The Bizarre Legal Situation of Activist Nelson Maatman

From Nelson Maatman, this update on his case:

July 25th 2025

In a Kafkaesque twist of justice, the Mexican federal prosecutor’s office has offered Dutch activist Nelson Maatman a so-called “sentence agreement” of 2 years and 10 months. The irony? Maatman has already spent 3 years and 1 month in pretrial detention—without ever being convicted. This means that if he accepts the deal, he walks free immediately. On paper, it sounds like a win. But the condition is chilling: he must stand before a judge and admit full guilt for a crime he denies committing. “I’m being punished for being innocent and honest,” Maatman says. “I haven’t lied once, and I’m not going to start now.” --- A Trap Disguised as Mercy If Maatman refuses the plea, he will remain in prison at least another year—without a trial. And if convicted later (in proceedings where he's not even allowed to submit key evidence in his defense), he could face up to 10 years in prison. Legal experts and human rights observers call this a form of coercion, not justice. Rather than presuming innocence, the system offers a deal that punishes truth-telling and rewards false confessions—as long as it makes the case disappear. --- Why Is This Offer Problematic? It’s not justice—it’s leverage. The prosecutor isn’t offering freedom because Maatman is guilty or innocent, but because his continued imprisonment serves no further bureaucratic purpose. Confessing could be weaponized. A guilty plea in federal court could later be used as evidence in a separate local case, potentially increasing his legal jeopardy. The process is rigged. Maatman is not allowed to submit his own evidence in federal court, meaning his innocence has no forum to be heard. --- A Dangerous Precedent If Maatman accepts, he walks—but becomes a convicted criminal in the eyes of the law, despite never having had a fair trial. If he refuses, he remains locked up, punished for insisting on his innocence. “They want me to sign my own guilt to escape the hole they threw me into. But I didn’t come this far to betray myself.” Also on Nelson Maatman: Chapter from his upcoming Literary Memoir Rush : https://forum.map-union.org/viewtopic.php?t=2220

This earlier post includes images of leaked emails showing evidence of entrapment activities by the LDS-connected Operation Underground Railroad in connection with the operation resulting in Maatman's arrest: https://stripey7.blogspot.com/2024/10/an-appeal-from-political-prisoner.html

Israeli Voices Against the War

This event is being presented by J Street tomorrow:

 

There is a shift happening in Israel.

Images and reports of suffering in Gaza are breaking through like never before. A small but growing number of reservists are refusing to serve in Gaza. Protesters are marching in the streets for a hostage deal, humanitarian aid and a permanent end to this horrific war.

Tomorrow, we’ll be joined by some of those advocates on the ground: A hostage family member, a combat soldier refusing to return to Gaza and a peace activist rallying Israelis to call for an end to the war.

We’ll talk about the shift that’s happening, how far it might go and whether it can truly bring an end to this catastrophe.

Click here to join us for tomorrow’s virtual call at 3pm Eastern / 12pm Pacific >>

We’re honored to be joined by:

• Alana Zeitchik, Israeli-American hostage advocate, writer and executive director of The Narrow Bridge Project based in Brooklyn, NY; her cousin’s husband David Cunio and his brother, Ariel Cunio, remain held hostage in Gaza, and she has been vocal in her public opposition to the Israeli government, which has failed to prioritize their release.
• Max Kresch, a combat soldier who made the courageous decision to refuse to return to duty in Netanyahu’s war in Gaza, leading the movement Soldiers for the Hostages, a growing wave of soldiers and reservists saying “enough.”
• Shir Nosatzki, a peace advocate and Director of Have You Seen the Horizon Lately?, an Israeli initiative seeking to promote Jewish-Arab political partnership, who has been on the frontlines of mass mobilizations calling for an end to the war, release of all hostages and recognition of the humanity and suffering of Palestinians in Gaza.

Alongside offering us an on-the-ground look at the growing Israeli support for a war-ending hostage deal – and the plummeting support for Netanyahu – our guests will take us behind the curtain on Israeli public opinion: How much news and outcry is breaking through in Israel? What does the public make of starvation in Gaza? How are activists pushing back against the far-right calling for permanent occupation and mass displacement?

Register now to join us tomorrow, Tuesday, July 29 at 3pm Eastern / 12pm Pacific >>

I hope to see you there.

In solidarity,

Adina Vogel Ayalon
J Street Vice President and Chief of Staff

 

Emergency Action for Gaza on Monday @ 30th Street Station (Philadelphia)

 

Peacemakers,

Fridays @ Fetterman’s urges you to join Philly Families for Ceasefire and other Philadelphia peace & justice organizations for an Emergency Action to demand an end to Israel’s US-funded campaign to starve the civilian population in Gaza.

Bring pots and pans to bang in a collective action to sound the alarm that Gaza is starving. Our tax dollars are being used to enforce a food blockade aimed at coercing the Palestinian civilian population into open air concentration camps.

