"This Isn't Normal" – Families of the Ulm 5 Speak Out

From the moment our family heard about Daniel's arrest, we were scrambling to try and be in touch with them, to know if they were okay. My mom was calling the prison, my dad was on to the Irish consulate, how can someone be in prison in an EU country and not be able to make contact with their family? Daniel's lawyer struggled to make contact too, and it was two weeks before they were permitted to meet. The lawyer then told Daniel we had been trying desperately to reach them. Daniel had no idea. Welcome to our scale, the Irish blog podcast from Berlin, the Olem 5 or 5 activists who were arrested last September after attempting to stop the flow of weapons to Israel during the Gaza genocide from an Elbe Systems factory in Olem, Germany. There have since been held in separate prisons across Germany for seven months, charged with trespass, property destruction, and being a member of "Criminal Organization" on quote, under Section 129 of the German Criminal Code. Section 129 is also being used against climate activists in Germany, which has been criticized by UN Special Rapporteurs. The lawyers defending the Olem 5 believe that they are being made an example of with prolonged pretrial detention, quote, "on the conditions that breach the right to adequate confidential and unrestricted legal representation, the right to be heard, and the right to a fair trial." Section 125 allows up to six months pretrial detention in German law. This was exceeded earlier this month, and their trial is not due to begin for another five weeks. The activists are being subject to harsh detention conditions, including solitary confinement, extremely restricted activities, surveyed visits, phone calls and posts. Germany, which supplies a third of all weapons delivered to Israel, is currently on trial at the International Court of Justice, a complicity in the Gaza genocide. My name is Curtis, journalist Rosigari Perez introduces the family and friends of the Olem 5. After, but now we are going to welcome the loved ones from the Olem 5, so please come on stage. I think the first year going to hear from the loved one from Kroh, Kit, is the sister. Hi guys, thanks so much for coming. It's so great to see so many people. When I first heard about what happened, I had faith that my brother would soon be released. I didn't think the German government, not Albert systems, would want to incriminate themselves by letting these five people take to stand and expose how they are arming the genocide against the Palestinian people. I thought even if the five did get put on trial, I know that a jury of ordinary people will find them innocent, as has continuously been the case for those put on trial for their direct action in solidarity with Palestine all over the UK where I live. I have learned, however, that they won't be getting a jury and I'm worried. This needs to be a fair trial. Albert systems must be investigated. International law must be upheld. So far, it has not been a fair trial. My brother has been in prison for over six months before being found guilty of anything. To be a fair trial, they need to be granted bail so that they can access the resources and support they need to prepare for the case and face down the charges level at them. My brother tried everything for two years to object to Germany's support and complicity in the genocide. In line with the opinions of over 60% of the German people, they protested peacefully against Germany supplying Israel with 33% of its military arms imports. The response of the German police was to beat them up and to continue to export military hardware to Israel. Crow has locked up in a cell alone for 22 hours a day. The food is shockingly inadequate and guards can be indifferent to fights and safety concerns stating it's not their business unless there's blood on the floor. In one in-person visit with Crow, they told us that because they knew we were in the city a few days before the visit, they had been excitedly looking out their windows seeing if they could see us going for a walk. This was tough for me to hear. Anyone who knows Crow knows that they have this sunny energy. They're funny, incredibly sensitive, supportive, proactive with a massive heart. Before all of this, it was always a privilege to get a call from them as a sister and even though they made the most effort of all of us five siblings to keep in touch, they would always apologise. So sorry, kid, that I haven't called sooner. It's hard for me today to win a house more their world has gotten that just getting a letter from me or seeing me walk outside their window in a far off field makes such a big difference today. Crow is continuously moved from cell to cell, separating them from trusting and supportive friendships that they make. Impending moves where they'll just be told, one day to pack up all your things and move causes them anxiety. They've recently moved, moved to a floor where due to the high pressure environment, there are lots of fights and tensions. There's cell window now looks onto a wall. They built a bird house to attract birds to their window recently but a prison guard came in, destroyed the bird house and searched their entire room. As a family, most of us live in the UK and so can only afford to send one of us to visit them per month, let us two and from them take up to six weeks to arrive and sometimes never arrive. Crow has the permission to have