Comme vous le savez, une quarantaine de militants animalistes autrichiens pourraient être prochainement inculpés grâce à l’article 278a (antiterroriste) du Code pénal autrichien, alors qu’il n’existe aucune preuve de leur implication dans des crimes ou délits. La mobilisation est intense en Autriche pour essayer de l’éviter. La solidarité internationale doit s’exprimer aussi le plus massivement possible pour faire pression de l’extérieur.

Merci de prendre 5 minutes pour adresser un message au ministre autrichien de la Justice. Voici la marche à suivre.

CAS N°1 : VOUS COMPRENEZ L’ANGLAIS

Dans ce cas, il vous suffit d’aller sur cette page :
http://www.vgt.at/presse/news/2009/...
et de suivre les indications fournies.

CAS N°2 : VOUS AVEZ DU MAL AVEC L’ANGLAIS

Etape 1 : prenez connaissance de la traduction française du texte que vous aller envoyer. C’est ici :
http://www.l214.com/lettre-ministre...

Etape 2 :
 ouvrez un nouveau message
 mettez en destinataire le ministère autrichien de la justice : minister.justiz bmj.gv.at
 mettez en destinataire caché l’association vgt : office vgt.at
 mettez en titre du message : Don’t allow Austria to criminalise animal advocacy

Etape 3 : Mettez le texte suivant dans le corps du message sans oublier d’ajouter à la fin au minimum votre nom (ou nom + adresse)

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

Etape 4. Envoyez le message !