Symbionese Liberation Army

"Death to the fascist insect that preys upon the life of the people" The motto of the Symbionese Liberation Army

Conditions of the initial imprisonment of Patty Hearst

While the FBI was conducting an ineffective search, the SLA took refuge in a number of safe-houses. While under the SLA's control, Hearst was subjected to a series of ordeals that her mother described as "brainwashing". This claim is viewed by many, particularly leftists, as extreme and unsubstantiated. The change in Hearst's politics has been claimed to be Stockholm syndrome. Hearst was later examined by the specialist psychologist Margaret Singer, who agreed with this theory. The brutal treatment she received from her captors might be taken as evidence for that diagnosis.

Related Topics:
Brainwashing - Stockholm syndrome - Margaret Singer

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Geneva convention

The SLA claimed to be holding Hearst according to the conditions of the Geneva convention. At the time, the Geneva conventions only covered combatants and non-combatants in declared wars between states. As such, it is difficult to comprehend Hearst's imprisonment as a POW, as Hearst was not a combatant for the United States in any meaningful sense. Additionally, the threat to execute Hearst for the alleged criminal activities of her parents was not sanctioned by the Geneva conventions of the time. Under the modern Geneva convention regarding wars within states the actions of the SLA would probably be considered legal, however, this convention is very generous to combatant forces, allowing them to arrest and try opposing forces according to the arresting power's law.

Related Topics:
Geneva convention - Combatant - Non-combatant - States - POW - United States

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Hearst later claimed she was was imprisoned in solitary confinement, in a suburban closet sufficiently large to lie down in. Like any prisoner, Hearst's contact with the outside world was regulated by her captors. At her subsequent trial, Hearst claimed to have been raped in the closet by both Freeze and Wolfe, but both were by that time already dead, so charges were never brought against them. Hearst was adequately fed and clothed, though apparently regularly threatened with execution.

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Political inculcation

In order to provide a measure of human contact, the SLA allowed Hearst human contact, in the form of educational or indoctrination programmes in SLA ideology. In Hearst's taped recordings, used to announce demands and conditions, Hearst can first be heard extemporaneously expressing SLA ideology on day 13 of her capture (Stone 2004). After Hearst began adopting SLA ideological positions, the group improved her conditions.

Related Topics:
Educational - Indoctrination - Ideology

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With each sucessive taped communiqués Hearst apparently became more and more sympathetic to the aims of the SLA, until she evenentually denounced her former life, her parents and fiancé. At that point she claimed that the SLA had given her the option of being released or joining the SLA, her response the which was to join the SLA.

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After Hearst adopted the SLA's ideology, she was integrated into the group as an active member. Hearst announced that she was taking the pseudonym "Tania".

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