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<b>3 animal-rights activists sent to prison<br>
</b>By BETH DeFALCO <br>
<b>The Associated Press<br>
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TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — Three animal-rights activists convicted of using
their Web site to incite threats and harassment against a company that
tests products on animals received prison sentences ranging from four to
six years Tuesday.<br>
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They were also ordered to pay a total of $1 million in restitution to the
company and people they terrorized.<br>
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Three other members of Stop Huntingdon Animal Cruelty are awaiting
sentencing within the next two weeks.<br>
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Along with the organization itself, the six activists were convicted in
March of using a Web site to incite threats, harassment and vandalism
against Huntingdon Life Sciences, a company that tests drugs and
household products on animals.<br>
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The government charged that the group waged a five-year campaign against
the company, posting the names, addresses and phone numbers of Huntington
employees and those who do business with the company, and personal
information such as where they go to church and where their children
attend school.<br>
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Many of those people saw their homes vandalized and received threatening
e-mails, faxes and phone calls.<br>
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The group, based in Philadelphia, maintains its actions were protected
under the First Amendment.<br>
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The defendants, all in their late 20s or early 30s, were not accused of
directly making threats or carrying out vandalism.<br>
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The three sentenced were the president of SHAC, Kevin Kjonaas of
Minnesota; campaign coordinator Lauren Gazzola of Connecticut; and Web
site manager Jacob Conroy of California. Kjonaas was sentenced to six
years in prison, Gazzola to four years and four months, and Conroy to
four years.<br>
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<font size=3 color="#FF0000">The Freedom Archives<br>
522 Valencia Street<br>
San Francisco, CA 94110<br>
(415) 863-9977<br>
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