Judge Fines Voices in the Wilderness $20K for Taking Medicine to Iraq

Today, the judiciary branch of the U.S. government upheld a $20,000 fine against Voices in the Wilderness for bringing medicine to Iraqi citizens. The judge agrees in essence that it was lawful and proper for the U.S. government to deny needed drugs and medical supplies to Iraq’s most vulnerable citizens, despite the evidence that several hundred thousand innocent children were dying because of brutal economic sanctions.

On August 12, 2005 U.S. Federal District Judge John Bates ordered payment of a $20,000 fine imposed against Voices in the Wilderness. Voices was fined for bringing medicine to Iraq in a classic campaign of open nonviolent civil disobedience to challenge the economic sanctions imposed by the U.S. and the U.N. against Iraq. The U.S. Treasury Department initially imposed the fine in 2002, days after Voices participated in international actions to oppose the U.S. buildup for war against Iraq.

Voices in the Wilderness issued the following statement:

“Today, the judiciary branch of the U.S. government completed a perfect trifecta of inhumanity in upholding a $20,000 fine against Voices in the Wilderness for bringing medicine to Iraqi citizens. Judge Bates agrees that it was lawful and proper for the U.S. government to deny needed drugs and medical supplies to Iraq’s most vulnerable citizens, despite the evidence that several hundred thousand innocent children were dying because of brutal economic sanctions.

“Voices will not pay a penny of this fine. The economic sanctions regime imposed brutal and lethal punishment on Iraqi people. The U.S. government would not allow Iraq to rebuild its water treatment system after the U.S. military deliberately destroyed it in 1991. The…

Posted by Gregoire
I was born in NYC, raised in Palo Alto CA, attended university at UC Santa Cruz. I spent the better part of a decade traveling in Asia and working in restaurants before entering graduate school in Tibetan and Buddhist Studies at UVA in Charlottesville VA,...

RELATED ITEMS

• "I'm willing to go into the U.S. prison system"
  Posted by anthony on Wednesday, January 28th 2004
• Angry, Very Angry
  Posted by anthony on Wednesday, March 26th 2003
• 'Pushing Back the Monster'
  Posted by anthony on Monday, March 31st 2003
• Kathy Kelly in Baghdad
  Posted by anthony on Wednesday, October 20th 2004
• From Baghdad: Other Hearts
  Posted by anthony on Wednesday, April 16th 2003