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Civil Rights Outreach Committee<br><br>
<u>For Immediate Release: May 18, 2006 <br><br>
</u> <br>
<b>Contact</b>:
<br>
Lauren Regan, Civil Liberties Defense Center, Eugene, OR: 541-687-9180.
<br>
Alejandro Queral, NW Constitutional Rights Center, Portland, OR:
503-295-6400, 202-491-6204<br>
<br>
<br>
Feds Revive McCarthy-era Tactics to Squelch Political Dissent<br>
<i> <br><br>
</i>Civil rights advocates decry use of grand jury to gather information
against environmental activists<br><br>
<br>
Eugene, OR -- The federal government has subpoenaed two more
environmental activists to testify before grand juries on May 18, 2006,
at the federal courthouse here and in Colorado, as prosecutors continue
to carry out broad, politically motivated sweeps of environmental and
animal rights activists around the country. The Civil Liberties
Defense Center and the Northwest Constitutional Rights Center are alarmed
at the government’s improper use of the broad subpoena powers of the
grand jury to coerce information from activists as they seek to bolster
their case against 15 people indicted for their alleged involvement in
several acts of property destruction. The government’s case has so
far relied on the information and testimony provided by infiltrators and
informants.<br>
<br>
Jeff Hogg, a nursing student and long-time environmental activist, is
scheduled to appear before the grand jury in Eugene this morning. Burke
Morris has been subpoenaed to appear before a Denver grand jury
investigating the 1998 Vail arson.<br>
<br>
“The continued use of the grand jury by federal prosecutors in this
instance confirms that they are abusing their power to subpoena witnesses
in order to prepare the federal case for trial,” said Lauren Regan,
attorney and executive director of the Civil Liberties Defense
Center. “This is clearly an improper use of the grand jury under
federal law.”<br>
<br>
“Amidst the continued revelations in the last week that the federal
government is spying on millions of Americans, the FBI’s investigative
tactics against environmental and animal rights activists, and the
prosecutors’ broad use of subpoena powers to coerce testimony, the
government will likely discourage many from freely expressing their
political viewpoints,” said Alejandro Queral, executive director of the
NW Constitutional Rights Center. “These are all signs that we live in an
increasingly repressive society.”<br>
<br>
The grand jury in Eugene is investigating acts of sabotage linked to the
underground Earth Liberation Front (ELF) and Animal Liberation Front
(ALF). There have been grand juries convened in San Diego, San Francisco,
Seattle and Colorado affecting a broad sweep of environmental and animal
activists suspected of property damage. The actions include arsons
at such targets as a ski resort expansion into endangered lynx habitat
and a slaughterhouse facility where healthy wild horses were killed for
dog food for export to Europe. Despite the fact that no one was
injured in any of the incidents, the FBI calls the actions “terrorism.”
Two additional people were charged in separate indictments in Washington
and California. <br>
<br>
A press packet of current related articles, background information,
historical examples of sabotage in the U.S., and a history of F.B.I.
repression of political activism is available. Please contact the Civil
Liberties Defense Center at 541-687-9180.<br><br>
<br><br>
<br><br>
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