Wrongful Conviction Appeal Against Uhuru 3 To Be Heard By Atlanta’s 11th Circuit Court Starting July 22

By Hands Off Uhuru Photos: YouTube Screenshot|Wikimedia Commons On Wednesday, July 22 at 9:00am ET, the 11th Circuit Court in Atlanta will hear oral arguments appealing the wrongful conviction of the Uhuru 3 – veteran Black liberation leader Chairman Omali Yeshitela and Uhuru solidarity activists Penny Hess and Jesse Nevel.  If they win on the First Amendment issue argued in their appeal brief they will establish landmark case law that the United States government violates the First Amendment if they charge someone with being a “foreign agent” purely on the basis of their speech or published opinions. Moreover, a favorable ruling will provide ammunition for the defense against all indictments meant to squash First Amendment rights. This case was initiated under the Biden administration and included a 2022 multi-city violent military FBI raid on 7 Uhuru Movement homes and offices, followed by a 2023 indictment on bogus charges of being unregistered Russian agents that threatened 15 years in prison for then 82-year-old Yeshitela, along with Hess and Nevel.  The only “crimes” listed in the indictment were instances of expressed opinions – spoken and written – on reparations, genocide and the Ukraine war. Yeshitela vehemently denied the charges, stating, “The Uhuru Movement works for Black people, not Russia.”  Their 2024 jury trial in federal court in Tampa concluded with a split verdict in which the Uhuru 3 were acquitted of the foundational charge of acting as “unregistered Russian agents”, but convicted of conspiracy to act as “unregistered Russian agents.” The conspiracy conviction was widely denounced by legal experts including the National Lawyers Guild, the Civil Liberties Defense Center and the National Conference of Black Lawyers. Judge William Jung refused the government’s demand for prison time and fines, explaining to a packed courtroom that this case is about free speech. He sentenced Yeshitela, Hess and Nevel to 300 hours of community service and three years of probation, subsequently granting early termination of probation this January after completion of their community service hours. The July 22 hearing is open to the public and will take place at 9:00am ET in Courtroom 339 at the Elbert P. Tuttle U.S. Court of Appeals Building, located at 56 Forsyth St NW, in Atlanta, GA.  The public is also invited to two free events co-sponsored by the Black Law Students Association at Georgia State University College of Law, located at 85 Park Place NE, in Atlanta: Tuesday, July 21, 6:00pm -8:00pm ET: “Defending Free Speech and Dissent” featuring Chairman Omali Yeshitela along with Uhuru 3 attorneys Leonard Goodman and Angela Reaney as well as acclaimed legal scholar Natsu Saito and students from the Georgia State College of Law. Wednesday July 22, 10:30am – 2:00pm ET: Post-hearing summary and debrief, with comments by Chairman Omali, Uhuru 3 attorneys and law students More information at www.handsoffuhuru.org WHAT:  11th Circuit to hear oral arguments defending anti-colonial free speech WHEN:  Wednesday, July 22, 2026, 9:00 am ETWHERE: Courtroom 339, Elbert P. Tuttle U.S. Court of Appeals Bldg, 56 Forsyth St NW, Atlanta, GA CONTACT: Sandra Forrest, 541-326-1908, info@HandsOffUhuru.org