regular phone calls with their loved ones yet they have been flatly denied these calls by Samheim prison who say they are two short staffed. This obstructs their rights to family and social rehabilitation in prison. We have asked the British Embassy to intervene on this failure as is their duty but they've refused. My brother has been in a lot of my dreams lately. We're going on a walk together able to drink a coffee in these. I'm so full of joy and I don't understand why and it's only when I wake up that the context and the sad is hits. We just miss them after every visit that one of us has with them. We send a voice note in the family group chat explaining how it went and how they are. There's a mix of excitement and dread in receiving these voice notes because you don't know what you're about to hear. Has there been a fight? Has their mental health slipped? Have the prison guards been cruel to them? Can they still see that friend they mentioned in the last visit? We've had to miss a lot of work due to stress anxiety not sleeping and this is not easy with maintaining our own lives. There's always loads to do to spread the word and we try to provide pro with as much emotional support as we can. Right into them sending them ideas, puzzles and looks. Crow is doing fine. All things considered but they are very anxious about the trial coming up and they have developed some physical health problems due to the stress. If anyone would like to support them in the five by writing to them that would be amazing. But our big ask is for people to get down to the trial in Stamheim this April through July and show the five support inside the court and outside on as many days of the trial as you can. Showed me what we think of them punishing people who have acted in solidarity with Palestine and in line with international law. The five really need you guys with them embodies energy and loud voices. Political prisoners in the UK have spoken about difficult battles they faced with suicidal thoughts and continual protests and campaigning have helped set them free. Showing up and protesting this trial will really help make sure that whatever the degree of injustice to come whatever the result they face at the end of it, the five will feel supported to keep enduring the difficult moments and like it's not over. [Applause] I really think it's very important that we all show up in the trial and that they feel seen because this is a trial against the five but it's a trial against all of us. [Applause] So now we are going to heal from Clara. Clara is the sister of Daniel. I helped my brother for the first time since they were arrest three days ago. That's six months, two visits and countless letters back and forth before we were allowed to touch. Six months that they've been in prison in Germany for taking action to prevent a genocide. By the time the trial is done nearly a year we'll have gone by. From the moment our family heard about Daniel's arrest we were scrambling to try and be in touch with them to know if they were okay. Daniel's lawyer struggled to make contact too and it was two weeks before they were permitted to meet. The lawyer then told Daniel we have been trying desperately to reach them. Daniel had no idea. In later letters we heard that these were two of the hardest weeks of Daniel's time in prison so far. They were completely cut off from the world, no phone calls, no visits, no contact with family or lawyers and no explanations. I live in Dublin where my brother and I grew up. I have traveled to home where Daniel is imprisoned three times. It's an expensive trip. Each time we just get 30 minutes with Daniel. Physicians are allowed every two weeks. I know that they are a lifeline for my brother and for us as their loved ones. So far we have managed it but I'm worried about our capacities over the trial period. We feel that it is vital that Daniel V. Crozo and Leandra have familiar and supporting faces in the public gallery. Until the end of January for visits, Daniel was locked at the end of a small room behind a thick glass wall. We would sit up close to the wall with our hands pressed against the glass. with two police officers and a translator sitting behind us listening in and making sure that we're not talking about the case. It was hard to hear them through the divide. Suddenly in February something changed and no one told us why. My dad was the first to be able to hug Daniel, then our mom and stepdad, then their partner, and finally me on Thursday. I have visited the person before but this time I was really nervous. I was so desperate to see them and to finally hug them and hold their hand. Daniel is not allowed any phone calls and only to their lawyers so our visits with them are only chance to ask them in the moment. How are you? Otherwise we rely on letters. Those of you here who know Daniel know how thoughtful and intelligent they are. Every letter I get is a treasure to me and not only do I get a window into their daily life and their thoughts on what they're up to and how they're managing but their writing is so beautiful, tender and sharp that I feel I'm there with them. They're writing to me and only to me and I'm in their world. Letters are delayed and erotic. They take a minimum of four to six weeks to arrive if they arrive at all. Some get help back for months and some are returned to the sender with no explanation. In every letter in every visit I'm struck by Daniel's resilience. They