., Austin
• WHEN: Saturday, December 13, 12–2 p.m.
• CARPOOL (Houston → Austin): tinyurl.com/freexride
  
  

Our Demands

1. Reinstate Xinachtli’s commissary access.
2. Transfer him immediately to the TDCJ hospital in Galveston.
3. Move him from McConnell Unit to the LeBlanc medical facility in Beaumont.
4. Release him under Medical Recommended Intensive Supervision (MRIS).

Not in Texas? You can still help! 

Please share and repost the protest on Instagram to help spread the word: https://www.instagram.com/p/DR0GIc-jrw-/Your organization can also sign onto our demand letter to the TDCJ: tinyurl.com/xsupportletterA flyer with all event details is attached.

Thank you for standing in support of Xinachtli.

In solidarity,
Xinachtli Freedom Campaign

Philly’s 2025 Running Down the Walls event raised $2610 for political
prisoners! Join us for another reportback mailing party this Monday, 6:30pm at Wooden Shoe books so we can tell them all about it! Light refreshments provided; masks are required.

We’ll also be signing cards for political prisoners with winter birthdays: Casey Brezik (December 30th), Fran Thompson (January 4th), Abdul Aziz (January 9th), Joseph “Joe-Joe” Bowen (January 15th), and Marius Mason (January 26th).

—
[Image description: Drawing of a bird standing on a stretch of barbed wire, with the event details displaying as text above and below the bird.]

Des Revol’s support crew is trying to get 100 organizations this week to sign onto the support letter for “Free Des” (they currently have between 55 and 60 organizations signed on). Any outreach to liberal, mainstream, normie, nonprofit, progressive, and/or radical/anarchist organizations is greatly appreciated!

Here’s a great article about the case:
https://theintercept.com/2025/11/23/prairieland-ice-antifa-zines-criminalize-protest-journalism/.

For the sign-on letter, see https://freedes.net/sign-on-letter/ 
(which includes an email address for orgs to send their “YES” to!)

Write Des:
Daniel Rolando Sanchez Estrada, #95099-511
FMC Fort Worth
PO Box 15330
Fort Worth, TX 76119

GUIDELINES:
Des is pretrial. DO NOT mention anything about the case or charges. Write only in blue or black ink. No stickers, glitter, or whiteout. Include his first and last name as well as ID number, page numbers, date, and a return address at the top of each sheet. An example for the top of each page could look like this:

First Name, Last Name, ID Number
Page Number X/X
Date
Return Address

ALL correspondence is read, scanned, and cataloged by facility staff. Do not say anything you don’t want read on Fox News or in court about you or Des.

WHEN: Sunday, December 14th, 2025 10:00am-1:30pm
WHERE: Principles (139 9th Street, Brooklyn 11215)
COST: FREE (Donations to cover the cost of stamps greatly appreciated)

In what many prisoners have told us is their favorite event of the year, Resistance in Brooklyn and NYC Anarchist Black Cross again join forces to bring you the annual holiday card-writing party for U.S. held political prisoners, prisoners of war, and prisoners of conscience. This event is always a lot of fun, the food outstanding, the camaraderie lively, and the handmade cards flat out amazing. This year will be no different, and will be organized both in person and virtually. So plan to tell your friends and bring your creativity. We’ll have updates on the pp/pow campaigns as well as crayons, colored pencils, paper and envelopes.

This is a hybrid event and will have a zoom component for folks unable to make it in person. For the Zoom meeting information, contact Resistance in Brooklyn: resistanceinbrooklyn.ows at gmail dot com

For folks writing at home, here are some guidelines to follow to ensure your holiday card gets to the person you are writing:

GUIDELINES:
We recommend using the following guidelines to ensure your holiday card will get through the walls. The best bet for getting a handmade card through the walls is to either: print a design on plain computer paper or create a design on plain computer paper using blue or black pen only. Things have gotten very draconian and many facilities won’t even allow crayon or colored pencil anymore. Card stock or greeting cards are not allowed in most facilities. You cannot use paint of any kind. You cannot enclose glitter or write with glittery gel pens or puff paint pens or stickers.

If you DO use some colorful artsy craftsy things to make a card on cardstock, simply photocopy it onto computer paper and send in the copy only.

You cannot include articles or anything else torn out of a newspaper or magazine. However, you can print that same article from the internet or photocopy it.

ON THE ENVELOPE:
Return address labels are no longer permitted in most facilities, nor stickers of any kind (aside from stamps). Write your ‘to’ and ‘from’ address neatly in blue or black pen.

For more information, contact:
Resistance in Brooklyn– [email protected]
NYC Anarchist Black Cross– [email protected]