 |
|
|
Bu-lat-lat (boo-lat-lat) verb: to search, probe, investigate, inquire; to unearth facts Vol. IV, No. 37 October 17 - 23, 2004 Quezon City, Philippines |
|
|
|
Bu-lat-lat (boo-lat-lat) verb: to search, probe, investigate, inquire; to unearth facts Vol. IV, No. 37 October 17 - 23, 2004 Quezon City, Philippines |
|
Indymedia's
Hardware is Returned, But Many Questions Remain By
Independent Media Center Back
to Alternative Reader Index
Today,
October 14th, Italy Indymedia learned that an investigation in Bologna could
have precipitated the U.S.' order for the seizure of Indymedia's hard drives
from the U.K. Marina
Plazzi, a public prosecutor for Bologna investigating the "Informal
Anarchist Federation," reportedly issued a request for information (RFI) to
U.S. authorities concerning posts published on italy.indymedia.org, one of the
20 odd Indymedia sites hosted on the U.K. server. The U.S. authorities, going
beyond the requirements of the RFI, then issued an order to seize the drives. Despite
this new information and the return of the hardware many questions remain. "The
fact that the authorities' actions are shrouded in mystery leaves Indymedia in
the Kafkaesque position of not knowing the identity of its accusers or the
nature of their claim," says David Dadge, editor for the International
Press Institute. Indymedia
volunteers are now calling for supporters to sign a solidarity declaration at
http://solidarity.indymedia.org.uk/ denouncing the hard drive seizure as an
unacceptable attack on press freedom, freedom of expression, and privacy. They
are demanding a full disclosure of the names of organizations and individuals
involved in the seizure, a copy of the court order, and an independent
investigation into any violations of due process. "We
have serious concerns about the use of international co-operation frameworks to
obscure legal process, undermine civil liberties, and erode communication
rights," said an Indymedia volunteer. Numerous organizations have already expressed their solidarity with Indymedia. "I would say that this is an indication of the successfulness of the Indymedia network," says Peter Phillips, Ph.D., director of Project Censored. "Freedom of information is a radical idea when applied in a fair manner, and radical ideas will always be suppressed by the transnational corporate elites whenever possible." We want to know what you think of this article.
|
