{news} GP RELEASE Green Party appeals to Canada on detained US peace activist

[Tim McKee]

  GREEN PARTY OF THE UNITED STATES
http://www.gp.org

For Immediate Release:
Friday, October 19, 2007

Contacts:
Scott McLarty, Media Coordinator, 202-518-5624, mclarty at greens.org
Starlene Rankin, Media Coordinator, 916-995-3805, starlene at gp.org


Green Party urges Canada to drop border-crossing charges against US
peace activist Alison Bodine


WASHINGTON, DC -- The Green Party of the United States has urged the
Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) to drop all charges against US
citizen Alison Bodine, who was arrested on September 13 for attempting
to cross the US-Canada border while carrying antiwar (including Green
Party) literature.

Ms. Bodine was charged with "misrepresentation" and faces a possible
two-year ban from Canada. The adjudicator in the case will announce a
final decision on October 31.

The Green Party's national Steering Committee sent a letter to the
CBSA on October 16. The text of the letter is appended below.

Green leaders called Alison Bodine's treatment part of an extremely
disturbing pattern of politically motivated detention and obstruction
at border crossings targeting those who have spoken out peacefully
against the Iraq War. On October 3, CODEPINK and Global Exchange
cofounder Medea Benjamin and retired Colonel and diplomat Ann Wright,
on their way to a peace conference in Toronto, were denied entry into
Canada .

For updates on the case, including public rallies and news from the
Alison Bodine Defense Committee, visit
.


Date: October 16, 2007
To: Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA)
From: Green Party of the United States

We are writing to express our concern about the detainment of US
citizen Alison Bodine. Ms. Bodine is a peace activist who has worked
with a number of North American peace organizations, including the
Vancouver Mobilization Against War and Occupation, the University of
British Columbia's Coalition Against War on the People of Iraq and
Internationally and the University of British Columbia Social Justice
Center.

Ms. Bodine was unjustly arrested at the U.S.-Canadian border on
Thursday, September 13, 2007, by the Canada Border Services Agency and
detained by the RCMP when anti-war and Green Party literature was
found among her belongings during a border search. She is being
charged with "Misrepresentation." The admissibility hearing resulted
in weak evidence from the prosecution; however, the final decision
will not be known until October 31, 2007.

It is our understanding that she has not done anything illegal and has
crossed the border many times without incident. We believe that this
is a politically motivated case against Alison Bodine.

We urge that the Canada Border Services Agency drop any and all
charges against Alison Bodine, return to her any and all items seized
by the CBSA, and reinstate her right to freely travel between the US
and Canada.

Sincerely,

Steering Committee of the Green Party of the United States
Liz Arnone
Jim Coplen
BUdd Dickinson
Jody Grage
Holly Hart
Phil Huckelberry
Jason Nabewaniec
Sarah "echo" Steiner


MORE INFORMATION

Green Party of the United States
http://www.gp.org
202-319-7191, 866-41GREEN
Fax 202-319-7193
• Green Party News Center http://www.gp.org/newscenter.shtml
• Green Party Speakers Bureau http://www.gp.org/speakers
• 2007 national Green Party meeting in Reading, Pa.: video footage,
blog and media coverage http://www.gp.org/meeting2007/

Green Party Peace Action Committee (GPAX) http://www.gp.org/committees/peace
GPAX Blog http://gpax.wordpress.com

International Committee of the Green Party http://www.gp.org/committees/intl/


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