[Air-l] Indymedia under attack

[Derek McMillan]

http://solidarity.indymedia.org.uk/

Indymedia is a global media network that provides open space to publish 
challenging, independent reporting, with emphasis on political and social 
justice issues. The Indymedia network is based upon principled mutual aid 
and voluntary participation, maintaining openly accessible newswires with 
the capacity for anyone to publish texts, images, audio, and video.

On 7 October, 2004, hard drives from two Indymedia servers were seized from 
the London office of a US-owned web hosting company, Rackspace, at the 
request of the US Justice Department, apparently in collaboration with 
Italian and Swiss authorities.

The seizure of the hard drives in London shut down an Indymedia radio 
station and around 20 different Indymedia websites including those serving 
Ambazonia, Uruguay, Andorra, Poland, Western Massachusetts, Nice, Nantes, 
Lilles, Marseille, Euskal Herria (Basque Country), Liege, East and West 
Vlaanderen, Antwerpen, Belgrade, Portugal, Prague, Galiza, Italy, Brazil, 
UK, and parts of Germany Indymedia.

Although the hard drives were returned on October 13, the particular legal 
framework under which the seizures took place is unknown. One week after the 
seizures there is still an almost total information blackout from the 
authorities in the UK, US, Switzerland and Italy. Indymedia still has no 
confirmation of who ordered the seizures, who took the hard drives, why the 
seizures took place, or whether it will happen again.

In response, people all over the world have endorsed the following 
Declaration:






We, the Undersigned,



Denounce the seizure of the Indymedia hard drives as an unacceptable attack 
on press freedom, free speech and privacy;


Condemn this action as a violation of communication rights, as expressed in 
Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which states: 
"Everyone has the right to the freedom of opinion and expression; this right 
includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive 
and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of 
frontiers."


Voice concern over the growing use of international cooperation frameworks 
by governments and law enforcement agencies to obscure clear legal process, 
undermine civil liberties, and erode communication rights.



Against the seizure of the Indymedia servers and the attempt to impose 
silence:




We request a full disclosure of the names of organizations and individuals 
involved in the seizure, a copy of the subpoena, and an investigation into 
the legality of the action by an independent party;




We insist that all copies of the seized data be deleted or returned to 
Indymedia, and that Indymedia be provided with a list of organizations and 
individuals who have had access to the data held on the hard drives as a 
result of the seizure;




We call for openness and clarity in international cooperation agreements, 
and that these agreements ensure due process, protect privacy and free 
speech, and respect communication rights;




We demand that the responsible parties be held accountable







TO BE DELIVERED TO:


The Rt Hon David Blunkett, MP (UK);


Attorney General John Ashcroft (USA);


The Director of the FBI;


The US Department of State;


Appropriate officials in the government of Italy;


Appropriate officials in the government of Switzerland.






Sign the Petition
http://solidarity.indymedia.org.uk/
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