*Tina's Forum*

[Tina]

Online Petition against Arbitrary Police Operations Against Animal Protectionists

To:
Minister for Justice Dr. Maria Berger and Minister for the Interior Günther Platter

Subject:
Against Arbitrary Police Operations Against Animal Protectionists



In the early morning hours of 21 May 2008, a concerted country-wide police operation in Austria, raided and searched the homes of 23 animal protectionists. Ten people were remanded in custody. To date no concrete or substantive grounds have been announced for those arrests and remands in custody.

I strongly protest against this course of action. Both the police operation and the remand in custody of these people are completely disproportionate. For example, doors were rammed open without warning; masked police officers stormed homes with drawn guns. This was followed by grievous verbal and physical harassment and humiliation.

As justification for the raids, the Public Prosecutor's Office cites § 278a Austrian Penal Code (The formation of a “criminal organisation”), a paragraph, which is otherwise used solely in relation to people smuggling rings and Mafia organisations. Proof of the existence of the alleged “criminal organisation” by the authorities is still outstanding. The Public Prosecutor's Office has also not made any clear statements about the concrete connections that the detainees supposedly have with this ominous organisation.

It cannot be accepted, that a state under the rule of law remands people in custody without convincing argument. It cannot be accepted that the police confiscate computers, mobile telephones, member lists and documents on the off chance. Four Animal Protection Associations have been robbed of their functional existence in this manner. These facts are all serious violations of civil rights.

It appears that there is an attempt to criminalise the Austrian Animal Protection and Animal Rights movement. The police operation is causing lasting damage to the image of the Animal Protection movement. By depriving the NGOs of their infrastructure and lists of potential donors, they are deprived of all chances to continue to working for and representing their concerns.

Please take on this case and commit yourself to bringing transparency to this issue before Austria's international image is seriously damaged.

Unless the Public Prosecutor is able to bring immediate proof of the serious accusations that have been made, the detainees must be released without delay!

Yours Faithfully

I undersign this Petition:

http://www.vgt.at/actionalert/repression/petition/index_en.php
_________________
"Wenn WIR es schaffen, unseren Kindern vorzuleben, dass
alles was lebt beseelt ist und dass wir diese Leben
schützen und respektieren und ihm das geben und schützen
was es zum Leben benötigt und was Gott ihnen gegeben hat,
haben wir EINEN TEIL VON GOTTES WILLEN vollbracht. Wenn
wir dieses Wissen auch an unseren NÄCHSTEN weitergeben,
sind wir schon eine kleine Minderheit. Wenn aus der
kleinen Minderheit, eine NEUE Bewegung zur Freiheit allen
Lebens, was GOTT geschaffen hat heran wächst, sehe ich,
dass wir es schaffen werden, unseren tierischen Mitgeschöpfen
ein artgerechtes Leben auf Erden zu bieten. So will es GOTT,
der Schöpfer des unendlichen Universums und ALLEN Lebens."
(von Tina Weldle)