In Florida, the federal trial against three members of a pan-Africanist group accused of conspiring with the Russian government to “sow discord” and “interfere” in U.S. elections began in Tampa this week. Omali Yeshitela, longtime chairman of the African People’s Socialist Party, also known as the International People’s Democratic Uhuru Movement, along with Penny Hess and Jesse Nevel, were indicted in 2023 for allegedly working on behalf of Russia in a multiyear foreign “malign influence campaign” in the United States. Another U.S. citizen and three Russian nationals are also part of the case. As the trail got underway Tuesday, Democracy Now! spoke to Mwezi Odom, chair of Hands Off Uhuru!

Mwezi Odom: “The government, as we say, has nothing, and everything that they are accusing the Uruhu Three of is pure political speech. And this is, again, just an attempt to rewrite history. That includes decades of organizing and struggling for democratic rights in this country, such as the right to vote, the right to freedom of speech, the right to freedom of the press, freedom of association, freedom of assembly, you know, everything.”