are in a cell alone for 23 hours every day. They have a TV and we're able to request a loan of a typewriter from the prison library. They reread letters, they write replies and do whatever exercise they can in their small cell. They work on a novel, they began to write in their incarceration. The prison library only has about 25 books in English and so far they have refused Daniel the option to order and pay for their own literature. My mom had the great idea of printing out books and distributing them across different envelopes so that they don't exceed the 100 gram limit of a letter sent from Ireland. Daniel told me on Thursday that they have now read Ulysses by James Joyce three times. Without access to books Daniel has little to read. Every letter sent to them counts. If you would like to support Daniel please consider writing to them. If you've come today because you want to support Daniel the Crow, so and Leandra thank you. With the trial starting in just a little over one month we are going to need all the support we can get. As difficult as it has been it's going to get harder. Every time bail has been denied every time an appeal is shut down or a complaint is rebuked the courts expose their thinking. Most recently we heard that a higher court that heard no evidence from the defense thinks that these five friends who did what they could to uphold international law will likely not receive sentences at the lower end of the range. This is before a trial has even begun. As loved ones of Daniel V Crow, so and Leandra we are concerned. The state seems to have made up its mind of five these five human rights defenders. They seem to think that fair process does not apply. That's why we're asking you please help us to ensure that this trial does not go unwatched. Show up for Daniel for so for Crow V and Leandra. Let the German courts know that they are being watched, that they are not above the law. Let Germany know that it's not above international law. There is hard evidence of Germany's complicity in an ongoing genocide. In that context our five loved ones, the conscientious, thoughtful and brave among us, stood up for human rights for international law. I'm going to finish with something Daniel wrote in a letter to their partner a few months ago. Do you remember that story you told me of course you do? Of the elephant who becomes so used to her change that even when they are gone she walked only where they would have let her. I think about that a lot. I wonder about all the ways I'm already used to having my freedom limited and there is honestly a part of me that's worried only time to get used to being free again that it won't come back naturally. Like so many people here I do my best to keep my mind as free as I can to compensate for how unfree my body is. When I practice Greek spellings or write or read a book out loud to myself I do my best to keep my mind in contact with the world in which I'll live when I am free. Thank you. Beautiful. I'm looking forward to reading his book. Okay now we are going to hear from itzy. Itzy is Leandre's friend. Leandre is such a positive person that I feel like in her letters she's always highlighting the positive things. Maybe she doesn't want to worry us but I think it's truly remarkable to be able to write such nice things in such harsh conditions. She told me she's in a small prison with only 14 other women. She spends more than 21 hours a day in herself with very little to almost no mental simulation. She did tell me that the food is quite good and the stuff are friendly but her first two weeks were very hard as she was moved around from one prison to another. At one point she found herself in a crowded place with no pocket money and unable to buy anything but she said that since they won the women from the Sintin Roma community have been the most starving and caring. They shared that snacks with her and it really made a big difference. It doesn't surprise me because Leandre is someone who wherever she is. Okay sorry. Yeah wherever she is or she goes is they want to build community around. In her current prison books are very hard to obtain. They are overpriced around 70 euros each book and take months to arrive. She has to ask the lawyer for the ISB and then ask the director of the prison to approve it and then she can order it. She is not allowed to receive printed chapters or essays and it feels at times like the prison creates its own rules which can change on a week to week basis. Like the type of mail she's allowed to receive or even the language of her calls. She spent weeks with our contact after being forced to say in German that she's not allowed to take calls in any other language so she was talking to her roommate telling her during the call that only in no adoich you know like ridiculous and that she had to hang up and the roommate was like what what just happened. Yeah thankfully Leandre is strong world and able to resist a lot of the difficulties the prison imposes but it shouldn't be like this. She deeply misses the most important being in her life, her rescue dog Louise who is being very well taken care of by a bunch of us. She told me she cried so much when she got the pictures we sent her and she's incredibly grateful for us taking care of her baby. Leandre's family are her friends. One thing that is both incredibly sad and enraging is that the effect of paragraph 129 acting as a as a barrier to visitation. We are scared to