from Stan Mills
In the latest news bulletin published by the British Committee for Portuguese Amnesty there are reports of encouraging successes: the release of Ivone Dias Lenrenco, and other political prisoners who have been imprisoned for far lonrer than their original sentences as a 'security' measure, The campaign for the release of Maria da Piedade Gomes dos Santos is yet to bring any results. She has been held for two yeara'prison sentence and three years' detention under security measures. This expired in March, but she has been held illegally for a further six months to allow the judge time to consider the defence plea for provisional or absolute liberty, which he was empowered to grant in any event by a provision embodied in Security Measures. In fact she is being held as a hostage for her husband, with whom she was arrested in 1958, but who escaped in 1961.
She has stated that she is prepared not to engage in any further political activity, she is desperately ill, and yet she is considered a threat to the security of society. 40 Portucuese lawyers have taken up the whole question of the illegality and unconstitutional nature of the retention of her detention, Her defence has had to be conducted in the face of such obstacles as the prisoner's being refused visitors for as long as 2 months at a time. One of Portuzal's leading writers, Ferreira de Cartio, has made a dramatic and moving plea for justice and humanity in this case. In several countries a campaign is growing to force the Portuguese authorities to release Maria da Piedade, and demands for her release in +ritain should be sent tos
1) Judge Cunha Ferreira, President of the Porto Tribunal, Largo Se Joao Novo, Porto, Portugal;
2) Judge Azevedo Soares, Tribunal de Segundo Juizo Criminal, Rua de Cedofeita, Porto;
3) The Minister of the Interior, Ministry of the Interior, Lisbon, Portugal.
As well as this individual campaign, something must be done about a group of political prisoners in the Peniche Fortress, whose health is: causing grave concem to their families. The prisoners have been split up in an attempt to undermine their solidarity, and all books and writing materials have been removed from their cells, and they are not getting proper medical treatment. Protests against this situation should go tos
Director,
Forte de Peniche,
Peniche,
r ale ;
Aerie ht should be sent to the Portuguese Embassy in London.
There are also reports on the Beja trail, the student demonstrations in Lis>on and the activities of the British Committee for Portuguese Amnestye The Committee are publishing a pamphlet entitled "Portugals Women in Prison" (price 1/3 including postage) in September, Information and enquiries should go tos
British Committee for rortuguese Amnesty,
30, Benson Rdey
London, SE. 236
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