Hello Everyone,
John Ferguson is 65-years old man with a decades-long history of serious mental illness, including repeat diagnoses of paranoid schizophrenia by prison doctors. His history of serious mental illness predates the crimes. According to his attorneys, he first reported having visual hallucinations in 1965 at the age of 17 and was first diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia in 1971. On 25 July, Ferguson’s lawyers filed a petition before the US Supreme Court seeking a stay of execution and review of what they argue would be an unconstitutional execution. Despite his clear and documented mental state, he is scheduled to be executed on Monday August 5th. With help from the national Amnesty International Death Penalty Abolition Campaign and the new Amnesty International Florida Death Penalty Abolition Campaign, we are planning a trip to the prison to participate in the vigil. The prison is approximately 2.5 hours away from Orlando. We would leave Orlando around 230pm and return around 930pm. A van will be rented to accommodate about 12 people. If you are available and interested in joining us, please let me know as soon as possible….there are a few seats left. Please note that the trip is being funding by the campaign so there is no cost to join us. Additional information will be available for those who confirm.
Because this will conflict will our regular monthly meeting, the meeting will be postponed until Thursday August 8th. It will be at the same facility, the Mark Street Senior Center in the Pine Room, and at our regular scheduled time, 6pm. We have a great deal of planning to do for upcoming events between now and the end of the year so I hope you can make it!
If you have any questions about the vigil or the August meeting, please feel free to email or call me.
In Solidarity,
Alicia Koutsoulieris
Florida Death Penalty Abolition Campaigner
Amnesty International U.S.A.
Phone: 407-719-7285
E-mail: AKoutsoulieris@aiusa.org
Web: www.amnestyusa.org
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