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<font size=3>ACLU of Puerto Rico Files Lawsuit Against FBI for Wrongfully
Attacking Journalists During a Raid (9/20/2006)<br>
<a href="http://www.aclu.org/freespeech/gen/26798prs20060920.html" eudora="autourl">
http://www.aclu.org/freespeech/gen/26798prs20060920.html<br><br>
</a>FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE<br>
CONTACT: <a href="mailto:media@aclu.org">media@aclu.org</a><br><br>
SAN JUAN, PR - The American Civil Liberties Union and the ACLU of Puerto
Rico today filed a lawsuit against the Federal Bureau of Investigations
for violating the civil rights of more than 20 reporters in San Juan,
Puerto Rico. The journalists were beaten, maced, and prevented from
covering a significant news story even though they were violating no
laws.<br><br>
“At issue is a fundamental freedom guaranteed by both the Constitution of
the United States of America and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, that of
freedom of the press. ,” said William Ramirez, Director of
the ACLU of Puerto Rico National Chapter. <br><br>
The lawsuit, filed today in the U.S. District Court in San Juan, Puerto
Rico, outlines the FBI’s violations of the journalists’ civil rights.
According to ACLU legal papers, on February 10, 2006, federal agents
physically assaulted reporters covering a high-profile FBI raid on the
home of Lilian Laboy, a prominent political activist believed to be
associated with the movement for Puerto Rican independence. <br><br>
The lawsuit describes how the FBI acted illegally and violated the First
Amendment rights of the reporters by impeding their ability to cover the
story, thereby also impeding the rights of the public to be informed. It
also gives an account of how the use of excessive force was a violation
of the reporters’ Fourth Amendment rights to be free from unreasonable
search and seizure.<br>
The ACLU is asking the court to ensure the safety and First Amendment
rights of the media when covering future FBI operations in Puerto Rico by
banning the further use of pepper spray and excessive force against
reporters attempting to gather the news. <br>
“The right to gather and report on the news is explicitly guaranteed by
the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States,” said Mark
Lopez, a Senior Staff Attorney with the National ACLU, which is based in
New York. “The media performs an essential role in an informed public and
in ensuring the accountability of our government. When federal
officials interfere with that role they strike at the core of our
democratic freedom.”<br>
The events leading to this lawsuit, Asociacion de Periodistas de Puerto
Rico (Puerto Rico Journalists Association, Overseas Press Club of Puerto
Rico, et al., v. Robert Muellerand Ten Unknown Agents of the Federal
Bureau of Investigation, et al., followed the September 2005 killing of
Filiberto Ojeda-Rios, a pro-independence leader who was wanted by the
FBI. [why is this relevant? Was the press assaulted during
this search also? If not, I would leave out.]<br>
The ACLU lawsuit was filed on behalf of the Puerto Rican Journalists
Association, the Overseas Press Club of Puerto Rico, Normando Valentin,
Victor Sanchez, Joel Lago Roman, Cossette Donalds Brown, Victor
Fernandez, and Annette Alvarez. It names Robert Mueller, Director of the
FBI and also makes a claim for monetary damages against 10 unknown FBI
agents and several named agents, including Agent Luis Fraticelli, Puerto
Rico’s lead agent.<br>
Lopez, Ramirez, the legal staff of the ACLU of Puerto Rico National
Chapter and cooperating attorney Nora Vargas-Acosta, of San Juan, Puerto
Rico, are representing the reporters and news organizations.<br><br>
The ACLU complaint is online at
<a href="http://www.aclu.org/freespeech/gen/26800lgl20060210.html">
www.aclu.org/freespeech/gen/26800lgl20060210.html</a><br><br>
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522 Valencia Street<br>
San Francisco, CA 94110<br>
(415) 863-9977<br>
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