The Icelandic authorities attempted to distance themselves from a growing scandal today, saying they had nothing to do with surveillance of key figures behind the Wikileaks whistle-blowing website.
The Wikileaks editor has accused American and Icelandic authorities of covert photo taking, following him around and of arresting and interrogating one of the website’s Icelandic staff members.
An assistant to the Minister of Justice said the ministry and its staff would like to distance themselves from the Wikileaks editor’s allegations and said that any such action, if it took place, would have been a police matter, Visir.is reports.
Chief of police in Reykjavik, Fridrik Smari Bjorgvinsson, said the only link he has been able to establish between the allegations and his force was the arrest of a 17 year-old in Kopavogur on Monday for breaking into a business premises.
Bjorgvinsson emphasised that Icelandic police have not been working with the American secret services on the matter, as Wikileaks spokesmen allege.
[…] so far been no outside confirmation of Assange’s charges, and the Icelandic government has already denied his suggestion that it might be aiding in the surveillance. According to IceNews, “An […]
[…] him find a lawyer in 2010, not long after the pair had met, when he says he was wrongly accused by Icelandic police of breaking into a business premises. But signs that Thordarson had a […]
[…] him find a lawyer in 2010, not long after the pair had met, when he says he was wrongly accused by Icelandic police of breaking into a business premises. But signs that Thordarson had a […]
This is a serious claim, and one suggests not with out some merit. Where there is smoke there is fire, is a saying that depicts the possible underlying claim.
Iceland will be a future home for Wikileaks, laws are being changed to make that possible.
http://immi.is/?l=en&p=intro
The Journalist heaven laws were passed through the Icelandic parliament on June 16th this year, it will take a few months to change some 13 other laws who need to be adapted to this new law.
I hope Julian Assange will be the first to recieve the IMMI Freedom
of expression award, no one who deserves it more.
USA (Wallstreet thugs) has very little influence in Iceland, not even trough the IMF,
only one company has been sold to foreign investors, HS orka Geo-thermal power company was sold to Magma energy Canada, (illegely trough a Swedish shell company), Ross Beaty the CEO of Magma is now dropping Torpedos into Geo-thermal borholes, the idea is to create new cracks or expend the current ones, if it works he may get more productivity long enough to get new investors and load the company with debt.
This Torpedo idea came from Magma energy, no Icelander would be this stupid. similar, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dZe1AeH0Qz8
Axel, the problem is, you can’t successfully woo an organisation like Wikilinks to locate their operations in your country when at the same time the administration is publicly distancing itself from complaints about surveillance and interrogations. This can only be interpreted in two ways: A – the government is secretly working together with foreign intelligence against the volunteers, or B – the government has no idea what is going on in their own country and agents can conduct their dirty business in Iceland totally unrestricted. Both explanations are not helpful for convincing the Wikileak folks that Iceland is the best location for their servers.
[…] Icelandic authorities reject Wikileaks surveillance claims […]
[…] Dick Cheney’s daughter, Liz Cheney wants the government of Iceland to stop their Wikileaks support. Iceland passed their “law on press freedom and protection” last June. These laws are thought to be the world strongest dealing with press and whistle-blower protection. […]
[…] Dick Cheney’s daughter, Liz Cheney wants the government of Iceland to stop their Wikileaks support. Iceland passed their “law on press freedom and protection” last June. These laws are thought to be the world strongest dealing with press and whistle-blower protection. […]
[…] been no outside confirmation of Assange’s charges, and the Icelandic government has already denied his suggestion that it might be aiding in the surveillance. According to IceNews, “An […]
Wikileaks publish the video we have been waiting for.
http://collateralmurder.com/
[…] In support of this conclusion he cited the detention of a minor in Iceland last week who was supposedly questioned about an incriminating WikiLeaks video. But there is no independent corroboration of this incident. And WikiLeaks’ account of what transpired, though recounted by Salon as fact, is disputed by Iceland’s police: […]
[…] In support of this conclusion he cited the detention of a minor in Iceland last week who was supposedly questioned about an incriminating WikiLeaks video. But there is no independent corroboration of this incident. And WikiLeaks’ account of what transpired, though recounted by Salon as fact, is disputed by Iceland’s police: […]
This is a great article by Glenn Greenwald, and i agree with what he is saying about Iceland,
the crash and the reasons for it and the investigations make Iceland the perfect place for this, what Wikileaks stands for is exactly what we need,
Wikileaks has been very helpful, providing valuable info to Icelanders, and the world for that matter,
“However, the reaction of the Icelandic government, denying any interrogation of that Wikilink volunteer about US security issues sure looks as if the administration is out of sync with the people, who want more transparency. Or is anyone really believing the Wikileak folks are only telling fairy tales???”
