Drop the Charges Against Jahnny Lee

On February 22nd, as North Dakota law enforcement moved in to evict the residents of the Oceti Sakowin Camp, part of the Standing Rock resistance to the Dakota Access Pipeline, filmmaker and journalist Jahnny Lee, working with the Sundance Institute, was arrested while filming a standoff between police and water protectors. Mr. Lee was charged with “obstruction of a government function” and his camera and phone were confiscated.

The aggressive use of non-lethal weapons against unarmed, peacefully protesting water protectors and journalists has been well documented by the media at standing rock. Journalists and filmmakers were on hand for the eviction and report that they had been informed by police they would be allowed to film events from Highway 1806. These promises were apparently not kept as journalists and filmmakers were arrested exercising their rights guaranteed by the first amendment. North Dakota law enforcement cannot unilaterally rewrite the rules of American democracy and those protections guaranteed by the United States Constitution either through the attempted use of restrictive credentialing systems or aggressive arrest procedure. A free press is absolutely critical to maintaining a free society and we urge you to speak on behalf of Jahnny Lee.

In addition to sending the email message below, call and fax Governor Doug Burgum
TEL (701) 328-2200
FAX (701) 328-2205

Call North Dakota Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem
TEL (701) 328-2210

Your Message

Message Recipients: Governor of North Dakota Doug Burgum, North Dakota Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem

I am deeply concerned with the arrest of filmmaker and journalist Jahnny Lee. He was arrested while filming the forced eviction of the water protectors from the Oceti Sakowin Camp in North Dakota. No journalist should fear prosecution for capturing footage and reporting on protests or other acts of activism. We call on authorities in North Dakota to drop these troubling charges and to stop interfering with journalists doing their jobs. The First Amendment to the Constitution guarantees freedom of the press, making these charges completely unjust, unlawful and unconstitutional. These rights are also guaranteed by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) and International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), each of which the United States is a party to. Furthermore, these rights are guaranteed in Article 1 of North Dakota’s State Constitution. I strongly urge you to drop the charges against this filmmaker and journalist.

Input this code:

Freedom of Expression

Drop the Charges Against Jahnny Lee

Your Message

Your Information

Share on your favorite social network