Colleagues rally in defence of Kilgore

Published Nov 13, 2002

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Colleagues of arrested University of Cape Town academic, James Kilgore, alias John Pape, announced on Tuesday that they were setting up a legal fund for the alleged Symbionese Liberation Army guerrilla.

And they called on his friends and colleagues to draw up "statements of character" in defence of Kilgore.

Kilgore was arrested on Friday.

It is alleged that he was involved in the April 21, 1975, robbery of the Crocker National Bank in which a customer, Myrna Opsahl, died when a shotgun was accidentally discharged.

He has been in negotiations with lawyers and authorities in the United States for more than three months about this and a charge of being in possession of explosives.

Reports from the US said Kilgore, in custody at Bellville police station, was unlikely to serve more than six years in jail if found guilty.

The unit of which Kilgore is a co-director, the International Labour Resource and Information Group, said: "We would like to thank all the comrades, friends and well-wishers who have shown solidarity with John and his family in this difficult time.

"He has served the trade union, community and education movements in South Africa and Zimbabwe for a number of years as an educator, writer and researcher, and hundreds of students and workers can testify to his commitment and spirit of sacrifice."

The statement said Kilgore's wife, Terri Barnes, and family had asked that the legal moves under way "be allowed to go ahead as smoothly as possible... to achieve the best possible recourse for John and his family".

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