Monday, July 28, 2025 @ 5 pm 30th Street Station in Philadelphia Meet at Angel Statute on the East Side of the Station Organizers will have some ear plugs available but you may want to bring your own, as the action will be very loud

WATCH: Officer drives down sidewalk after man who recorded police

LAWSUIT: Police face First Amendment lawsuit for chasing critic with patrol car. More details below.

https://fstube.net/w/fGDdzwNUEQeyNoq5JsMu5Y

On the "Need to Be Right"

 

Helen Pluckrose has a new column titled "The Shame of Being Wrong Is Lying to You." I've posted the following comment.

One factor that surely contributes to this problem, or at least interferes with addressing it, is the ambiguous way people habitually use the phrase "being right," which unfortunately is reflected in your column. Having a need to actually be right is an entirely different matter from having a need to be perceived as right, and it's only the latter that can account for the irrational behavior we're discussing. In particular, the survival considerations mentioned in the first part of your column are in no way germane to explaining the need to seem right.

While I'm sure I'm not perfect, this problem doesn't seem to affect me very much. This probably in part results from being autistic and consequently not particularly caring about social standing, and partly from my parents', as Old Left radicals, having modeled being comfortable with being seen as wrong by much of society.

Jewish Voice for Peace: Support the NEA’s decision to cut ties with the ADL.

JVP has put out this call to its supporters:

The largest labor union in the U.S. just voted to cut all ties with the ADL. Let them know we have their back.

The 3 million-member National Education Association voted on July 6 to cut all ties with the ADL, stating that it “is not the social justice educational partner it claims to be.” 

The NEA delegation cited the ADL's history of:

• Smearing advocates for Palestinian rights
• Purposely conflating anti-Zionism and antisemitism
• Attacking anti-racist organizing, including the Black Lives Matter and South African anti-apartheid movements.

“Allowing the ADL to determine what constitutes antisemitism would be like allowing the fossil fuel industry to determine what constitutes climate change,” said one NEA delegate.

The ADL only pretends to be a civil rights organization. In reality, it operates as a pro-Israel lobbying group, focused on co-opting and abusing accusations of antisemitism to smear criticism of the Israeli government as bigotry.

Email the NEA now to thank them for taking this historic step.

Here's where you can add your message: https://www.jewishvoiceforpeace.org/resource/support-the-neas-decision-to-cut-ties-with-the-adl/ 

Restore Students’ Right to Read – End the Book Ban

 

The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) has raised the alarm about a flagrantly illiberal and unconstitutional new ban on students' right to read in Utah. This goes far beyond a question of curriculum or even library curation. As FIRE explains, "[A] student could face consequences just for having a personal copy of a book in their backpack."

I have written the members and officers of the board as follows:

As a lover of liberty and a United States citizen, I am outraged at the board’s recently issued regulation limiting students’ right to bring personal reading material onto school property. This infringes on their fundamental human right of access to information. It is also flagrantly unconstitutional, and may therefore expose the board and its members to legal liability.

Here are the email addresses for the board:

Mailing Address
250 East 500 South
PO Box 144200
Salt Lake City, Utah 84114-4200

Jennie Earl
Morgan
Phone: (801) 644-0622 | jennie.earl@schools.utah.gov

Joseph Kerry
Ogden
Phone: (801) 876-5297 | joseph.kerry@schools.utah.gov

Rod Hall
Syracuse
Phone: (385) 295-7880 | rod.hall@schools.utah.gov

LeAnn Wood
Kaysville
Phone: (801) 661-2247 | leann.wood@schools.utah.gov

Sarah Reale
Salt Lake City
Phone: (435) 757-4660 | sarah.reale@schools.utah.gov

Carol Barlow Lear
Salt Lake City
Phone: (801) 550-8820 | carol.lear@learlaw.com

Christina Boggess
Taylorsville
Phone: (385) 295-7871 | christina.boggess@schools.utah.gov

Amanda Bollinger
Riverton
Phone: (385) 463-7239 | amanda.bollinger@schools.utah.gov

Matt Hymas
Stansbury Park
Phone: (801) 440-9145 | matt.hymas@schools.utah.gov

Cindy Bishop Davis
Cedar Hills
Phone: (801) 319-4117 | cindy.davis@schools.utah.gov

Cole Kelley
Vineyard
Phone: (801) 830-4191 | cole.kelley@schools.utah.gov

Randy Boothe
Spanish Fork
Phone: (801) 318-4316 | randy.boothe@schools.utah.gov

Emily Green
Cedar City
Phone: (435) 938-2652 | emily.green@schools.utah.gov

Joann Brinton
St. George
Phone: (801) 400-4687 | joann.brinton@schools.utah.gov

Cybil Prideaux
Board Secretary

cybil.child@schools.utah.gov

Kelsey Sprout James
Board Communications Coordinator

kelsey.james@schools.utah.gov

 

An Incoherent Film

 

I'm not sure whether I'll get to this meeting, but if I do it will be to trash the film. You can read my comments on it under the video.

https://fstube.net/w/6hjyq3jrhJWo4xJQcnnChb