US judge strikes down anti-terrorism law
Thursday 13 September 2012
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EmailA US judge struck down an anti-terrorist law today saying that she saw as legitimate claims by journalists and political activists that they could face indefinite detention for exercising free speech.
Federal judge Katherine Forrest said: "First amendment rights are guaranteed by the constitution and cannot be legislated away.
"This court rejects the government's suggestion that citizens can be placed in military detention indefinitely for acts they could not predict might subject them to detention."
The law subjects to indefinite detention anyone who "substantially" or "directly" provides "support" to forces such as al-Qaida or the Taliban.
But she said there was no law that justified the concept of "support" as a valid ground for detention.
She questioned whether a news article perceived as favourable to the Taliban could be considered to have "substantially supported" it.
"Where is the line between what the government would consider "journalistic reporting" and "propaganda?" she asked.
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