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

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@greens.org
Starlene Rankin, Media Coordinator, 916-995-3805, starlene@gp.org

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 <http://www.commondreams.org/news2007/1003-15.htm>.

For updates on the case, including public rallies and news from the Alison Bodine Defense Committee, visit <http://alisonbodine.blogspot.com>.

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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