I think the government is lying, there are many things that support that, there are more information coming soon, for example info from this kid the police was trying to scare.
It surprises me to see how much influence USA has in Iceland, given the fact that they cut all ties to Iceland just before the crash, we don’t do any busyness with them and they don’t even have a ambassador here.
Axel, the problem is, you can’t successfully woo an organisation like Wikilinks to locate their operations in your country when at the same time the administration is publicly distancing itself from complaints about surveillance and interrogations. This can only be interpreted in two ways: A – the government is secretly working together with foreign intelligence against the volunteers, or B – the government has no idea what is going on in their own country and agents can conduct their dirty business in Iceland totally unrestricted. Both explanations are not helpful for convincing the Wikileak folks that Iceland is the best location for their servers.
[…] been no outside confirmation of Assange’s charges, and the Icelandic government has alreadydenied his suggestion that it might be aiding in the surveillance. According to IceNews, “An […]
Prominent US blogger Glenn Greenwald at salon.com explains why Wikileaks became interested in Iceland as a new location:
“WikiLeaks editors, including Assagne, have spent substantial time of late in Iceland because there is a pending bill in that country’s Parliament that would provide meaningful whistle blower protection for what they do, far greater than exists anywhere else. Why is Iceland a leading candidate to do that? Because, last year, that nation suffered full-scale economic collapse. It was then revealed that numerous nefarious causes (corrupt loans, off-shore transactions, concealed warning signs) were hidden completely from the public and even from policy-makers, preventing detection and avoidance. Worse, most of Iceland’s institutions — from its media to its legislative and regulatory bodies — completely failed to penetrate this wall of secrecy, allowing this corruption to fester until it brought about full-scale financial ruin. As a result, Iceland has become very receptive to the fact that the type of investigative exposure provided by WikiLeaks is a vital national good, and there is real political will to provide it with substantial protections.”
http://www.salon.com/news/opinion/glenn_greenwald/2010/03/27/wikileaks/index.html
However, the reaction of the Icelandic government, denying any interrogation of that Wikilink volunteer about US security issues sure looks as if the administration is out of sync with the people, who want more transparency. Or is anyone really believing the Wikileak folks are only telling fairy tales???
I dont think there is any US pressure, at least nothing we cant handle.
This will go forward as planned, i cant see what nation could possibly be better than Iceland for this enterprize.
That Wikileak server business was hailed as a new direction for Iceland’s economy. But it sure looks as if the politicians haven’t really thought that through, in all its consequences. Those recent developments don’t make it look like the small nation is the best location for this sensitive enterprise. To place them in a more independent nation, able to actively resist US pressure, may be a better idea.
[…] been no outside confirmation of Assange’s charges, and the Icelandic government has already denied his suggestion that it might be aiding in the surveillance. According to IceNews, “An […]
More on this subject.
https://www.icenews.is/index.php/2010/02/13/iceland-to-become-journalism-haven/
The video in question was encrypted, it was cracked in s supercomputer here in Iceland, the police arrested a Icelander who works with Wikileaks and took his computer, her was held for 21 hours for questioning and shown pictures of other Wilikeaks people standing outside a restaurant in Iceland, if that’s not surveillance i wonder what is.
Covert activities / intelligence ? What for ? If this is the case then it might not be acceptable in court. Interrogation or illegal statement can be denied and or withdawn in court. Surveillance or following around is to gather information and arrest is only with a court order. Hocus pocus s t r a n g e what could it be ?
[…] Go here to see the original: Icelandic authorities reject Wikileaks surveillance claims … […]
“Bjorgvinsson emphasised that Icelandic police have not been working with the American secret services on the matter, as Wikileaks spokesmen allege.”
Aja sure!! and we were born yesterday
Hard to believe ….
[…] chief of police of Reykjavik just denied that Iceland police were involved in any of the U.S. operations. He does acknowledge the detainment […]