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from the time-to-start-torrenting-on-a-gigabit-connection dept.
PC World reports on the story of an American teenager who has been sentenced to eleven years in jail and who will have his Internet use monitored by the government for the rest of his life.
His crime was to assume that his Constitutionally-protected Freedom of Speech included posting pro-ISIS messages on Twitter and other social media.
"Today's sentencing demonstrates that those who use social media as a tool to provide support and resources to ISIL will be identified and prosecuted with no less vigilance than those who travel to take up arms with ISIL," said U.S. Attorney Dana Boente...
[Ali Shukri Amin] created the Twitter account @AmreekiWitness in 2014, and used it to provide advice and encouragement to ISIS and its supporters, according to court documents. At one point the account had over 4,000 followers. He also helped other ISIS supporters who sought to travel to Syria to join the group, according to the Justice Department.
The question that Soylentils should ask is, "What groups do I belong to that someone in government might decide are 'terrorist', and am I at risk for speaking out?"
The Canadian government for instance has come within a hair of declaring prominent environmental groups to be terrorists.
(Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Monday August 31 2015, @12:19PM
Citations needed. No prisons? Obviously, you've forgotten all about this particular scandal - a genuine, documented war crime.
http://www.cnn.com/2013/10/30/world/meast/iraq-prison-abuse-scandal-fast-facts/ [cnn.com]
I haven't even read that particular article, but it should be enough to refresh your memory. You know US soldiers who were ordered to execute prisoners? If that be true, then you are guilty of helping them to cover up war crimes. If you actually have knowledge of such things, I advise you to contact the nearest JAG office, and offer them whatever evidence you might possess.
In short, I call BULLSHIT!
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday August 31 2015, @02:11PM
Nobody would fault him for fearing that if he did so, he'd be on his way to Fort Leavenworth with a defense lawyer instructed to not mention anything that might reduce his sentence.
These days, reporting a crime is punished harder than the crime.