[Gipfelsoli Newsletter] Genoa -- Heiligendamm

[International Newsletter]

- Genoa G8: 225 years of jail asked for 25 people
- Mobilization-Video for G8 2008 in Japan
- Arrest warrant against Andrej H. overturned
- Coalition Launches International Competition: What Exactly is Terrorism?
- UK police can now force you to reveal decryption keys
- Convergences For Climate Action Summer 2008

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Genoa G8: 225 years of jail asked for 25 people

Oct 2007 - Updates on Genoa Court Case

The prosecutors ask 225 years of jail for 25 protestors

Genoa court case are not ending tomorrow, but they are drawing to a close, an
people seems to have forgotten what Genoa meant and how big part of history we
have been when we decided to take the streets in those days of july 2001. While
the court cases against police officiers for the tortures in Bolzaneto and for
the raid in the Diaz school move slowly forward (one will be ending by the end
of the year and the other around summer 2008) towards meak convictions and
satute of limitations after the first court sentence, the court case against 25
protestors has seen this last weeks the prosecutors final speech.

In their speech the prosecutors Anna Canepa and Andrea Canciani frontally
attacked the protest in Genoa, asking 225 years of jail for the 25 people
accused of devastating and sacking the city on july 20th and 21st.

The speech of the prosecutors asks people to call Genoa events for what they
were: devastation, sacking, arson. They stated that at the same time the
massacres and the abuses of police should be prosecuted but never did
themselves open an investigation on the facts, and insisted that they should be
kept out of the court case against 25 protestors. The prosecutors actually said
that people decided to resist and that this fact should be sanctioned, since
they should have dispersed and eventually file a complain for the violence the
police enacted.
In their speech the prosecutors tried to explain the judge that all of those who
were present in Genoa are equally responsible of the allegations, since "moral
responsability is even more crucial than material responsability for Genoa
events: if I inspire 20 people to throw a stone I should be hold more
responsible of devastation than if I threw five of them". This brings back
criminal codes to the middle age, where you were not supposed to actually have
done anything to be convicted. This is why some of the accused where asked to
be convicted to 6 years only because they are seen around the scenes of the
riots (not doing anything particular or in a lot of cases just putting some
trash bin in the streets to slow down police charges).

But this is not the worst part of the prosecutors speech, since they have been
reinterpreting Genoa to provide history with a clean and one-sided version of
the events: Police acted correctly and protestors are oversizing the abuses,
but the Truth is that they should have gone home and let the Summit be. The
prosecutor have been stating that the charge in via Tolemaide against the Tute
Bianche demo was fairly quick and not particularly violent, so it's not
understandable how protestors would complain constantly of "fearing for their
own life"; they have been saying that Carabinieri armored transport only
charged at full speed twice and that the barricades were made before this, so
protestors should not "fuss" about it being the reason for the vehicle attack.
They even came to minimize Carlo Giuliani's death, saying that there could have
been worse situation if the Carabinieri inside the soon-to-be-burned van were
not rescued by their colleagues.

Our history is being raped by two prosecutors who desperately want to show that
4 years of enquiry were useful (even if to justify their lies they misuse only
statements of the defense's witness) and that someone is responsible for what
happened in Genoa. They want to show off in the "trial that will change many a
ways to do court cases in Italy", at the expenses of 25 protestors like all of
us. If the judges will acknoledge the point of view of the prosecutors, and
convict 25 people to 6-16 years of jail, each one of us could be the next
culprit. Think of how many insults you have shouted during the g8 in genoa,
think of how many stones you have thrown, think of how much rage you felt while
you and your friends were beaten.

We agree only on one point with the prosecutor. Let's call Genoa 2001 for what
it was: it was a revolt and it was history and it was us. And that's why they
are scared and why they want to avoid that anybody will try again to take away
power from where it usually stands.

blicero

[http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2007/10/384339.html]


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Mobilization-Video for G8 2008 in Japan

Here you find a new video made by Indepent Media Activists for the mobilization
for G8 2008 in Japan. The summit should take place at lake Toya, 2 hours away
from Sapporo, located at the half-island Hokkaido:
http://indymedia.nl/media/2007/10//47799.mp4 (0:02:45, mp4)

The German based anti-G8 infotour in Asia is just over half finished, but still
going to Philippines and Hong Kong in the next week and a half. There will be a
bigger report coming soon.

INFOTOUR EUROPE:

1. A Tokyo based team will come to Germany and the region in Nov/Dec to show a
new documentary about the activist scene there.

