Indymedia is a silly place. However, that doesn’t mean the FBI should be seizing its servers. Yey freedom. Yey the West.
Here’s a link to a mirror of the post that attracted the g-men’s attention. Apparently posting pictures of French policemen on the web is now a federal offence.
(via LGFWW, which has a slightly different take on the issue…)
Update: The Register has more. It also notes that the seized servers were in the UK, and that the UK’s anti-free-speech Patriot Act-ish legislation includes non-disclosure procedures. So the main grounds for the seizure might well be mad blind cunt Blunkett’s evil law, but Indymedia’s hosts are only allowed to mention the Feds.
""Through a legal assistance treaty, the subpoena was on behalf of a third country."
The FBI spokesman said there was no US investigation but that the agency cooperated under the terms of an international treaty on law enforcement."
Done at the request of the Italians and the Swiss, apparently. Stupid unilateralist Americans, they honor their damn cooperation treaties. The nerve!
Just because I sometimes criticise American policy doesn’t mean that I’m comfortable with international law enforcement cooperation.
I’m sceptical that there’s much point in having nation states – but given that they exist, surely one of their key advantages worth preserving is that one can escape oppressive laws elsewhere by moving to a more sensible country?
What I don’t understand is how the FBI now uses its leverage with the British courts to pass on subpoenas in cases which it claims not to be involved in. Why didn’t the Italian and Swiss authorities get in touch with the British authorities directly? And where are these servers now? With the FBI, with the Met, or with the Swiss and the Italians?
david blunkett-blind evil cunt?he aint blind,that poisonous little shit aint blind.all that mad darting of the eyes is due to demonic posession.