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March 24, 2025 at 7.00pm – 8.30pm
Online
Surviving State Violence: The Case of Dr. Aafia Siddiqui and Incarceration in Women’s Prisons
Online
RSVPDr. Aafia Siddiqui is a Pakistani-Muslim woman who is currently serving an unjust 86-year sentence at the only federal medical prison in the United States, FMC Carswell, notoriously known as the “Hospital of Horrors.” For Aafia and countless others at the Hospital of Horrors, their punishment goes beyond captivity, and mirrors a pattern of abuse and neglect that is pervasive in women’s prisons across the U.S.
Join us in learning about Dr. Siddiqui’s case, the function of abuse at FMC Carswell and other women’s prisons, and ongoing efforts to demand justice for state violence survivors.
***Register through Ticket Tailor to receive a link to the live-streamed video on the day of the event. This event will also be recorded and captioning will be provided.***
Speakers:
Diana Block is a long time feminist, abolitionist, social justice activist. She is a founding and active member of the California Coalition for Women Prisoners and the Dublin Prison Solidarity Coalition. Diana is also an author and writes for online journals. You can learn more about her work at dianablock.com.
Kendra Drysdale is a motivational speaker, and an advocate for transformative justice, trauma healing, and rehabilitation. She was a part of the class action lawsuit against FCI Dublin, and is a survivor advocate with the California Coalition for Women Prisoners and Dublin Prison Solidarity Committee.
Kaley Johnson is a Texas-based freelance journalist. Her work includes investigations into FMC Carswell federal prison, uncovering systemic issues in the Texas criminal justice system, following social justice movements in North Texas, and stories centering on vulnerable populations.
Tania Siddiqi is an attorney and the Founder and Executive Director of the Texas People’s Tribunal. Her work focuses on creating and implementing effective strategies against state violence. She has led both regional and international movement-centered initiatives. Tania is the Editor of #WithoutJustCause: The Case of U.S.-Held Political Prisoner Dr. Aafia Siddiqui.
ML Smith is the Founder of Missouri Justice Coalition. She is a criminal punishment system-impacted advocate, abolitionist and activist who experienced incarceration during the COVID-19 pandemic, which made her intimately aware of the dire reality faced by our imprisoned populations, as well as the egregious actions and apathy of institution staff and administrators.
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This event is sponsored by Haymarket Books, Texas People’s Tribunal and Missouri Justice Coalition. While all of our events are freely available, we ask that those who are able make a solidarity donation in support of our important publishing and programming work.