2. The No G8! Action Japan infotour will come to Europe in Jan/Feb.

Both tours are looking for infotour hosts. If your nation or region can host a
tour in their area, please see if it is possible and then contact them in
Japan. However, please try not to make individual offers, but do try to
organise national tours for them to save money and time. They also need funds
for expensive airfare, so, sadly some priority will be given to those areas
that can help pay the expenses. Also, language is a bit of a problem, so if you
can find translators to translate from Japanese to your language, that is quite
helpful. Write here to offer to host either tour: no-g8 at sanpal.co.jp


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Arrest warrant against Andrej H. overturned

* Lawyers demand an end to the §129a proceedings

Yesterday the German Federal Court announced its decision in the case of
Berlin-based Andrej H. The Court has decided that at no point there was any
immediate suspicion that would have necessitated his detainment. The arrest
warrant against the activist and researcher was unlawful from the beginning and
has thus been overturned.

“We welcome this decision. Particularly because with this decision the Federal
Court confirms that the conclusions of the Federal Prosecution were purely
speculative and exaggerated,” Christina Clemm, Andrej’s legal representative
said. “The various violations of my client’s basic rights that have occurred in
the last months are therefore unlawful. The next step is to close the case.”

The Federal Court did not address the question of whether the „militant group“
(mg) should be considered a terrorist organisation. “The Court has not taken
the fundamental decision we expected. At the same time, the decision they did
take has massive consequences for the other individuals still in custody,”
Ulrich von Klinggraeff, the legal representative of Florian F. stated. “The
criticism of the Federal Prosecution is now stronger; the proceedings are based
on speculation and construction. We also think that there is no immediate
suspicion of the other three with respect to §129a. Therefore the arrest
warrant against them must also be revoked. The defence still expects the
Federal Court to take a decision as to whether the „mg“ can be considered a
terrorist organisation or not.”

Since yesterday witnesses to the case are being questioned. At least 19 friends
and acquaintances have received court orders. Alain Mundt, legal consultant to
the witnesses said: “These questionings are an attempt to find out more
information about the personal and professional lives of the accused.“
Furthermore, the Federal Prosecution is looking for new contact persons. The
witnesses have been asked about their personal lives, for example about their
educational background. “Obviously it’s unclear to the Federal Prosecution what
they are looking for.” Wolfgang Kaleck, spokesperson of the Republican Lawyers
Association (RAV) and a defence lawyer in the case, commented on the basic
procedures of such 129a charges in recent years, “After 9/11 the voices against
the paragraph 129a legislation became quieter. The last year has shown that this
legislation continues to be used against social movements and particular types
of militant protest. That is why it is important to continue to work towards
its abolition.”

Coalition for the Immediate End to the § 129a Proceedings

c/o Haus der Demokratie und Menschenrechte e.V. Greifswalder Straße 4 D-10405
Berlin Germany

    * einstellung [at] so36.net
    * http://einstellung.so36.net
    * Telephone +49 1577-4300652


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Coalition Launches International Competition: What Exactly is Terrorism?

Berlin, 22nd October 2007

Press Release

Coalition launches international competition No terror before four or: what
exactly is an after-work terrorist?

The Federal Prosecution is after it. The red-green coalition is trying to
redefine it. The Federal Court has to evaluate it and our friends are to be
charged because of it.

The phantom called "terrorism"
 The German criminal legislation paragraph 129a enables the prosecution of
terrorist activity or membership in a terrorist organisation, but even the
highest judges of Germany are not quite sure what terrorism actually is. The
Federal Minister for Justice doesn’t think that 9/11 was terrorism,
but everyone is scared of it. German criminal legislation, the UN and also the
EU have no clear definition of the term "terrorism". We are now asking: What
exactly is terrorism? Who is a terrorist? And what is a terrorist act?


The Coalition for the Immediate End to the 129a Proceedings is searching for
definitions of terrorism: legal, humorous or political. Entries to the
competition can be in the form of texts, photos, videos, podcasts, postcards,
posters; they can be artistic, intellectual or journalistic. They can be
submitted by individuals, collectives or by anonymous contributors. The
deadline is November 30th 2007.

An international panel will consider the entries and select the best ones for
awards. At the end of 2007 the best contributions will be publicly exhibited
and celebrated with an award ceremony.

