Camilo Mejía
GI Resister, Conscientious Objector & Iraq War Veteran
"Behind these bars I sit a free man because I listened to a higher power, the voice of my conscience"
STATEMENT AFTER CAMILO'S RELEASE:
"I want to thank all the people and all the organizations who have supported my family and me throughout this most difficult time in our lives. I am now free from prison, but it was because of all of you that I remained a free man during my incarceration. I was not able to read all the mail that was sent, in part because prison rules did not allow it, and in part because I received thousands upon thousands of letters from all over the world. In time I will read all of them, and I will answer as many as I can. From the bottom of my heart, and on behalf of my family, my attorneys, and myself, thank you all.
At the present moment, there aren't any specific plans for the near future, other than to spend time with my family. But I certainly want to continue to lend my voice to the movement for Peace and Justice, of which I feel privileged to be a part. In time I will share my experiences with you. Please check this website to stay updated on any events for the future.
Thank you again for all your support. God bless you all."
BACKGROUND:
On May 21, 2004, 28-year-old Sgt. Camilo Mejía was sentenced to one year in prison for refusing to return to fight in Iraq. Camilo spent six months in combat in Iraq, then returned for a 2-week furlough to the US. There he reflected on what he had seen, including the abuse of prisoners and the killing of civilians. He concluded that the war was illegal and immoral, and decided that he would not return. In March 2004 he turned himself in to the US military and filed an application for conscientious objector status. He was released from prison on February 15.
Upcoming Events
Thursday, August 23, 2007
8:00am (Eastern time)
Democracy Now! interview
6:30 pm
Different Drummer Internet Cafe
12 Paddock Arcade
Watertown, NY
Friday, August 24, 2007
11am
Press Conference
Syracuse Cultural Workers
400 Lodi Street
Syracuse, NY
12:30pm
Public Book & Poster Signing
Tools For Change Store of Syracuse Cultural Workers
400 Lodi Street, Syracuse, NY
474-1132
BYO Lunch - FREE refreshments provided
7-9pm
Reading & Speaking Event
St. Lucy's Church
432 Gifford Street
Syracuse, NY
For more info call the Syracuse Peace Council at 472-5478 or visit www.peacecouncil.net
ALL EVENTS ARE FREE TO THE PUBLIC
Camilo was released from prison on February 15, 2005. Read whole story.
Note: Any of Camilo's writings may be reprinted for public use.
LATEST NEWS:
Aug. 14, 2007
Camilo's book, The Road from Ar Ramadi is now out and can be ordered here. Check back for upcoming appearances and a soon-to-be revamped site.
Oct. 1, 2006
Created a new PayPal donations page that will help Camilo continue his activist work. Please consider donating by using the link at the top of the page.
Plenty of changes are coming in the near future. Check back here for a soon-to-be added blog column and news on Camilo's upcoming book.
Jan. 16, 2006
At Camilo's request, here is a link to Harold
Pinter's acceptance speech given on Dec. 7, 2005 for the Nobel Prize
in Literature. Please take some time and read this scathing indictment against
the United State's justifications for war.
Nov. 8, 2005
Updated the Support page with ways to help Camilo
continue speaking out against war.
Nov. 4, 2005
Added a link for Poets
Against War. Included on this site is a moving poem by MartÍn
Espada written specifically for Camilo, called The
God of the Weatherbeaten Face.
Sept. 1, 2005
Added 2 Mother Jone's links to the Articles page.
Both stories deal with military recruitment and activism on campus.
Aug. 17, 2005
On Aug. 28, at Lawton, OK, there will be a vigil for 3 soldiers currently
being jailed for refusing to fight in Iraq. They are being jailed at Ft.
Sill, the same place Camilo was incarcerated. You can find more info here.
July 22, 2005
Camilo is organizing the Iraq Veterans Against the War delegation in support
of Sgt. Kevin Benderman, who's being tried in Ft. Stewart GA starting July
28. He is urging all activists and members of the public to support Sgt.
Benderman at his trial. Please take a moment and read the letter here.
June 22, 2005
Revamped the web page. Removed the Amnesty International updates from the
main links. They can be found here. More improvements
to come.
