May 30, 2005: Headlines: COS - Philippines: Iraq: Speaking Out: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Philippines RPCV Ryan Clancy couldn't believe the federal government would punish him for visiting Iraq in February 2003 without at least granting him some kind of hearing. But after filing his own lawsuit against the government, he hopes to get his day in court.
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May 30, 2005: Headlines: COS - Philippines: Iraq: Speaking Out: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Philippines RPCV Ryan Clancy couldn't believe the federal government would punish him for visiting Iraq in February 2003 without at least granting him some kind of hearing. But after filing his own lawsuit against the government, he hopes to get his day in court.
Philippines RPCV Ryan Clancy couldn't believe the federal government would punish him for visiting Iraq in February 2003 without at least granting him some kind of hearing. But after filing his own lawsuit against the government, he hopes to get his day in court.
Philippines RPCV Ryan Clancy couldn't believe the federal government would punish him for visiting Iraq in February 2003 without at least granting him some kind of hearing. But after filing his own lawsuit against the government, he hopes to get his day in court.
Man sues over fine for visit to Iraq; Government wants him to pay $8,000, he says
May 30, 2005 - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Ryan Clancy couldn't believe the federal government would punish him for visiting Iraq in February 2003 without at least granting him some kind of hearing. But after filing his own lawsuit against the government, he hopes to get his day in court.
Clancy, 28, faces as much as a $10,000 fine and 12 years in prison for violating U.S. prohibitions against unauthorized travel and trade with Iraq. The American Civil Liberties Union of Wisconsin filed a lawsuit on Clancy's behalf in federal court last week, claiming that his right to due process was violated when the penalty was imposed without a fair trial, and that the sanctions violated his rights to travel and free speech.
"I'm just looking for a trial," said Clancy, owner of Trounce Records, 422 N. 15th St. "We're not suing for money or anything like that. I'm just looking to set a precedent so that American citizens in the future have a right to see firsthand what's going on."
Although he said his fine has been reduced to $8,000, Clancy has no intention of paying it.
"There's absolutely no way I'm going to pay a fine for having gone and seen firsthand what all Americans should have the right to do," he said.
Clancy, who received an education degree from Beloit College, said he went to Iraq to help Iraqi children voice their feelings and humanize the Iraqi people for the American public. He gave crayons and construction paper to students at elementary and secondary schools, he said.
He was in Iraq with about 300 other people from around the world who were acting as "human shields" in an effort to prevent the impending U.S. invasion of Iraq.
"I think it's important for people in other countries to have a different face of Americans other than perhaps what they're getting now, and I'd like to see our laws reflect that," said Clancy, a former Peace Corps volunteer.
Molly Millerwise, spokeswoman for the U.S. Treasury Department, would not comment specifically on Clancy's case. However, she said both civil and criminal punishments could be assessed in a sanctions case, and punishments can range from a warning letter to a fine to jail time.
Lawrence Dupuis, legal director for the ACLU of Wisconsin, said the federal Office of Foreign Assets Control, the division of the U.S. Treasury that handles economic sanctions, has specific regulations governing travel to Iraq. Those regulations do not provide for a hearing for those charged with violations, as opposed to the Cuba travel sanction regulations, which do, he said.
He is also concerned that the government may seize Clancy's tax refunds or government benefits. But for Clancy, the lawsuit is about more than evading penalties.
"I'd like to see the government take a step back and re-evaluate the law and the selective enforcement of the law," he said.
Copyright 2005, Journal Sentinel Inc. All rights reserved. (Note: This notice does not apply to those news items already copyrighted and received through wire services or other media.)
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Story Source: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
This story has been posted in the following forums: : Headlines; COS - Philippines; Iraq; Speaking Out
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