Action call from ENCOD for Bernard Rappaz

Today, Bernard Rappaz, hemp farmer from Valais, Switzerland, has arrived to day 69 of his hunger strike, against the decision to put him in prison and deny him fundamental human rights such as visits from his family. Bernard has been accused of illegal trade in cannabis, but since he is one of the country’s leading hemp industrialists and forefighters of the Freedom to Farm, he has become a concrete target of the authorities in Valais.

His life is in serious danger. Please consider sending the following text to the Swiss authorities (see below for their addresses).

We are also calling for people to support Bernard by joining his hunger strike for one or two days, so there are people who do this allover Europe every day.

Dear Minister of Justice,

I request your attention on the case of Bernard Rappaz, a citizen of Switzerland and Valais, a hemp farmer, on hungerstrike for more than 65 days in the prison hospital in Bern. His action is a protest against the decision of March 14th to place him in custody, rather than to have his case considered by the Court. Since that date he refuses to feed himself.

This is an emergency. Bernard Rappaz is ready to die. Nobody can change his mind. But his death would not be necessary if you would decide to apply a human approach. Preventive detention is a superfluous measure in the case of a citizen who has already proven his respect of legal sanctions, to which he has always submitted himself in the past.

Does Bernard Rappaz need to die to bury the fight for a rational cannabis policy that protects youth, of which he is a pioneer?

We ask you to do the necessary in order to set Bernard Rappaz free as soon as possible.

We also announce you our decision to associate us to his hunger strike through an international solidarity hunger strike chain.

Sincerely yours

To be sent to:

Christoph Blocher, conseiller fédéral - Chef du DFJP (Minister of Justice)
Département fédéral de justice et police
Palais fédéral ouest
CH-3003 Berne
Fax +41 (0)31 322 78 32

copy to: Annemarie Huber-Hotz - Chancelière de la Confédération (Minister of Foreign Affairs)
Chancellerie fédérale
Palais fédéral Ouest, 3003 Berne
E-mail: webmaster at admin.ch

Claude Janiak, président du Conseil national 2005/2006
nrp06 at parl.ch

Rolf Büttiker, Président du Conseil des Etats en 2005/2006
srp06 at parl.ch