apply for visits for the surveillance we know we will be submitted to. This is very fact out because we are not criminals neither her nor us. We're just her friends and it is not normal to paralegally criminalize the visits of prisoners for crime they haven't been yet convicted for. It is a direct direct attack on solidality and human rights. In my case for example I still haven't visited her because I live in a one-room apartment with two big dogs and I'm scared for the safety if the police decide my possessions are worth investigating just because I'm a friend who applied for a visit. Yes and I know many other friends haven't visited her for similar reasons. We don't know the level of impunity 129 gives to the police but we do know that they surveil intimidate and intrude into people's homes and lives and this is not normal it is not okay and we know this criminalization comes from the state and not the people and we need all the pressure to assure our loved ones have the right to a fair trial. This is why also in Leandra's case two European Spanish members of parliament will be visiting her soon because Germany needs to be watched by international figures because what is doing with the own five is not normal and should not be tolerated or we risk setting a dangerous dangerous precedent for the rights of activists everywhere. Leandra someone who's been aware of injustice from a very young age she joined the anti-war movement in her early teens back in Argentina when the US invaded Iraq. She deeply cares for the value of all lives whether it is her support for animal rescue many years been volunteering at the Barcelona dog shelter or feeding the pigeons from her bedroom window. She is not a criminal. She is someone like us who is easy to lose time with whose actions are fair with empathy. The purpose of her alleged crime was to save lives. Her actions are in line with international law to stop a genocidal killing machine. while our governments fought the bill. And this is why we need each and every one of us at the trial starting next month to support and to pressure and to make the judges understand that we are not simple family and friends. We are a movement of people who will not shy away when threatened by a state who are themselves charged with genocide in the ICD. We are not criminal. We are demanding justice for Palestine and the OEM 5. (Applause) Priorities start in end of April, I think 27th of April. So book your calendar for a few months to go there. Now we are going to hear from Josie. Josie is the partner from B. So had these last six months have been some of the most challenging of my life. Of course, on an emotional level, experiencing the loss of connection with someone who might have had daily contact with we were part of each other's emotional support networks. So I'm constantly grieving the loss of connection even still now because it's different when someone dies when it's final but this just keeps getting extended and is this whirlwind roller coaster because there's been various points where I thought V might get out or we thought maybe all five would get out on bail and actually V as the only German citizen of the five initially was granted release on bail in the fall. But then a few days later the state prosecutor filed an appeal with a ridiculous claim that the 20,000 euros that their mother was going to provide was not legitimate. That was somehow a gift or somehow illegitimately sourced that it didn't guarantee that V would actually remain in the country yet. That's at least the best of my understanding. It's all a bunch of bullshit fairy tale reasons anyway so there's probably no point trying to understand. So on top of the emotional level there's a lot of administrative work and contact with the lawyers, fundraising, established contact with families and friends so we can all figure out what the hell is going on. Booking visits which is very complicated by the way. They have regular business hours and a phone number, supposedly a system to book visits but usually I have to call about 20 or 30 or 40 times before I actually reach someone so it takes up a whole lot for a noon or a whole day or even a couple days in some cases to be able to book an appointment so I can spend 15 hours in the train both ways to have 30 minutes with V. They get one hour of visitation per month which is usually split half an hour with family, half an hour with friends. They're not allowed any phone calls unlike some of the others because the prisons can each make up their own arbitrary rules even though the fiber being charged with the same things they're facing variously horrible conditions. There was a period where V received almost no mail for about two and a half months even though we knew that we were all writing then suddenly they got a pile of mail about 40 pieces of mail at once so ultimately did come through but it was very late and the new arbitrary rules appear a month or two ago in addition to the surveillance of mail by the state prosecutor and/or the court. Now the prison decided they were also going to read these mail and they said we needed to be in German so now that you can only receive German mail and that also worked retroactively they were informed oh you were tempted to like people attempted to send you this number of pieces of mail so we're informed you of that but you're not going to receive the mail because it's not in the language we want. In the best case they suffer