A raid on the editorial offices of a newspaper in the US state of Kansas has caused outrage in the United States and a Debate on freedom of the press triggered. On Wednesday, local prosecutor Joel Ensey decided to withdraw the search warrant and return the confiscated items to their owners. The US media reported, citing the responsible investigative authority.
Last Friday, officers searched the Marion County Record premises and the publisher’s home. Computers and cell phones were confiscated. According to prosecutor Ensey, there was reason to believe that an employee of the newspaper could have committed illegal activities.
However, a closer examination revealed that there is not enough evidence. After the raid, the newspaper’s editor, Eric Meyer, said the search warrant could be related to an article about a local businessman. According to authorities, it was about identity theft. The investigation will continue.
The incident has sparked widespread outrage in the US media and concerns about press freedom in the country. “Searches and seizures of newsrooms are among the most encroaching measuresthat law enforcement agencies can take in relation to free press,” said an open letter from 34 media organizations to the relevant police chief.
That too White House commented on the incident. One does not want to anticipate the legal process, but the raid is cause for concern, said spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre on Wednesday in Washington. Freedom of the press is a fundamental value of democracy. The administration of US President Joe Biden will “continue to affirm and protect this fundamental right enshrined in the very First Amendment,” emphasized the spokeswoman. (dpa)
