Det danske Fredsakademi
Kronologi over fredssagen og international politik 18. Juli 2005
/ Time Line July 18, 2005
Version 3.0
17. Juli 2005, 19. Juli 2005
07/18/2005
FBI Is Keeping Documents on ACLU and Other Peaceful
Groups
NEW YORK -- The American Civil Liberties Union today revealed that
the FBI has amassed more than 1,100 pages of documents on its
organization since 2001, as well as documents concerning other
non-violent groups including Greenpeace and United for Peace and
Justice.
"We now know that the government is keeping documents about the
ACLU and other peaceful groups - the question is why," said ACLU
Executive Director Anthony D. Romero.
"We are urging the court to order that these documents be turned
over immediately," he added. "If the FBI has nothing to hide, it
should release the documents promptly. The government’s claim
that it needs nine more months to turn over these documents is a
stalling tactic," Romero said, referring to the FBI’s request
for more time to "process" the 1,173 pages of documents it says it
has on the ACLU.
The ACLU also revealed today the contents of a report on United for
Peace and Justice, a national peace organization that coordinates
non-violent protests. The document, sections of which are redacted,
is addressed to FBI "Counterrorism" personnel and quotes from
UFPJ’s website calling for a public demonstration prior to
the 2004 Republican National Convention.
The document was released in response to an ACLU lawsuit filed two
months ago to expedite its FOIA request for FBI surveillance files
on the ACLU, Greenpeace, United for Peace and Justice, Code Pink,
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, the American-Arab
Anti-Discrimination Committee and the Muslim Public Affairs
Council.
"The UFPJ report underscores our concern that the FBI is violating
Americans’ right to peacefully assemble and oppose government
policies without being branded as terrorist threats," said Ann
Beeson, Associate Legal Director of the ACLU. "There is no need to
open a counterterrorism file when people are simply exercising
their First Amendment rights."
The ACLU has launched a nationwide effort to expose and prevent FBI
spying on people and groups simply for speaking out or practicing
their faith. In addition to the FOIA request on behalf of the
national organizations, the ACLU has filed similar requests on
behalf of more than 100 groups and individuals in 16 states and the
District of Columbia. The ACLU is seeking information about the
FBI’s use of Joint Terrorism Task Forces and local police to
engage in political surveillance. The requests were filed in
response to widespread complaints from students and political
activists who said they were questioned by FBI agents in the months
leading up to the 2004 political conventions.
The FOIAs seek two kinds of information: 1) the actual FBI files of
groups and individuals targeted for speaking out or practicing
their faith; 2) information about how the practices and funding
structure of the task forces, known as JTTFs, are encouraging
rampant and unwarranted spying.
For more information on the FOIA requests, go to
www.aclu.org/spyfiles.
The FBI Counterterrorism document on United for Peace and Justice
is available online at:
www.aclu.org/SafeandFree/SafeandFree.cfm?ID=18781&c=206.
The government’s response to the ACLU’s lawsuit for
expedited processing is available online at:
www.aclu.org/SafeandFree/SafeandFree.cfm?ID=18779&c=206.
07/18/2005
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