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MEDIA ADVISORY <br><br>
</font><h4><font face="Times New Roman, Times" size=3><b>Civil Rights
Outreach Committee</b></font></h4><font size=3><b> <br>
</b>For Immediate Release: November 8, 2006<br>
<b>Contacts:<br>
</b>Lauren Regan, Civil Liberties Defense Center, Eugene, OR,
541-687-9180<br><br>
Alejandro Queral, NW Constitutional Rights Center, Portland, OR
503-295-6400; 202-491-6204<br>
<br><br>
“Green Scare” Federal Case Nearing Resolution<br><br>
<i>Non-cooperating Defendants Remain Resolute in Not Implicating Other
Defendants<br><br>
</i> <br><br>
<b>Eugene, OR</b> – The four remaining non-cooperating defendants in the
Oregon “Green Scare” case have agreed to drop their request for
production of NSA surveillance materials and data and enter pleas on
November 9. Recent negotiations between federal prosecutors and the
defendants resulted in a global resolution non-cooperation plea agreement
whereby the four defendants will agree to accept responsibility for their
own roles in environmentally motivated crimes. but do not agree to
provide information or testify against anyone now or in the future. The
details will be fully and publicly disclosed today in court.<br><br>
<br><br>
Joyanna Zacher, Nathan Block, Daniel McGowan and Jonathan Paul will
appear in federal court at 9:30 am before U.S. District Judge Ann Aiken
to enter pleas related to alleged acts of property destruction and
arson.<br><br>
The global resolution agreement allows prosecutors to put a close on the
Oregon cases. It is expected that Jeff Hogg, who has been held in
contempt of court since May 16 for refusing to answer questions before a
grand jury impaneled to investigate this case, will be released from jail
soon after today’s hearing. <br><br>
<br><br>
</font><font size=3 color="#FF0000">Despite the agreement however,
federal prosecutors have said they will ask the court to apply a
“terrorism enhancement” at sentencing. Should Federal District
Court JudgeAnn Aiken grant the government’s request, the non-cooperating
defendants could face up to 20 years in prison in addition to the terms
of the plea agreement. <br><br>
</font><font size=3> <br><br>
“We are relieved by the non-cooperation plea agreement but remain very
concerned with government’s efforts to brand these defendants as
terrorists,” said Lauren Regan, executive director of the Civil Liberties
Defense Center in Eugene. “By branding them with the ‘terrorist’
label, the government is trying to justify the millions of taxpayer
dollars spent on investigating and prosecuting them or other animal
rights and environmental activists regardless of whether their activities
were constitutionally protected.”<br><br>
<br><br>
The FBI and federal prosecutors have conducted several roundups of
suspects, issued subpoenas to environmentalists, levied unprecedented
penalties for property crimes, and used threats of severe sanctions to
coerce individuals to become federal informants. Civil rights and
legal organizations, including the National Lawyers Guild, have
questioned the expansion of the definition of terrorism to include
politically-motivated acts property destruction and vandalism that have
resulted in no loss of life or injury.<br><br>
<br><br>
“There is no question the government has a broader agenda to undermine
the rights of environmental and animal rights activists,” said Alejandro
Queral, executive director of the Northwest Constitutional Rights Center.
“There is movement at the federal and state levels to pass legislation
that would silence lawful advocacy and target groups because of their
political ideology.” <br><br>
<br><br>
Copies of a press packet with a synopsis of the prosecution, related
articles background information, historical examples of sabotage in the
U.S., and a history of FBI repression of political activism are available
upon request.<br>
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(415) 863-9977<br>
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