Movement 'Citizens in Defence of Rights and Freedoms'

For Immediate Release

The movement ‘Citizens in Defence of Rights and Freedoms – Project Justice Gonçalo Amaral’ formally announces the creation of a defence fund by means of a solidarity account to support citizen Gonçalo Amaral, who has been deprived of his civil right to free expression.

Freedom of expression is an inalienable constitutional right, for which the Portuguese people have fought hard, and that cannot be placed at stake, namely when it is exercised with responsibility and with civility.

Citizen Gonçalo Amaral presently finds himself in the front line of a struggle for freedom of expression. An unequal struggle, in which the parties have access to disparate financial resources – citizen Gonçalo Amaral is forced to exhaust all and any personal resources that he may possess, and which are manifestly insufficient to meet the expenses that are inherent to his defence.

His opponents, who are well aware of this limitation, and who are financed by third parties to place considerable resources at their disposal, risk little or nothing, and gamble everything to silence the former Judiciary Police coordinator.

Gonçalo Amaral desires nothing more than to see this matter duly clarified in a court of law, which is the only place where the material truth of facts can, and should, be established. And we, Portuguese citizens, will do anything to see that happen.

Both parties must have equal access to Justice, and to adequate legal representation. In this particular case, we see a need to create a legal defence fund, in order to ensure that citizen Gonçalo Amaral is given access to said equality.

Therefore, the citizens who wish to show their solidarity with this cause, may contribute with their support through a bank account at Banco Português de Investimento (BPI) with NIB: 0010 0000 438 0385 000 1 62; IBAN: PT 50 0010 0000 438 0385 000 1 62; Swift: BB PI PT PL.

The ‘Project Justice Gonçalo Amaral’ blog – http://www.pjga.blogspot.com – offers the possibility to donate using the PayPal system.

This action is subject to principles of full transparency and seriousness.

For equal Justice for all, in respect of civil rights and duties of Portuguese and European citizens.

For Truth and for Freedom.

For further information please contact Mr. Luís Arriaga on +351 92 501 19 69, or use the email projectojustica@gmail.com

http://pjga.blogspot.com/2009/11/press- ... -fund.html

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Defence Fund: Charter of Principles
Citizens for the Defence of Rights and Freedoms
Project Justice Gonçalo Amaral

1. The citizens that form the movement ‘Citizens for the Defence of Rights and Freedoms - Project Justice Gonçalo Amaral’ associate in a free, independent and apolitical manner.

2. The movement seeks to recover, protect and promote freedom of expression as an inalienable right that is consecrated by the Portuguese Republic’s Constitution.

3. Citizen Gonçalo Amaral presently finds himself deprived of his freedom of expression, and of financial means that are adequate to the needs of his defence. Therefore, Project Justice Gonçalo Amaral creates a legal defence fund by means of a solidarity account.

4. This account has the bank identification number (NIB) 0010 0000 438 0385 000 1 62 – IBAN: 50 0010 0000 438 0385 000 1 62 – Swift: BB PI PT PL, at BPI – Banco Português de Investimento, Sete Rios branch.

5. This defence fund will support Gonçalo Amaral financially in his struggle to restore freedom of expression. Financial support will be delivered whenever proved necessary, and exclusively through the payment of judicial expenses.

6. This initiative is subject to principles of full transparency and seriousness, including regular updates on information about the account’s movements.

7. Financial resources that are deemed excessive in the future, will be delivered to a social institution, dedicated to support children in need.