May 26, 2005
Camilo wrote a new piece for Common
Dreams called "Prisoners of Conscience: Peace Doesn't Come Easily".
It can be found at the Words from Camilo page.
March 28, 2005
Photos and audio from Rally Against War, Fayetteville, NC on March 19, 2005.
Click
here
March 21, 2005
Camilo received the Courage of Conscience Award at the Peace Abbey. Click
here for news coverage and to read what he had to say.
March 03, 2005
Camilo starts making public appearances on March 15. Check above for his
schedule.
A note about Regaining My Humanity: "This essay is edited from statements I wrote in prison, and from my conscientious objector claim. " -CEM.
February 25, 2005
A report on Camilo's release was written by Rena Blaiz. Click
here to read.
February 17, 2005
Added Camilo's essay "Regaining My Humanity". Click
here to read.
January 24, 2005
Dynamic magazine, a quarterly of youth activism and culture, conducted a
phone interview with Camilo while he was detained at Ft. Stewart. Click
here to read the interview. Click
here for the Spanish translation.
January 14, 2005
Lynn Gonzalez is on the legal team for fellow GI resister Pablo Paredes
and created this page
linking both resisters to the same cause.
December 17, 2004
Camilo recently received the St. Marcellus Award. Click
here to read his acceptance speech.
December 6, 2004
Amnesty International has written a piece called "Freedom
to Dissent Denied", featuring the cases of Camilo and Abdullah
Webster.
Nov. 10, 2004
Here are some photos from the vigil in Oklahoma. Thanks to James Branum
from Voices in the Wilderness for the links.
Link
1 | Link
2
Oct. 18, 2004
"A Festival of Hope" will take place Sunday, October 24, and will
include Maritza Castillo as one of the speakers. Click here
for details.
Added a new letter of support and a link to a Mother Jones article called "Breaking Ranks".
Sept. 13, 2004
Camilo's Conscientious Objector claim has been denied based solely on his
opposition to the war in Iraq. For more details, go here.
Camilo has been given the Courageous Resister Award. Read his moving statement here. This is his first statement written from prison.
July 28, 2004
We are still waiting to hear the results of Camilo's June 23 hearing as
a Conscientious Objector.
Added a new letter from Amnesty International with further information.
An event will be held August 26 honoring courageous resisters. Click here for more information.
July 8, 2004
The following is from Lewis Randa of the
Peace Abbey who witnessed Camilo's application hearing as a Conscientious
Objector:
"In an austere room, sitting around a table at a military prison at Ft. Sill, Oklahoma, a drama of monumental significance unfolded like a morality play: A solitary man, refusing to desert his conscience, stood his ground against the war in Iraq, and with his head held high, proclaimed the power and majesty of nonviolence and love. When the hearing was over, despite all the testimonies and the moral imperative of his message -- resolute and confident, Camilo Mejía was led off to confinement like a common criminal to be punished for humanity's sin of waging war. So long as Camilo is behind bars, no one is truly free."
"Free Camilo" buttons and bumper stickers are available for the asking by sending a stamped, self-addressed envelope to: Free Camilo / The Peace Abbey, 2 North Main Street, Sherborn, MA 01770.
Maritza and Norma Castillo, Camilo's mother and aunt, visited Houston's Consul General of Costa Rica seeking help. Here is some coverage from their visit.
June 21, 2004
PEACE VIGIL IN SUPPORT OF CAMILO!
A hearing will be held on June 23 at Ft. Sill on Camilo's Conscientious
Objector application. During the time of the hearing there will be a vigil
outside of Ft. Sill in support of Camilo's stand of conscience and the cause
of peace. Click here for details.
Amnesty International has written an open letter to President Bush on behalf of Camilo.
June 10, 2004
Bike for Peace to benefit Camilo's family will be Saturday, June 26, from
the Peace Abbey to Hanscom Air Force Base where Camilo surrendered to military
authorities. Registration is at 10:00 AM. At 10:30 Camilo’s aunt,
Norma Castillo will rally the Riders Riders leave at 11:00. Download
a Sponsorship form [.pdf]. For more information call 508-655-2143.
June 4, 2004
Amnesty International adopts Camilo as a prisoner of conscience! Read more
here.