Human Shield Right to Travel
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Defend the Right to Travel contacts worldwide:
US: Contact: Judith Karpova dahlia@ix.netcom.com or Tom Cahill tcahill@mcn.org
Slovenia: Protest on 28 August in front of US Embassy. Contact: Marta Gregocic gregorcic_marta@yahoo.com
Australia: Contact: Ruth Russell aussieshield@chariot.net.au
Austria: Contact: Ms. Waultrad Schauer was3@gmx.at
Mexico: Contact: John Ross johnross@igc.org
Turkey: Action by the Global Peace and Justice Coalition and Human Shields from Turkey on Friday, 29 August. Contact:Tolga Temuge ttemuge@isnet.net.tr
UK: Contact: Karl Dallas karldallas@blueyonder.co.uk
SPAIN, ITALY, and others: To Be Announced
DEFEND THE FIRST-AMENDMENT RIGHT OF US CITIZENS TO TRAVEL
The US Supporters of Human Shields Faith Fippinger and Ryan Clancy are asking all people who believe that US citizens have the right to travel without threat of reprisal, as peace ambassadors and civilian witnesses, to call the U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) and request that they drop their suit against these people. A suit has also been brought against the organization, Voices in the Wilderness, which is now being prosecuted by the US Justice Department. We therefore ask that people also call the Justice Department and request that they drop their suit against "Voices" and against individuals who traveled under its auspices.
Faith, Ryan, and "Voices" acted to prevent the bombing of civilian infrastructure, to bring medicines banned by the sanctions which are needed to save the lives of Iraqi citizens, and to bear witness to the catastrophic consequences of US policy in Iraq. They are being threatened with minimal $10,000 fines and/or prison terms of up to 12 years, for travelling to Iraq.
When a government imposes sanctions on a nation that cause a humanitarian crisis, when a nation such as Iraq is threatened with a repeat bombing of its essential civilian infrastructure, when an administration, such as the Bush administration, misrepresents the facts to lead us into war, citizens need the freedom to witness the consequences of govenment policy for themselves, and to administer humanitarian assistance. The ban on travel to Iraq has prevented the ordinary US citizen from finding out the truth. Faith, Ryan and Voices in the Wilderness have asserted their civil rights and acted with the highest humanitarian values in traveling to Iraq to bear witness. They should be honored, not prosecuted.
We call for Friday, August 29th as an International OFAC Call-In Day to Support International Freedom to Travel, and ask that these calls continue for the entire week of September 1-5. We also ask that the Justice Department be contacted on these days. Our calls to OFAC and the Justice Department will coordinate with other international demonstrations and campaigns on that date, taking place in Australia, Mexico, Slovenia, Turkey and other countries to be announced, to support Faith, Ryan and "Voices." They stood up for the rights and highest humanitarian ideals of all of us. Let's stand up for them!
How to contact OFAC (a division of the US Treasury Department):
(202) 622-2430, the Compliance Hotline, (202) 622-2480, the Licensing Division
Fax-on-demand number: (202) 622-0077
email: ofac-feedback@do.treas.gov
website: http://www.ustreas.gov/offices/eotffc/ofac/
How to Contact the U.S. Department of Justice: Office of the Attorney General: (202) 353-1555
Fax number: (202) 307-6777 email: AskDOJ@usdoj.gov.
To Report a Violation of your Civil Rights or Civil Liberties email: inspector.general@usdoj.gov
website: http://www.usdoj.gov/
Defend Travel contacts: tcahill@mcn.org / dahlia@ix.netcom.com / ttemuge@isnet.net.tr/ karldallas@blueyonder.co.uk
Human Shields websites: www.humanshields.org and www.humanshieldaction.org
Voices in the Wilderness website: www.vitw.org
