[Infowarrior] - Statement of Josh Wolf, Journalist, on his Freedom from Jail

[Richard Forno]

Statement of Josh Wolf, Journalist, on his Freedom from Jail
Submitted by John Stauber on Tue, 04/03/2007 - 15:48.
http://www.prwatch.org/node/5922

Josh Wolf, the video blogger and journalist, is going to be freed. Wolf was
jailed on August 1, 2006 when he refused to testify or turn over unpublished
video out-takes to a federal grand jury investigating a July, 2005
anti-capitalist demonstration. The statement below was provided on Josh's
behalf to the Center for Media and Democracy by Lisa Cohen. For more
information contact Lisa Cohen at: lisa.cohen32 AT verizon.net

Statement from Josh Wolf:

"It took 226 days, but it was worth every second to get what I wanted from
day one, which is that I will not have to testify before the grand jury
about the events at the protest or the identities of participants. The
demand for my testimony before the grand jury was the true assault on my
code of ethics and, as I have stated previously, there will be, and has been
no compromise to this resolute principle.

"Today, I posted the video footage to my web site www.joshwolf.net/ so that
the public will have the opportunity to see that there is nothing of value
in this unpublished footage. As there is no sensitive material on the tape,
there was no reason to remain in prison, given the fact that I got what I
wanted from day one - the right to protect journalists from having to
testify before a grand jury.

"Until now, I had no assurances that publishing the video would lead to my
release and furthermore had every indication that it would have the opposite
result and indicate to the judge that the so-called coercive effect was
working. That has changed.

"I do feel that my unpublished materials should be protected by a Federal
Shield and moving forward, that is where I will focus my efforts. Journalist
should have the right to be protected from testifying before a grand jury
and I will not stop fighting until there is a law that protects us."

STATEMENT FROM DAVID GREENE, attorney:

Today, Josh got what he wanted from day one -- he will not have to testify
before the grand jury about the events at the protest or the identities of
participants.