FAIR Action Alert: FBI Shutdown of Indymedia Threatens Free Speech

[G_j]

FAIR-L
Fairness & Accuracy In Reporting
Media analysis, critiques and activism

http://www.fair.org/activism/fbi-indymedia.html

ACTION ALERT:
FBI Shutdown of Indymedia Threatens Free Speech

October 15, 2004

In a chilling attack on free speech, U.S. authorities on October 7 seized
two internet servers in London belonging to the independent media network
Indymedia. More than 20 Indymedia sites around the world were taken down
as a result of the raid. The servers were returned on October 14, but no
formal charges have been announced and no explanation has been given for
the raid.

FBI spokesperson Joe Parris told Agence France Presse that the raid was
"not an FBI operation" but that the FBI issued the subpoena on behalf of
Italy and Switzerland (10/8/04). U.S. authorities have refused to comment
further.

Rackspace, the U.S.-based company that hosts the Indymedia servers at its
London offices, revealed in a press release that the subpoena was issued
"pursuant to a Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT), which establishes
procedures for countries to assist each other in investigations such as
international terrorism, kidnapping and money laundering." Rackspace told
Indymedia that they could not reveal any information about the
subpoena-apparently the result of a gag order (Indymedia, 10/7/04).

Swiss authorities said they have opened an investigation into Indymedia
coverage of the 2003 G8 Summit in Evian and that they had asked the FBI to
help remove photos of Swiss undercover police from a French Indymedia site
(AFP, 10/9/04). The FBI visited both a Seattle-based Indymedia lawyer and
Rackspace about the photos, and Indymedia believed the issue had been
resolved (Indymedia, 10/9/04). The site was among those housed on the
seized servers; Swiss authorities, however, have not indicated that they
asked the FBI to seize the servers.

An Italian prosecutor investigating an anarchist group reportedly also
requested assistance from the U.S. to obtain information about posts on
Italian Indymedia, but she apparently also did not request the seizure of
the servers (italy.indymedia.org, 10/14/04). While the details of the
subpoena remain undisclosed, the FBI's aggressive action against Indymedia
is troubling.

Indymedia, which provides grassroots reporting on social justice issues
and protests, is a decentralized network that allows anyone to post news
on its websites. If there is reason to suspect that participants on these
websites are involved with criminal activities, shutting down the servers
is rather like shutting down the phone system because people have been
using the telephone to plot crimes.

To silence over 20 media sites around the world with no charges and no
explanation strikes a severe blow against freedom of expression and should
trouble media outlets worldwide. European media have been covering the
story, but in this country, the media have been virtually silent. Aside
from two AP articles (10/8/04, 10/14/04), one by UPI (10/11/04) and one in
the Hartford Courant (10/13/04), FAIR found no mainstream news outlets
reporting on the Indymedia story.

This is not the first time Indymedia has been targeted by U.S.
authorities. During the Republican National Convention in August, the
Secret Service attempted to obtain private records from NYC Indymedia's
Internet Service Provider; the ISP refused. The FBI attempted to obtain
similar records from Indymedia servers during the massive protests against
the Free Trade Agreement of the Americas in Quebec City but lost the legal
battle (Indymedia, 8/31/04).

If there is credible evidence of actual crimes that involve Indymedia
websites, then an investigation that respects Indymedia's rights as a
media outlet may be warranted. But FBI action that intimidates or silences
media around the world under a shroud of secrecy is an extraordinary and
grave threat to free speech.


ACTION: Please sign the Indymedia solidarity declaration
(http://solidarity.indymedia.org.uk/) denouncing the hard drive seizure
and demanding a full disclosure of who is involved in the seizure, a copy
of the court order, and an independent investigation into any violations
of due process.

For more information and updates, see: http://www.indymedia.org


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[Deja Q]

1. US Agents in London?

Did IndyMedia break England's rules, with England asking the US for help? :shrug:

[teryang]

2. BBV motive behind Indymedia censorship?

Big Brother is Acting
by William Bowles
www.globalresearch.ca 12 October 2004
http://globalresearch.ca/articles/BOW410A.html

<snip>According to a statement issued by International Federation of Journalists which represents 500,000 journalists worldwide:

“The seizure follows visits by the FBI to Indymedia personnel in the US inquiring about the publication on the French site Indymedia Nantes of photographs of Swiss undercover police photographing protestors. The photographs remain available on other websites.

“The IFJ believes the seizure may be linked to a September 30 court case in San Jose California, in which Indymedia San Francisco and two students at Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania successfully opposed an application by Diebold Election Systems Inc to remove documents claiming to reveal flaws in the design of electronic voting machines which are due to be used widely in the forthcoming US Presidential election.” <5><snip>

<snip>The other aspect that reveals the dangers of such interlocking legislation like MLAT, is how it impacts on networked news distribution, for it appears that these laws are designed specifically to be used to shutdown a global network through the simultaneous use of national laws by coordinating the actions of the state across national borders.<snip>

[sweetheart]

3. Tony Blair's a stupid idiot

He pushed britain in to this treaty that was supposed to be for
terrorism, and as was predicted at the time, the police powers are
now being used to persecute civil liberties, against the principal
of cross border police cooperation.

The WOT is a vapour bullshit, so they've used the law, as the article
says, to keep an undercover swiss officer's identity secret from
photos taken in public, and to persecute the drugs war.

This police state crap is sickening, and even more so that some
dickwad prime minister signed up to this fear program to destroy his
own countries civil liberties.

I am disgusted, and it is wholly tony blair's fault that this has
happened in the UK. Boy, its enough to make me appreciate UKIP...
not to vote for them, but to appreciate the erosion they are worried
about.

[G_j]

8. too many idiots

for sure..

& too bad story this isn't considered inportant news, at least in the US.

[havocmom]

4. Italy & Switzerland ask FBI for help? Did Interpol refuse to violate

rights for them so they came running to the Gesto... err, FBI? Or did the FBI go to them and insist on helping them eradicate the terrible threat of real news being made public? I would think the latter more likely.

Couple more questions: So the CIA can act domestically now and the FBI can go international. Since many higher ups in both organizations tend to be extremely territorial and not co-operate/share vital info with other agency, just how the hell does this blurring of jurisdictions help in the fight against global terrorism? Seems like the FBI can't even do their job domestically, why do they get to play on the international field?

The neocons whine about the US becoming the 'policeman to the world' when Dems are in power. Seems they approve when neocons are at the helm. So the reality is, neocons insist on using US forces and resources to be neocon/corporatists enforcers upon the world.

And if they intend to shut down internet sites which put real news from first hand observers out there, make no mistake, they intend to spread a very serious form of fascism very soon. They spent over ten years tying up the traditional media (broadcast & newspapers) ownership so they could control the message. You can bet they are not gonna let the internet slip any truth to the people. They learned fast that we can use this tool well. They will take it from us if we do not defend it well.

[mmonk]

5. What is free speech?

[tinanator]

6. I dunno but you need a zone to practice it in this country

And how many internet forums decry political discussion?
"Freedom isnt free" ya gotta kill for it.

[Karenina]

7. T.J.

Tree of Liberty watered by the blood of patriots...