To the Austrian Minister of Justice I have recently been informed
Transcrição
To the Austrian Minister of Justice I have recently been informed
Wien, 10. Juni 2009 To the Austrian Minister of Justice I have recently been informed about the final reports of the police investigation into the animal advocacy movement in Austria. I understand that after more than two years of investigations, and with all technological means at the disposal of the police, including phone tapping, email surveillance, vehicle tracking, concealed informers and four extensive electronic tracking operations, as well as 26 house searches of activists’ homes and 7 NGO offices, no direct evidence of any criminal activity has been found. The information presented on which the accusations are being based appears to fall into one of three categories: Personal opinions from private conversations, investigative work done by NGOs into the conditions in which animals are kept in and acts of civil disobedience. None of the aforementioned are criminal offences. It is of great concern to me that Austria is attempting to criminalise legitimate campaigning practices. This would indeed be the case should the final reports be followed up with charges against a whole section of the movement of being a criminal organisation according to section 278a of the penal code. NGOs in the country I live in have used the practices brought forward by Austrian police as evidence for many years to achieve improvements in society, indeed, many of the aspects which we regard as inherent in a progressive society can be traced back to just this kind of campaigning. Should Austria attempt to criminalise what in other countries is regarded as legitimate social activism, it will be widely seen as departing from the standards of tolerance expected today of liberal democracies. I therefore ask you as the Minister of Justice in Austria to reconsider such a move. Any free democracy must allow space for protest and the free expression of dissent. A protest movement for such important issues as animal welfare and animal rights is an essential part of any modern society. The right to protest must be upheld and no person should be prosecuted without evidence of criminal wrongdoing. We are very concerned that in Austria, these basic principles of freedom, justice and democracy are being eroded. Yours faithfully BELGIUM NICOLE VERBIST, BELGIEN NANCY PETITJEAN, BELGIEN CHANTAL BUSLOT, BELGIEN JEANNINE LIBERTON, BELGIEN MARTINE POLAIN, BELGIUM LIBRONT FRANÇOISE, BELGIUM BUNGENBERG VÉRONIQUE, BELGIUM LEONARDO BENUCCI, BELGIUM, FRANCE MARK SANDERSBARWICK BRIGITTE GOTHIÈRE YVES BONNARDEL GERARD MICHEAU MELLE RAMON VÉRONIQUE ERIC FREEMAN, LISE DEFRANCE ANNELISE CHOPIN ELIANE HAIM IRINA GUYOT JOSETTE BENCHETRIT NERVO VIVIANE FABIEN OUVRARD DAVID SOAD NADIA CHIKH BERNIER BASTIEN