from extreme boredom. In the worst case I won't go into too much detail because that relates to some personal things but I can give an example of some of the horrible things that have happened I heard through the lawyer that one day the neighboring inmate in another cell was smashing their head against the wall and screaming attempting suicide so all the events heard the bashing of the head against the wall along with the screaming pushing an emergency button it took what seemed like forever for anyone to come probably just a matter of minutes but still too long the inmate died later in the hospital this is not the only instance of suicide that the five have encountered while they're staying there and again with you know booking a visit on reachable phone number and with no incoming for an emergency it's lack of staff which I suspect is by design you know throw these people in a pit and walk away you know forget about them I believe that's intentional besides the world of conditions there are violations of due process you know early on we've heard about denial of the right to talk to a lawyer with V even now the prison is set up in such a way that V does not even have fully confidential visits with their lawyer and there's one big common space and then just like partition rooms with no roof so actually their conversation can be overheard by people outside so that's a violation of due process of confidentiality with lawyer he's always been politically active not just since the genocide is doing climate activism before that since then has been showing up pretty much every Saturday going to demos was also fundraising for a family Gaza was also volunteering for the the hotline for emergency deportation prevention VCs all the different connections and how these all relate to each other and now like 9,000 political prisoners in Palestine and Zionist prisons V and the other four are wasting away that's slight exaggeration but only slight so let's make their suffering worth it let's show our solidarity in whatever way we can this is all for a case of property damage and the property that was damaged is designed to kill people which is being used to kill children and adults to villains and this is all as mentioned without a verdict it's preemptive punishment the state clearly wants a seven example the five because this is not only about Palestine this is not only about the United States that's was on this is about the off-course and about the reorienting the economy and society around military you know the draft the left least so we have to see these as all interconnected as was mentioned the trial is going to take place at Stamheim which is especially built courthouse inside a maximum security prison this is pretty clear that they're going for a show trial as for Sarah's mentioned in his Clara suggested as well yeah Germany is exaggerating Germany is trying to put the whole Palestine Palestinian solidarity movement on trial I believe Germany is putting itself on trial and whether it's a country that can still uphold international law and human rights let's see what the verdict is so yeah it's been the most challenging six months of my life but also like the most fulfilling because my dedication to be is like completely overlapping my dedication to the five which is you know inseparable inseparable from my dedication for the liberation of Palestine it's all the same as we all experience through all the different forms of repression that we've experienced over the last two and a half years the repression only increases our solidarity it only gives us motivation you know it just on the way over here I realize if the five hadn't been kept in pre-trial detention if they had been released soon after the action I probably wouldn't have connected with all of you and that's the whole the international solidarity that probably is chanted about thank you and if it hadn't been for this pre-trial detention we wouldn't be hearing from Amnesty International from Cage International and yeah so basically as fucked up as the Holidays I'd like to give a shout out to the state prosecution for doing the job of globalizing the into thought yeah thank you Yeah, I'd love to see you, of course. Now we are going to hear from Nikki. Nikki is so smart there. Hi, I'm Zo's mother. I really shouldn't be here speaking on Zo's behalf because obviously Zo should be here. Zo's not even aware that I'm here. I'm not allowed to communicate with Zo. Can everybody hear me? Yes. I'm not allowed to communicate with Zo on anything about the case. This is reinforced by the highest levels of surveillance on every communication. Every letter is photocopied. Every phone call has a criminal police presence with an interpreter. Every in-person visit or web ex has, I say every, like there's lots of them, but you know, it's two hours a month in Zo's case. The surveillance is obviously disproportionate on a normal, bright, principled young person with a big heart and love for all people. There's a certain sense of justice and solidarity for all people subjected to a part-eyed racism, human rights abuses, and in this case, the genocide of the Palestinian people. So although Zo's not here to talk tonight, I have brought some of Zo's words with me and that they wrote in a letter and I'll read those two in a minute. But first let me just explain a little bit about the appalling conditions. The criminal police take notes when you're having a normal