Page 5 - Aruba Today
P. 5
U.S. NEWS A5
Friday 8 January 2016
NYC settles lawsuits over police surveillance of Muslims
NEW YORK (AP) — The New formants in mosques and People walk below a New York Police Department security that wrongly stigmatize
York Police Department otherwise spied on Muslims camera, upper left, which was placed next to a mosque on Ful- individuals” while making
will strengthen safeguards as part of a broad effort to ton St. in the Brooklyn neighborhood of Bedford-Stuyvesant in investigations “more effec-
against illegal surveillance prevent terrorist attacks. New York. On Thursday, Jan. 7, 2016, a pair of civil rights lawyers tive by focusing on crimi-
of Muslims in investigations The settlement modifies and attorneys for New York City announced that two high-pro- nal behavior,” said Arthur
of terror threats and install and adds restrictions on sur- file lawsuits accusing the New York Police Department of dis- Eisenberg, legal director
a civilian representative veillance set by the court- criminating against Muslims with illegal surveillance have been for the New York Civil Liber-
on an advisory committee ordered Handschu decree, settled. The civil rights lawyers said the deal requires the NYPD ties Union.
that reviews the probes which was put in place in to modify guidelines to prohibit investigations based on race, Under the deal, the Hand-
under the terms of a settle- response to surveillance religion or ethnicity. schu guidelines will spe-
ment of two high-profile used against war protesters cifically ban investigations
civil rights lawsuits, lawyers in the 1960s and ‘70s. The (AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews) based on race, religion or
said Thursday. decree was relaxed follow- ethnicity. Other provisions
The announcement of ing the Sept. 11, 2001, terror require the department to
a deal following months attacks to allow police to try to use the least intrusive
of negotiations formally more freely monitor politi- investigative techniques
ended litigation over ac- cal activity in public plac- possible and to consider
cusations that the nation’s es. Civil rights groups sued “the potential effect on
largest police department in 2013 in federal court in the political or religious ac-
cast a shadow over Muslim Manhattan, accusing the tivity of individuals, groups
communities with a covert NYPD of breaking Hand- or organizations and the
campaign of religious pro- schu rules. A second suit potential effect on per-
filing and illegal spying. filed that year in Brooklyn sons who, although not a
“We are committed to federal court by mosques, target of the investigation
strengthening the relation- a charity and community are affected by or subject
ship between our admin- leaders alleged that the to the technique.” Police
istration and communities department was discrimi- officials insisted the agree-
of faith so that residents of nating against Muslims. ment, while requiring more
every background feel re- The city had begun settle- specific guidelines and
spected and protected,” ment talks last year, and transparency, mostly for-
Mayor Bill de Blasio said in a tentative deal in the malizes safeguards that
a statement. Brooklyn case had been were already in place.
The suits were among le- reached in June. Although The head of NYPD’s intel-
gal actions that followed it doesn’t require the NYPD ligence and counterterror-
reports by The Associated to admit any wrongdoing ism operations, John Miller,
Press that revealed how or the city to pay mone- will still make the final call
city police infiltrated Mus- tary damages, the agree- on when and how to inves-
lim student groups, put in- ment “will curtail practices tigate terror threats, they
said.q
US man pleads not guilty to threatening FBI, judge
AMI FORLITI dicted this week on one 9 arrest for allegedly con- ent, a pre-nursing student Abdulkadir expressed an
Associated Press count of threatening to spiring to provide material at Minneapolis Community interest in going to Syria to
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A murder a federal judge, support to the Islamic State and Technical College, join the Islamic State group
man who’s charged with one count of threatening group. Court documents has family in Minnesota himself and used social
tweeting threats against FBI to murder a federal law en- show that one included the and should be released on media to seek advice from
agents and a judge after forcement officer, and one words “kill them FBI” and home monitoring. others who have joined ter-
his friend was arrested on count of interstate transmis- the other said, “I’m kill them “He’s a 19-year-old kid ror groups, including one
a terrorism charge plead- sion of a threat to injure an- FEDS for take my brothers.” who, at best, screwed up man who left Minnesota
ed not guilty Thursday to other person. He previously Abdulkadir’s attorney, Chris one night then deleted the to join al-Shabab in Soma-
charges outlined in a new faced just one count and Madel, said the indictment tweets,” Madel said. lia in 2008. Abdulkadir also
indictment, and he was or- has been in custody since doesn’t specify whom Ab- Assistant U.S. Attorney John tried to communicate with
dered held pending further last month. dulkadir allegedly threat- Docherty said deleting the a man who left Minnesota
proceedings. Authorities say Abdulkadir ened and he argued the tweets doesn’t diminish the last year to join the Islamic
Khaalid Adam Abdulkadir, posted two tweets within charges should be dis- threats. State group in Syria, Do-
19, of Minneapolis, was in- hours of his friend’s Dec. missed. He also said his cli- He also said evidence shows cherty said.q
