[Ssf] support Indymedia

[atw]

Sign the petition in support of Indymedia!
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http://solidarity.indymedia.org.uk

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English
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Declaration
in Support of the Indymedia Network
and Against the Seizure of its Servers

Preface:

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.
        
        




Independent grassroots news: www.sheffield.indymedia.org.uk