We would be delighted if you would report this novel and extraordinary
competition in your publication. For further information or questions, please
contact us on the number above. Further information:
http://einstellung.so36.net/de/was-ist-terror

Coalition for the Immediate End to the 129a Proceedings

c/o Haus der Demokratie und Menschenrechte e.V. Greifswalder Straße 4 D-10405
Berlin Germany

einstellung [at] so36.net
http://einstellung.so36.net


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UK police can now force you to reveal decryption keys

Users of encryption technology can no longer refuse to reveal keys to UK
authorities after amendments to the powers of the state to intercept
communications took effect on Monday (Oct 1).

The Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (RIPA) has had a clause activated
which allows a person to be compelled to reveal a decryption key.

The measure has been criticised by civil liberties activists and security
experts who say that the move erodes privacy and could lead a person to be
forced to incriminate themselves.
Bild: Ecryption

It is also controversial because a decryption key is often a long password
– something that might be forgotten. An accused person might
pretend to have forgotten the password; or he might genuinely have forgotten it
but struggle to convince a court to believe him.

Section 49 of Part III of RIPA compels a person, when served with a notice, to
either hand over an encryption key or render the requested material
intelligible by authorities. Anyone who refuses to decrypt material could face
five years in jail if the investigation relates to terrorism or national
security, or up to two years in jail in other cases.

Controversially, someone who receives a Section 49 notice can be prevented from
telling anyone apart from their lawyer that they have received such a notice.

The Home Office said that the process will be overseen by the Interception of
Communications Commissioner, the Intelligence Services Commissioner and the
Chief Surveillance Commissioner.

Complaints about demands for information must be made by the Investigatory
Powers Tribunal. "The Tribunal is made up of senior members of the judiciary
and the legal profession and is independent of the Government. The Tribunal has
full powers to investigate and decide any case within its jurisdiction, which
includes the giving of a notice under section 49 or any disclosure or use of a
key to protected information," said a Home Office explanation of the process.

The Home Office said that the actions were consistent with the European
Convention on Human Rights and the UK Human Rights Act as long as the demand
for decryption was "both necessary and proportionate".
"The measures in Part III are intended to ensure that the ability of public
authorities to protect the public and the effectiveness of their other
statutory powers are not undermined by the use of technologies to protect
electronic information," said the Home Office.
Work-around: use Truecrypt

TrueCrypt can hide an encrypted volume within an outer encrypted volume in such
a way that it is impossible to prove if or not the hidden volume exists. It
allows for a day-to-day password and a duress password. If forced to open the
encrypted volume you use your duress password. This opens and displays a set of
"innocent" files whiule your "not-so-innocent" files remain hidden.
See http://www.truecrypt.org/hiddenvolume.php

[http://www.wombles.org.uk/article2007101291.php]


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Convergences For Climate Action Summer 2008

This is just to let you know that a global process of camps (and convergences)
for climate action is going on.

Some individuals involved in all the different climate camps and convergences
are now joining efforts to coordinate their activities, try to hold them close
in time and are also considering calling for a global day of action, hoping to
inspire more initiatives around the world.

Contact the global coordination list for climate camps 2008:
camp-convergence at lists.riseup.net


Convergences For Climate Action Summer 2008

With extreme weather, droughts, species extinctions, and melting ice caps
becoming more of a reality each day, it is time for us to come together to take
direct action against climate change.

This summer Rising Tide North America in collaboration with other organizations
will host a number of regional Convergences for Climate Action to create a
space of collective empowerment to resist the fossil fuel empire and fight for
climate justice.
Convergence 2008

The international movement to confront climate chaos is heating up! Following to
the success of this past summer’s Convergences for Climate Action in the south
east, west coast as well as the Camp for Climate Action in the United Kingdom
we are excited to announce that there are plans to organize more convergences
next summer.

Planning is in the works for the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Germany and
Australia and here in North America we’re planning convergences on the west
coast, in the south east and the north east.

Do you want to help with organizing one of these convergences or plan one in
your own region? Please email us at contact at risingtidenorthamerica.org or call
(202) 657-6772 for moreinformation.
What is a convergence for climate action anyways?

An opportunity to bring different people and organizations together for a week
to talk about tangible ways we can confront the root causes of climate change
while at the same time envisioning and creating thriving healthy communities
that do not rely on the burning of fossil fuels.

There will be dozens of workshops, trainings and teach-ins on a plethora of
topics as well as coordinated days of action.

Check out the web page!
www.climateconvergence.org

Links:
http://climatecamp.org.uk, http://risingtide.org.uk,
http://risingtidenorthamerica.org

[http://www.wombles.org.uk/article2007101328.php]