NICOLAS DESSAUX VERCKNOCKE PASCAL MICHÈLE MESSAGER ELODIE GAUD SYLVIA AUBERTIN ISABELLE DUDOUETBERCEGEAY JEROME MOUGNOZ SIMON DEVEY SMITH LUCAS FLORIN RACHEL TOUITOU SABINE LI PRICILA HAREL DOMI BACOT JEAN-MARC-ALBISETTI KOEN HERTECANT LYDA YAKOVLEFF IVAN YAKOVLEFF ANNE-AURÉLIE DANIEL ABECASSIS ESPOSITO DOMINIQUE VIRGINIE PODEVIN RAVACHOL PUNX JOHANNA ALMA POULET MARC ANNIE PEYSSON SABINE MULLER STÉPHANIE ROSSENU DAPHNÉE VINCENT AGNESE PIGNATARO JU ADDA ELISABETH KARCHER JOEL POTHIER JACKIE BAUT ODETTE CHAUVE BRIAND MICHÈLE DR. FLORENCE BURGAT, PHILOSOPHER, DIRECTOR OF RESEARCH FRANÇOISE DEGENNE JEANNINE HERMANN FRÉDÉRIC BERTHELET CATHERINE LASVENES RIDEAU EMMANUELLE BARRAUD MARIE-AGNES JOANIN JEANNINE HERMANN CHRISTOPHE HAMELIN NIKOL RIZZONI ODILE DE LEERSNYDER MAGALI BOUGRAIN MARIE-HÉLÈNE CAPIN CHRISTIAAN SMIT JOCELYN DIEUDONNÉ BRUSA THIERRY MARIE-HÉLÈNE CAPIN CHRISTIAAN SMIT FANNY VAUCHER FRANCIS VINO DENARD JULIEN MEISTERSHEIM CHANTAL EVELYNE KHIARI ANTHONY OBLIN JOELLE FREYNET LAETITIA CINQUINI CLÉMENCE CINQUINI CHENOA CINQUINI JEAN-PIERRE MERCIER OLIVIER VINCENT DENISE VERHAEGEN DANIEL JACOB FRÉDÉRIC BOUCHER PROUT CAROLINE MARCELINE PAULY STEPHANE MARCON ARNOUD KOENEN CAROLINE OUVRY PIERRE DAVID HERMINE TOYA JEANINE BLANC JOELLE COUDRIOU ISABELLE BICHON CÉCILE BOURGAIN PASCALE OLIVARES SAMUEL AIRAUD OLIVIER DEVALEZ DANIEL JACOB DOMINIQUE JORON FRANÇOISE SANNIER MALLARONI LEGRAND DANIEL JACOB SERGE VANTALON VIER EVA JOELLE VERDIER STÉPHANIE ROSSENU PROUT CAROLINE ITALIA FEDERICA FAVIA LUCHI ELENA OLIMPIA GASPARRO MONICA CIAMPA LINDA PIZZUTO MILUSKA OJEDA ELISA ALBERTINI LINDA PIZZUTO CINDY DEVOLA MATTEO BATTISTELLI BARBARA RAGONE MARIANNA GUACCIO ILARIA VARRIALE LUIGI TARALLO ALESSANDRA MIRABELLI ANDREA MARTINI MILUSKA OJEDA ELISA ALBERTINI LINDA PIZZUTO STEFANO SALVETTI CHIARA RIZZO CHIARA CRIPPA ANNA MEZZAPESA CLAUDIA GRANOCCHIA LUCILLA MANCINI ANNA ADELAIDE MOZZATI MARIA ANTONIETTA GIOLITTI ENZA STRIDI PATRICIA PANITZ DARIO D'AMBROSIO SABRINA MARIANI DIANA PASSINO CRISTINA VADDONI TAMARA SANDRIN RODRIGO CODERMATZ ALBERTO BIANCHI GIANFRANCO FRELLI SANDY MAGGIO TERESA CALIGARIS LUCA ROSSETTO CASEL ANGELA MONTELLA ALESSANDRA BOGI MORENA MANINI FABRIZIO CELIONATI SARA BONFATTI OCEANE BAUDOUIN ATTILIO AUGUSTO ANGELLOTTI ROSANNA DE LEONARDO MARTA BENAGLIA VIGNOZZI FILIPPO CINZIA TERNI BARBARA RAGONE SIMONA DE NICOLA MONICA AGOSTINI ANDREA FULCHERI MANUEL RAVANELLI ISAURA BORSINI CLAUDIO ROSSETTO CASEL IDA CARLA GRECO FRANCESCO GRECO FLAVIO GRECO ANNA GIACCONE ANGELO GIACCONE BIANCA ROSA GIRARDI ENRICA COSTA SABRINA CABIDDU LILIANA ZELLA PIERPAOLO DE GOBBI MARIA PIA PERTICONE ALESSANDRO CAREDDA PAOLO GABRIELLI ANTONIO VEGANO DR EMILIA BOCCAGNA JENNIFER RUGIADA ONDINA CHRISTIAN VIN- CENZO VIRGINIA MATONTI NADIA PAPA GIULIANA CAPRIOGLIO H. 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