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 |
Analysis By
Alistair Coleman Back
to Alternative Reader Index
The
seizure of London-based web servers used by the anti-globalization news
organisation Indymedia has drawn sharp criticism from media watchdogs and human
rights groups. These groups
view the use of far-reaching international treaties to close several web sites
as a politically-motivated denial of free speech with global implications for
the freedom of expression. Servers
operated by the US-owned company Rackspace were confiscated by British
authorities from their offices in Uxbridge under a Mutual Legal Assistance
Treaty (MLAT). FBI spokesman Joe Parris told the AFP news agency that although
the bureau had requested a subpoena against Rackspace, the action was taken on
behalf of two third party nations, later identified as Switzerland and Italy. MLATs
are powerful bilateral agreements between two countries which allow for
far-reaching powers of police and judicial cooperation in the fields of
international terrorism, kidnapping and money laundering. Photographs
Indymedia
themselves were initially at a loss as to why the MLAT court order was directed
at them, as the court order prohibits Rackspace from commenting on the matter
and divulging to whom the servers were actually given. A Rackspace spokesman
said "Rackspace is acting as a good corporate citizen and is cooperating
with international law enforcement authorities". However,
this is not Indymedia's first brush with the FBI, with the Bureau attempting to
obtain Indymedia's IP logs in August 2004, while the activities of Indymedia
affiliates Radio Free Santa Cruz and Cyprus IMCista also investigated by US
authorities. It has since emerged that the order was the result of two separate
enquiries into Indymedia by Switzerland and Italy. According
to AFP, the federal prosecutor of Bologna, Marina Plazzi, has stated that she is
investigating Indymedia because "it may support terrorism"; while the
Swiss investigation dates back to the 2003 G8 summit in Evian, where the
organisation posted photographs where Swiss intelligence agents could be
identified. "Mud
and poison" The
Milan-based Corriere della Sera suggests that the Italian request comes as a
result of the Indymedia Italia site appearing to support insurgents involved in
the deaths of Italian carabinieri in Al-Nasiriyah, southern Iraq, leading to
National Party demands for the site's closure. Leftist
parties in Italy condemned the site's closure, calling it an "act of global
censorship". Pietro Folena of the DS Party directly accused the government
of a deliberate and "very serious" act of censorship with the Greens
denouncing "the authoritarian calling of the Italian right". In
response, National Alliance spokesman Mario Landolfi told Corriere della Sera
that closing the web site was "a good and proper thing" because
"it was spitting out mud and poison, full of obscenities". Forza
Italia's Francesco Giro said the closure was inevitable, due to Indymedia's
"seriously defamatory tone", accusing the left of "shedding
crocodile tears" over the matter. "Abuse
of powers" The
use of an MLAT order to seize the Rackspace servers has been criticized by press
freedom organisations. Peter Bunyan, editor of Statewatch accused British Home
Secretary David Blunkett of complicity in a politically-motivated action which
would be unjustifiable under the terms of the treaty. Media
watchdog Reporters Without Borders (RSF) also adopted this theme, writing to
Blunkett, condemning his actions and seeking an explanation for the
confiscations. "Closure of web sites is a serious step," RSF said in
its letter, "the reasons for which should definitely be made public". The
International Federation of Journalists was more forthright it its criticisms,
accusing the authorities concerned of abusing their powers in an operation that
was "more intimidation than crime-busting". "We
have witnessed an intolerable and intrusive international police operation
against a network specializing in independent journalism," said IFJ General
Secretary Aidan White. "The
seizing of computers and the high profile nature of this incident suggests that
someone wanted to stifle these independent voices in journalism," said
White in an IFJ press release, "We need a full investigation into why this
action took place, who took part and who authorised it." While
most of Indymedia's affected sites are now operating on alternative systems,
concerns remain over what appears to be the use of judicial means to
silence relatively small dissident voices, fuelling speculation that other sites
may be targeted. The internet and technology news site The Register comments:
"And even if there were something far more serious involved than just a
couple of photos, the procedure ought to send shivers down the spine of every
publishing organisation on the Internet." From AxisofLogic.com http://www.infoshop.org/inews/stories.php?story=04/10/13/1495350 We want to know what you think of this article.
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