Kafka couldn’t make up something this absurd
October 8th, 2007Boy in court on terror charges
A British teenager who is accused of possessing material for terrorist purposes has appeared in court.
The 17-year-old, who was arrested in the Dewsbury area of West Yorkshire on Monday, was given bail after a hearing at Westminster Magistrates’ Court.
It is alleged he had a copy of the “Anarchists’ Cookbook”, containing instructions on how to make home-made explosives.
His next court hearing has been set for 25 October.
The teenager faces two charges under the Terrorism Act 2000.
The first charge relates to the possession of material for terrorist purposes in October last year.
The second relates to the collection or possession of information useful in the preparation of an act of terrorism.
He stood in the dock wearing a baggy, blue hooded top and only spoke to confirm his name and date of birth.
After the 40-minute hearing, the teenager was released on bail under several conditions.
A second 17-year-old who is facing similar charges has already been remanded in custody and will also appear at the Crown Court on 25 October.
[…]
So, there is a young man in court for posessing a book that people have read for over three decades:
This is a book that you can get from many places on the internets, for example:
http://www.scribd.com/doc/89607/Anarchists-Cookbook-IV-4-14
And I guarantee you that once news of this case becomes widespread the number of places where you can get it will triple.
It is absurd on several levels that this book should be illegal. Firstly, you have been able to get it for thirty years. Two, it is your right to read any book that you like. Three, you can get it anywhere via the internets.
Are they now going to say that sites on the internets cannot store and serve this book? Pathetically and predictably, ‘yes’ is the answer.
They will never succeed, firstly because america’s first amendment rights protect books like this, and there is no way that you can block the internets….but you know this.
What is so appalling is that this poor chap is being hauled over the coals over a book, over his right to posses and read a book.
And leave it to BBQ to give the story a misleading title. It should have read, “Boy in court for possessing thirty year old book”.
…The Dark Times!