Jan Šinágl angažovaný občan, nezávislý publicista

VALDICE Prison: On Sunday, April 7th, I went on to visit Mr. Gilbert F. McCrae, an American citizen imprisoned in this infamous prison (that housed hardest criminals and most political prisoners during the Communist tyrannical rule) for the murder he did not commit. I brought him dozens of well-wishes and apologies for crude behavior of our so called “officials”, coming from the scores of our members and my readers who are following his odyssey through our so called “Czech judicial system”. After about three-hour meeting with this man, I was leaving him with my confusing feelings: our help could come too late. I remember him from two years ago, and what I have seen now – the change how he looks - is quite shocking. When I had seen him for the first time when he stepped into the visitor’s room, I could not believe that this is the same man I knew – the first what came to my mind was a vision of my father in his coffin – he posted a vision of a walking dead. He lost a lot of weight, he looks like a skeleton, but the most worrisome is the loss of his will to fight – the loss of his energy and stamina. Two years ago, in the Pankrac prison, he was a man, convinced of his innocence and for that reason full of fighting spirit to face his adversaries, but today he is more or less a broken wreck not fully understanding why this is all happening to him, and moving on a mental roller-coaster – as he himself confided in me – going from one extreme of raging anger to the opposite of total helplessness and self-pity.

Those changes I was able to see during this visit myself. To compare him from two years ago – he is totally changed man, the shadow of his past – broken and mentally disturbed. I do believe that if he was released even today, it would for sure take months before he can get out of his depression, but I am afraid that won’t take long now and his mental health could be harm for good and he will be disturbed for the rest of his life. The case of Mr. McCrae could be a case-study for students of psychology and, in my opinion, an indirect proof of his innocence – this is not a behavior of a man who is fully aware of his criminal deed, guilty man never reacts this way.

It was hard for me stay fully aware and for three hours listen to the monolog of a broken man, but every time my attention started to fail, I forced myself to reality – to look across the table – to realize that my role today is not as some kind of messenger, or informant, but my role is in the first place psychological for the man.

As far as the visit itself, its organization from the part of the prison administration was much better and far more comfortable that I expected (I always expect the worst) – the only dark spot was the fact that I did not get a permission to deliver Mr. McCrae nothing from what I have brought with me for him, despite the fact that all of that, according to the prison rules, were permissible – writing materials, pictures and drawing sent to him by our members and readers and their children, and scores of e-mail messages, postcards and such. I was told to send all of this by mail (I have no idea why, especially when I delivered all directly to the prison building).

The rest, as far as the visit goes, was better than I expected – proper and courteous guards, correct and none- intrusive searches (especially for someone who as a prisoner was used to much worse) sitting at the open table, none-intrusive supervision by a lady guard watching from the corner of the visitor’s room (I was expecting, considering the class of the prison we were in, to see the incarcerated person in divided room behind the glass using telephone) and on top of all, the cup of coffee with something bite on the side. All of this is quite an improvement compare to my experience as a visitor of Mr. Jiri Fiala in the Nove Sedlo prison.

So, the only mar here was that I was not allowed to pass to the Mr. McCrae nothing from what our members and readers sent to him. He should get all of that after the post delivery, which should take two or three days.

But from what I have seen, especially Mr. McCrae mental and physical conditions, I am afraid that our effort, our struggle to help this man, to free him from this unjust predicament, could come too late. It is my firm believes that it would be quite proper and just to see in Mr. McCrae’s place all of those who are fully responsible for his present condition – in the first place JUDr. Lazna, a.k.a. Blazna (in Czech blazen=lunatic, crazy, nut).

Also, l now fully understand why the same people are pursuing me with such a vigor, what is  their final aim, and why they are not able to fully comprehend that their ill aim is still not in sight, too.

http://www.k213.cz/Smutna-navsteva-domu-smutku

* * *

High Court Prague put on a performance comparable to those in the 50´s.

Gilbert McCrae: Judgment of the Supreme Court 7.11.2012

“Murderer” from Tram No. 22, Gilbert McCray writes to U.S. Ambassador in Prague Norman L.Eisen

* * *

Lakewood, April 8th 2013

translated by James Jakoubek

Komentovat články mohou pouze registrovaní uživatelé; prosím, zaregistrujte se (v levém sloupci zcela dole)