[IMC] For Immediate Release: Indymedia's hardware is returned, but many questions remain

[IMC]

*News from Indymedia *

For Immediate Release
October 14, 2004

*Indymedia's hardware is returned, but many questions remain*

On Wednesday, October 13th, Indymedia's seized hardware was 
mysteriously returned in the same way it disappeared -- without any 
information provided as to who took it or why, and on whose orders.  An 
employee at Rackspace, the U.S.-based web hosting company that handed 
over Indymedia's disks to the U.S. government on 7 October, emailed an 
Indymedia volunteer to say that the disks were returned and that "the 
court order is being complied with... I will pass along any more 
information that becomes available and that I am allowed to."

Today, October 14th, Italy Indymedia learned that an investigation in 
Bologna could have precipitated the U.S.' order for the seizure of 
Indymedia's hard drives from the U.K.

Marina Plazzi, a public prosecutor for Bologna investigating the 
"Informal Anarchist Federation," reportedly issued a request for 
information (RFI) to U.S. authorities concerning posts published on 
italy.indymedia.org, one of the 20 odd Indymedia sites hosted on the 
U.K. server.  The U.S. authorities, going beyond the requirements of 
the RFI, then issued an order to seize the drives.

Despite this new information and the return of the hardware many 
questions remain.

"The fact that the authorities' actions are shrouded in mystery leaves 
Indymedia in the Kafkaesque position of not knowing the identity of its 
accusers or the nature of their claim," says David Dadge, editor for 
the International Press Institute.

Indymedia volunteers are now calling for supporters to sign a 
solidarity declaration at http://solidarity.indymedia.org.uk/ 
denouncing the hard drive seizure as an unacceptable attack on press 
freedom, freedom of expression, and privacy. They are demanding a full 
disclosure of the names of organizations and individuals involved in 
the seizure, a copy of the court order, and an independent 
investigation into any violations of due process.

"We have serious concerns about the use of international co-operation 
frameworks to obscure legal process, undermine civil liberties, and 
erode communication rights," said an Indymedia volunteer.

Numerous organizations have already expressed their solidarity with 
Indymedia. "I would say that this is an indication of the 
successfulness of the Indymedia network," says Peter Phillips, Ph.D., 
director of Project Censored. "Freedom of information is a radical idea 
when applied in a fair manner, and radical ideas will always be 
suppressed by the transnational corporate elites whenever possible."

For more information, visit www.indymedia.org, email 
press at indymedia.org, or call:

Tomasso at +39 3383903806 (Italy)
Hep Sano at +1-415-867-9472 (San Francisco)
David Meieran at +1-412-996-4986 (Pittsburgh)

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