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13 October 2004
BRUSSELS – A Belgian politician has strongly condemned a police raid on the London offices of an internet news network that saw twenty of its websites closed down, including its Belgian sevice.
The raid on the London premises of alternative news service Indymedia was a joint operation carried out by the UK Police and the FBI.
Stijn Bex of Belgium’s left leaning Flemish liberal party Spirit has called on Belgian Foreign Minister Karel de Gucht to look into the matter.
Bex says the raid represents a clear attack on freedom of speech and he wants de Gucht to ask his US, UK, Italian and Swiss counterparts why they approved the action.
Italy and Switzerland co-operated with the joint UK-US police operation.
The international press freedom watchdog Reporters Without Borders has also condemned the raid.
[Copyright Expatica 2004]
Subject: Belgian news