[Peace-discuss] Fwd: [SRRTAC-L:14805] Indymedia to U.S., U.K., Swiss and Italian Authorities: "Hands Off Our Websites"

[Al Kagan]

FYI

Begin forwarded message:

> From: Chuck0 <chuck at mutualaid.org>
> Date: October 11, 2004 8:31:18 PM CDT
> To: SRRT Action Council <srrtac-l at ala.org>
> Cc: ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom List <alaoif at ala.org>,  
> srrtac-l at ala.org, a-librarians <a-librarians at lists.mutualaid.org>,  
> Anarchy Mailing List <anarchy-list at lists.village.Virginia.EDU>
> Subject: [SRRTAC-L:14805] Indymedia to U.S., U.K., Swiss and Italian  
> Authorities: "Hands Off Our Websites"
> Reply-To: srrtac-l at ala.org
>
> Indymedia to U.S., U.K., Swiss and Italian Authorities: "Hands Off Our  
> Websites"
> 	
> posted by Indymedia Press W.G. on Monday October 11 2004 @ 05:59PM PDT
> 	
> 	
> Alternative Media October 11 - Evidence is beginning to mount that the  
> authorities of at least four countries (Switzerland, Italy, U.K. and  
> U.S.A.) are involved in last week's seizure of two of Indymedia's  
> servers that brought down more than 20 of the Indymedia network's web  
> sites and several internet radio streams. Indymedia has yet to receive  
> any official statement or information about what the order entailed or  
> why it was issued.
>
> An FBI spokesperson, Joe Parris, confirmed to Agence France-Presse  
> that the FBI issued a subpoena to the provider who hosted the  
> Indymedia servers in the U.K., but that it was "on behalf of a third  
> country." (1) Daniel Zapelli, senior federal prosecutor for Geneva  
> (Switzerland), confirmed that he has opened a criminal investigation  
> into Indymedia coverage of the 2003 G8 Summit in Evian. (2) Zapelli  
> will provide details of that investigation at a press conference on  
> Tuesday.
>
> Federal prosecutor of Bologna (Italy) Marina Plazzi stated that she is  
> investigating Italy Indymedia because it may "support terrorism." (3)  
> Plazzi says she will provide more information on Thursday, October  
> 14th.
>
> Meanwhile international journalist associations have come forward in  
> support of Indymedia. "We have witnessed an intolerable and intrusive  
> international police operation against a network specialising in  
> independent journalism," said Aidan White IFJ General Secretary. (4)
>
> Indymedia is consulting with the Electronic Frontier Foundation on how  
> to retrieve its servers and prevent further government attacks on free  
> speech. "EFF is deeply concerned about the grave implications of this  
> seizure for free speech and privacy, and we are exploring all avenues  
> to hold the government accountable for this improper and  
> unconstitutional silencing of independent media.," said EFF Staff  
> Attorney Kurt Opsahl. (5)
>
> As of Monday, October 11, five of the downed websites have been  
> restored, including Brasil, Euskal Herria, Poland, UK and Nice.  
> Indymedia volunteers are working around the clock to restore the  
> remaining sites, however at least four of them - Uruguay, Italy,  
> Western Massachusetts and Nantes - have suffered data loss as a result  
> of the governments' action.
>
> "This FBI operation gives us even more reason to continue with what we  
> have been doing for several years," says an activist from Italy  
> Indymedia.
>
> "Uruguay has a long history of media repression. We don't have the  
> money to pay for web hosting, and so we rely on the solidarity of  
> other countries. Actions like the seizure of the servers make the  
> whole world insecure for free media," says Libertinus, an Indymedia  
> volunteer from Uruguay, one of many Indymedia web sites that was  
> caught in the FBI actions as a bystander. "Uruguay's national  
> elections will take place on October 31st. It's a bad time for this to  
> happen."
>
> Notes to the editor
>
> For more information, visit www.indymedia.org/en/static/fbi, email  
> press(a)indymedia.org, Tomasso at +39 3383903806, Hep Sano at  
> +1-415-867-9472 (San Francisco), or David Meieran at +1-412-996-4986  
> (Pittsburgh).
>
> (1) On October 7, 2004, Rackspace, a web hosting provider based in San  
> Antonio (USA), turned over two servers at its London officer after it  
> was issued a court order under the Mutual Legal Assistence Treaty.  
> Rackspace officials claim that the order prevents them from divulging  
> the reasons for the seizure and to whom the servers were actually  
> given. They stated, "Rackspace is acting as a good corporate citizen  
> and is cooperating with international law enforcement authorities."  
> See more details on www.indymedia.org/fbi and on the press releases  
> from 8 and 9 October: http://www.indymedia.org/en/2004/10/111999.shtml  
> and http://www.indymedia.org/en/2004/10/112047.shtml
>
> (2) For more examples see: http://www.indymedia.org/en/static/fbi.shtml
>
> (3) AFP report:  
> http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=1509&ncid=738&e=6&u=/ 
> afp/20041008/tc_afp/us_internet_justice
>
> (4) International Federation of Jounalists:  
> http://www.ifj.org/default.asp?Index=2734&Language=EN
>
> (5) Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF): http://eff.org/
>
>

Al Kagan
Africana Unit, Room 328
University of Illinois Library
1408 W. Gregory Drive
Urbana, IL 61820
USA

tel. 217-333-6519
fax 217-333-2214
akagan at uiuc.edu
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