How the U.K. Prosecuted a Student on Terrorism Charges for Downloading a Book • Hacker News Board

Re: How the U.K. Prosecuted a Student on Terrorism Charges for Downloading a Book

#21

Post by UncleEntity » Sat, Oct 28, 2017, 3:01 PM UTC

walshemj wrote: post #15

mikhailfranco wrote: post #3

There is a creeping fascism in the western world. The so-called 'wars' on drugs and terrorism are used as excuses to remove personal freedoms. Governments take more powers unto themselves. The state security apparatus is allowed to spy on everyone. There is a presumption of guilt and citizens have to justify every trivial activity. The previous outlandish fictions of 'Thought Crime' and 'Pre-Crime' become facts of li…

Yes but he had traveled to Syria and fought their this isn't just downloading the book is it?

He fought against isis with the Kurds.

Re: How the U.K. Prosecuted a Student on Terrorism Charges for Downloading a Book

#22

Post by tim333 » Sat, Oct 28, 2017, 3:18 PM UTC

petercooper wrote: post #18

yardie wrote: post #11

If you don’t read the article and think the Intercept is being hyperbolic as they normally are. Rest assured the title is exactly what happened. Walker was charged under terrorism laws not for planning, conspiring, nor performing acts of terrorism. The prosecutor made the argument that possessing the book was an act of terrorism. A book he downloaded from the school library. Also equally available on the Amazon and d…

If you don’t read the article and think the Intercept is being hyperbolic as they normally are. Rest assured the title is exactly what happened. .. with the minor addition that he was initially arrested upon returning from helping a militia in the Middle East.

Though an anti ISIL militia backed by the US, other western nations and Russia.

'The YPG is regarded as the "most effective" force in fighting ISIL in Syria' according to Wikipedia. I dare say Erdogan hates the YPG which is probably why the Brits have to be a bit half hearted in their backing. Got to think of the arms exports after all https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/jan/22/uk-arms-sales-...

Re: How the U.K. Prosecuted a Student on Terrorism Charges for Downloading a Book

#23

Post by Silhouette » Sat, Oct 28, 2017, 3:23 PM UTC

whywhywhywhy wrote: post #16

tim333 wrote: post #2

Well at least he got off free. >Walker was accused of violating the Terrorism Act because he possessed information “likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism.” What a dumb law. I guess they could prosecute you for reading Wikipedia on that basis. More concise write up here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-bristol-41751193 The "possessed information" by the way was The Anarchist…

> The Anarchist Cookbook I remember this being passed around between kids in the computer science lab on a floppy disk when I was about 13.

I vaguely remember something similar going on at my school way back when, though that might have been The Hacker's Handbook. Probably still enough to freak out the authorities these days, yet remarkably, I'm not aware that any of my class went on to become evil masterminds with secret underground lairs.

Re: How the U.K. Prosecuted a Student on Terrorism Charges for Downloading a Book

#24

Post by petercooper » Sat, Oct 28, 2017, 3:41 PM UTC

tim333 wrote: post #22

petercooper wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you don’t read the article and think the Intercept is being hyperbolic as they normally are. Rest assured the title is exactly what happened. .. with the minor addition that he was initially arrested upon returning from helping a militia in the Middle East.

Though an anti ISIL militia backed by the US, other western nations and Russia. 'The YPG is regarded as the "most effective" force in fighting ISIL in Syria' according to Wikipedia. I dare say Erdogan hates the YPG which is probably why the Brits have to be a bit half hearted in their backing. Got to think of the arms exports after all https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/jan/22/uk-arms-sales-...

That's what I suspect was the reason for the unusual charge.

The powers that be are under pressure to show they're doing "something" about people who come back from fighting in the Middle East but since this wasn't for a terrorist organization, there was no obvious charge. I'd argue it was right for them to search his belongings given the circumstances, but then they decided to try and pin it all on owning the cookbook as that's all they really had.

Not that I think this was the right call for them, but I can see how it might happen, and also why the millions of others who've downloaded the cookbook out of curiosity have not ended up in court.

Re: How the U.K. Prosecuted a Student on Terrorism Charges for Downloading a Book

#25

Post by wildmusings » Sat, Oct 28, 2017, 5:10 PM UTC

No post body was provided.

Re: How the U.K. Prosecuted a Student on Terrorism Charges for Downloading a Book

#26

Post by hellbanner » Sat, Oct 28, 2017, 5:18 PM UTC

wildmusings wrote: post #25

Quoted post unavailable.

Or shuts down public talks and harasses the family of someone who criticizes islamic attacks in the UK.

State: "Don't do your talk, it might make the muslims mad and we don't want a riot"

Either they are A) cowering, and the terrorists have won by censoring free speech from perceived threat of attack or B) UK government is infiltrated and having their strings pulled.

Maybe this has to do with them leaving the EU? Test out how the new censorship laws work away from the EU

Re: How the U.K. Prosecuted a Student on Terrorism Charges for Downloading a Book

#27

Post by DanBC » Sat, Oct 28, 2017, 5:22 PM UTC

wildmusings wrote: post #25

Quoted post unavailable.

No one has been arrested for tweeting criticism of Islam.

Re: How the U.K. Prosecuted a Student on Terrorism Charges for Downloading a Book

#28

Post by DanBC » Sat, Oct 28, 2017, 5:23 PM UTC

cpncrunch wrote: post #13

DanBC wrote: post #8

> Last summer, Walker traveled from London to Syria, where he joined the Kurdish-led YPG militia in its fight against the so-called Islamic State What a fucking stupid title.

How so? The prosecution had nothing to do with syria. That helped his case.

The arrest had everything to do with his travel to Syria.

Re: How the U.K. Prosecuted a Student on Terrorism Charges for Downloading a Book

#29

Post by [deleted] » Sat, Oct 28, 2017, 5:27 PM UTC

hellbanner wrote: post #26

wildmusings wrote: post #25

Quoted post unavailable.

Or shuts down public talks and harasses the family of someone who criticizes islamic attacks in the UK. State: "Don't do your talk, it might make the muslims mad and we don't want a riot" Either they are A) cowering, and the terrorists have won by censoring free speech from perceived threat of attack or B) UK government is infiltrated and having their strings pulled. Maybe this has to do with them leaving the EU? Tes…