Europeans Call for Release of Judith Miller
European reporters have submitted a petition calling for the release of jailed New York Times reporter Judith Miller.
Twenty-seven prominent Europeans including Spanish filmmaker Pedro Almodovar, German Nobel literature laureate Gunter Grass, French philosopher Bernard-Henri Levy and British TV journalist Kate Adie have responded to an appeal from Reporters Without Borders and signed a petition urging the US courts to release New York Times reporter Judith Miller, who will have been in prison for 50 days tomorrow.
Here's the full text of the petition:
"We have always admired the United States for the freedom enjoyed by its press. A press that-under all circumstances-has informed, levied blame, and could make presidents tremble, or even topple them from power. In this area, America set an example for the rest of the world.
We were therefore dismayed by the news that Judith Miller, a journalist with the New York Times, had been thrown in jail on the grounds that she had refused to reveal her information sources to the court.
At a time when the most extremist ideas are gaining ground, and when growing numbers of reporters are being killed or taken hostage, arresting a journalist in a democratic country is more than a crime : it's a miscarriage of justice.
After this, how can we demand that other countries in the world respect freedom of expression and information-one of the pillars of democracy ?
In the name of our common values, we urge the American judicial system to reconsider its decision concerning Judith Miller, who was merely performing her duties as a journalist." 
[hat tip Patriot Daily.]
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