- The Bush Justice Department's prosecution of Greenpeace,
sparked by the environmental group's peaceful protest against the importation
of illegally harvested mahogany, was thrown out yesterday afternoon in
Miami.
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- Federal Judge Adalberto Jordan accepted Greenpeace's
contention that the U.S. government provided insufficient evidence to support
its claim that Greenpeace had violated an 1872 law against "sailor-mongering."
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- The Ashcroft Justice Department brought the charge some
15 months after two Greenpeace volunteers boarded a ship three miles off
the Miami coast in February, 2002. The volunteers were attempting to hang
a banner calling on President Bush to stop illegal logging. They were arrested
and served one weekend in jail.
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- The cargo ship was carrying 70 tons of mahogany that
had been illegally cut in the Brazilian Amazon. The Justice Department
brought no charges against the shipper, despite the fact that the importation
violated both U.S. law and international treaties. [1]
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- Speaking from the steps of the Miami Federal Courthouse,
Greenpeace USA Executive Director John Passacantando said "America's
tradition of free speech won a victory today, but our liberties are still
not safe. The Bush Administration and its allies seem bent on stifling
our tradition of civil protest, a tradition that has made our country stronger
throughout our history."
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- The case marked the first federal indictment targeting
an entire advocacy group for its protest tactics. Many U.S. nonprofit organizations
viewed the Greenpeace case as the first step in an effort to stifle dissent.
Ralph Neas, president of People for the American Way, said "Unfortunately,
the continuing pattern of intimidation against those who dare to disagree
with the government's viewpoint is undermining the vitality of our constitution
and the vibrant, free nation in which we live."
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- Julian Bond, chair of the NAACP, said the decision reaffirms
the crucial role of dissent in a democratic society. "I share the
sense of relief that Greenpeace must feel," said Bond. "But this
prosecution is a strong reminder that we can never let our guard down,
that Americans' indispensable right to civil disobedience requires our
constant vigilance."
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- Greenpeace has been working closely with the Brazilian
government to block the illegal harvesting of mahogany in the Amazon basin.
A member of the Brazilian Chamber of Deputies, Hamilton Cassara, came to
Miami to testify on Greenpeace's behalf. But Judge Jordan dismissed the
case after U.S. attorneys finished their arguments, meaning Greenpeace
did not have to present its defense.
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- The 1872 sailor-mongering law was enacted to keep houses
of ill-repute from luring sailors off their ships with offers of harlots
and strong drink. There is no record of its having been applied for over
a century.
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- SOURCES: [1] BushGreenwatch, Dec. 10, 2004 and May 17,
2004.
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- http://www.bushgreenwatch.org/mt_archives/000122.php
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