Brief Overview of Facts
On Easter Sunday, 1993, Imam Siddique Abdullah Hasan, incarcerated at the Lucasville, Ohio, prison, was within a year of going before the parole board. That day, several groups of prisoners in the wing where he was confined staged a peaceful sit-in to bring attention to the long train of abuses, inhumane conditions and brutalities suffered by prisoners. Tensions mounted, and soon the prison rocked, as inmates took control of various sectors of the prison. By the time the uprising was put down, nine inmates and one correctional officer had been killed in the longest prison uprising in the history of the United States.
In the aftermath, every witness agreed that Hasan had made courageous efforts to stop the violence and mediate among the inmate groups toward a peaceful end to the uprising. No witness testified that Hasan had killed anyone; on the other hand, Hasan had been a dominant force in protesting the oppressive prison conditions and policies.
Hasan’s Conviction
The State was only interested in obtaining a swift conviction for the guard’s murder. Because of his leadership, Hasan became the prime scapegoat. There was no physical evidence linking Hasan to any murder or any other offense. The State itself conceded that its case against Hasan was based solely on the testimony of lying inmates seeking reduced sentences, and even that testimony was not that Hasan had had a hand in any murder, but that he was “a leader” and, by implication, controlled what others did. Nevertheless, Hasan was convicted and sentenced to death for the murder of the guard.
Now, even the key witness who testified against Hasan has recanted his testimony, in TWO affidavits. This evidence, as well as the countless inconsistencies, perjuries and significant prosecutorial misconduct at trial, should be enough to exonerate Siddique Abdullah Hasan.
Case Status
Hasan’s case is currently pending in the Federal District Court. Although a brief showing the substantial evidence supporting his innocence has been filed, along with an amicus brief [from the ACLU], we are still awaiting a ruling from the Magistrate Judge to grant Hasan an evidentiary hearing toward overturning his wrongful conviction and obtaining a new and fair trial.
