A reader sent me a jpeg image of the paper edition of today's Luton on Sunday, which features a story about the warrant for Lionheart’s arrest. For those who have been waiting for a totally independent corroboration of Lionheart’s story, this seems to be it, since the paper has confirmed with the Bedfordshire police that they are “are taking action”.Our reader also suggested that I post the advertising contact number for the paper, which is 01582 700800. That way, anyone who wants to can easily buy a “we support Lionheart” ad in Luton on Sunday.
I also managed to find the online version of the same story:
Web blogger faces ‘racial incitement’ arrest- - - - - - - - -
Police are threatening to arrest an internet ‘web blogger’ for incitement to racial hatred the minute he returns to Britain.
Paul Ray, who ‘blogs’ as ‘Lionheart’, left Britain for an undisclosed location in the Middle East two years ago.
He claims he was receiving death threats which made it impossible to stay in his home town of Luton.
Since leaving Britain, he has regularly updated his blog with news and opinions on subjects such as the heroin trade, Islamic fundamentalism and police corruption.
On January 3, Mr Ray received an email from Bedfordshire Police which he has since posted on his website.
From Hate Crime officer Ian Holden, it read: ‘The offence that I need to arrest you for is ‘Stir up Racial Hatred by displaying written material’ contrary to sections 18(1) and 27(3) of the Public Order Act 1986.
‘You will be arrested on SUSPICION of the offence. You would only be charged following a full investigation based on all the relevant facts and CPS consent.
‘Paul I will see you on the 19/02/08 when I will tell you everything that you need to know.
‘Due to being out of the office for six weeks I will not have access to my email as of tomorrow 04/01/08.’
A spokesman for Bedfordshire Police said: “We are aware of this particular internet site and we are taking action.”
6 comments:
You will be arrested on SUSPICION of the offence. You would only be charged following a full investigation based on all the relevant facts and CPS consent.
I strongly urge anyone who has not done so to view Orson Welles' masterful adaptation of Kafka's "The Trial". Although infuriatingly indirect and purposefully vague, the movie utilizes these central motifs to expose the corrupt kangaroo courts of communist "judicial" systems.
From all appearances, it would seem as though this same legal malaise has spread into Europe as well. The movie is well worth watching for the fantastic sets alone. Welles personally considered it his finest work. Be warned though, viewing the entire film can give most sane people a headache from the lack of explicit plot resolution.
Hey, why on earth did he move to the Middle East, of all places? Unless he went to Israel, of course.
Outlaw Mike/Belgium
It's only the newspaper that says he went to the middle east, they don't actually say where. Lionheart will know, obviously. Perhaps he should tell us.
He could have gone to Bahrain or the UAE actually, since there are large British expat enclaves there working on the stuff that Arabs either won't are can't do themselves. There's plenty of places in the middle east where a British expat can go, and I bet most of them are far less radicalised than Luton...
Of course this is all speculation. We can assume nothing unless we're told.
The other place is speculatin too, but they're acting like they know "something stinks" and proceeding accordingly. Lionheart screwed up slightly with his OTT response to the recent slurs against him but give the stress he's undoubtedly under his reaction is completely understandable.
I'll bet a pint that he's in Israel, judging from his blog :)
He needs to apply for asylum in the US.
"Be warned though, viewing the entire film can give most sane people a headache from the lack of explicit plot resolution."
As with the book.
Serious point, has anyone tried clicking the Bedfordshire on Sunday link recently? I was able to view it a few hours ago and now it's just vanished. One of those oh-so-useful memory holes again, perhaps?
Post a Comment