The Death of Political Prisoner Richard Williams

BY JAAN LAAMAN

December 11, 2005

It is with great sorrow and loss that I need to let people know of the death of my dear comrade, long held political prisoner Richard Williams. Richard’s liver failed and he passed on Dec. 7th, 2005, in a federal prison in North Carolina.

Richard Williams, who turned 58 only last month, was a life long anti-imperialist and socialist, one of the Ohio 7 who had been in captivity since 1984. Richard was a peace and justice activist, a revolutionary and a freedom fighter. He was the people’s soldier, a friend and an ally of the poor and oppressed, of the working class around the world.

As a young man Richard was inspired by the life and words of Che Guevara, and in his own life he became a true example of proletarian internationalism.