Statement of Josh Wolf, Journalist, on his Freedom from Jail

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Josh Wolf, the video blogger and journalist, is going to be freed. Wolf was jailed on August 1, 2006 when he refused to testify or turn over unpublished video out-takes to a federal grand jury investigating a July, 2005 anti-capitalist demonstration. The statement below was provided on Josh's behalf to the Center for Media and Democracy by Lisa Cohen. For more information contact Lisa Cohen at: lisa.cohen32 AT verizon.net

Statement from Josh Wolf:

"It took 226 days, but it was worth every second to get what I wanted from day one, which is that I will not have to testify before the grand jury about the events at the protest or the identities of participants. The demand for my testimony before the grand jury was the true assault on my code of ethics and, as I have stated previously, there will be, and has been no compromise to this resolute principle.

"Today, I posted the video footage to my web site www.joshwolf.net/ so that the public will have the opportunity to see that there is nothing of value in this unpublished footage. As there is no sensitive material on the tape, there was no reason to remain in prison, given the fact that I got what I wanted from day one -- the right to protect journalists from having to testify before a grand jury.

"Until now, I had no assurances that publishing the video would lead to my release and furthermore had every indication that it would have the opposite result and indicate to the judge that the so-called coercive effect was working. That has changed.

"I do feel that my unpublished materials should be protected by a Federal Shield and moving forward, that is where I will focus my efforts. Journalist should have the right to be protected from testifying before a grand jury and I will not stop fighting until there is a law that protects us."

STATEMENT FROM DAVID GREENE, attorney:

Today, Josh got what he wanted from day one -- he will not have to testify before the grand jury about the events at the protest or the identities of participants.