Political prisoner Monsour Owolabi was placed in pre-trial detention, a form of temporary isolation after an incident in prison, and had his telephone communication rights with his loved ones withdrawn. According to his supporters, this measure was extended beyond the 14-day limit provided for by Texas prison law, which would constitute a violation of the internal procedures of the prison administration. They are calling for public mobilization, in particular through calls and emails addressed to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice to request his release from solitary confinement and the restoration of his rights.
Incarcerated in Texas since 2011 after a murder conviction that he contests, Monsour Owolabi has become an African-American political activist. While in detention, he developed political thinking in prison and sought to organize other pirsoners around activist perspectives. This approach is based on the “New Afrikan Creed”, a set of political principles from the “New Afrikan” movement, which notably defends the identity and political autonomy of African-Americans as an oppressed nation. He spent more than ten years in prolonged solitary confinement, where he continued to develop organizational activities, teaching and supporting other prisoners. Between 2017 and 2022, he led several hunger strikes against the conditions of solitary confinement.