conversation. You get the sense that parts of normal conversations will be quoted out of context to make an allegation to hurt Zo despite that Zo has upheld international law. Zo was read their rights. You may call a lawyer and a family member or a friend and then deny any phone call. Zo was stripped totally naked, no underwear, and given a diaper, a nappy and left in a cell like that for six hours. - Jane! - Jane! Thank you. It's disgraceful. Zo was due to have a tonsil operation. The operation was denied. Zo has therefore been in constant fear of yet another agonising event and need to wait like that for days since the prison doctor comes only once a week. Eventually referred outside the prison, Zo was told with tonsils removal, you risk bleeding out. Zo wrote to me, "The doctors are a black handcuffed prisoner and couldn't get me out of there fast enough." Zo left totally traumatised and close to having a panic attack. This is not how a doctor should behave towards anybody. Zo was taken a prison cleaning job to get out of the 23 hours daily isolation and to earn a shower on cleaning days, sharing regularly as otherwise not allowed. Replacing essential prison staff Zo is paid at one euro for cents per hour, but Zo is allowed to purchase things that normal or slightly inflated prices and to have a paid for phone call. Zo has entered into perspective to make a 30 minute phone call to me. Zo has to work for 15 hours. The prison doesn't recognise Zo's right to culture as a person of colour Zo grew up on spicy foods but spices are not allowed. Not even the infamous paprika. Zo needs extra strong detangling and moisturising conditioner but was told no, it is not possible. Of course, the human rights violations impact everyone, not just Zo. It's an abusive system for all prisoners and the abuses of other people are deeply traumatising for Zo. For example, a woman who refused to come in from the one hour daily off-going the yard time outside was cuffed face down and dragged to a bunker, a bunker after a dodge, in the basement. Picture a room with the floor and walls painted red, a mattress on the floor and a squat toilet. Research into the red paint shows that this solitary confinement cell is designed to cause maximum psychological damage. This was a woman that Zo said already was suffering from some psychological disorder that was evident. In Zo's words, not really a rehabilitation approach that the prison claims, by the way. I was not able to speak to Zo on their birthday after this event but when we had a call the day after, by Lerno Zo was totally overwhelmed by the cruelty and also spent much of our call in tears. Zo calls the prison a human dustbin with good cause. The impacts on the family are huge, those brother feels like they've lost a sibling, is missing Zo, missing Zo's advice and wisdom. The punitive impacts on Zo reach far beyond the prison wall. The state repression and punishment affects everyone connected with Zo and many friends are here tonight. Thank you. Lovely friends, thank you. Very special people, not ordinary friends. I've found it unbelievable that a person upholding international law trying to prevent a genocide is being subject to this kind of abuse. There's zero faith in the prison system. Why are they being punished for this? There's not even been a trial, where is the presumption of innocence? Zo will actually hate that I'm focusing on them and the prison conditions, but eyes need to be on the disproportionate response of the state for all five. Zo was motivated to prevent the genocide in Gaza, the starvation, the displacements, the tentative conditions with no sewage, limited fresh water supplies, the targeting of civilians, which of course we know is still going on. I guess it's Zo's love for all children everywhere that motivated their action, protecting the sanctity of innocent children's lives, recently Zo worked as a babysitter and Zo was always noticed, children's behaviour, their funny ways, the sweet things that they did. So I'll just share a few words from my child written from prison. I'd sent Zo a poem for their birthday about their children and happiness really, because I know it's one of those happy places. Zo wrote, "The poem you sent for my birthday made me cry, and now I'm crying again, thinking of the child who was. thinking of the child who was blasted by an Israeli bomb left hanging on a wall." Sorry, apparently parent who's had a child will understand how that sounds and how it feels from being thrown into the air by the explosion. Thinking of the count as children whose parents and families have to collect their body pieces of plastic bags, the pieces that they could find that is thinking of behind Rajab murdered the idea. I called the paramedics begging them to come pick her up who were also murdered by the idea. "Oh mum, oh mum, I don't know what to say, may justice be sought for these babies who died were murdered for the only crime of being Palestinian." Excuse me, I can't write more about this right now because I might be sick, this isn't normal and cannot be normalized despite all the attempts to do so. So I don't really need to repeat what my friends here have said, but there are several indications that the trial will not be terribly fair. So for anyone who is able to support, I'm just repeating the same thing, please come to the public trial, it commences 27th of April. It goes all the way through to the end of July. That's Tom Hynne. Thank you.