(NEW YORK)—PEN America today condemned the arrest of a video journalist on felony hate crime charges related to his documentation of vandalism at the home of the Brooklyn Museum director.
“Reporting is not a crime,” said Viktorya Vilk, Digital Safety program director at PEN America. “The work of journalists is protected by the First Amendment and can require proximity to criminal activity. This arrest on serious charges risks discouraging journalists from the important work of documenting possible hate crimes. If the NYPD has compelling evidence that Seligson actively participated in a crime, they must make that clear; otherwise, the DA should drop these unconstitutional charges immediately and allow journalists to do their jobs.”
The Associated Press reported that the criminal complaint against journalist Samuel Seligson, an independent videographer, said he traveled on June 12 with the individuals alleged to have defaced the facade of the home of the Brooklyn Museum’s director, Anne Pasternak, who is Jewish. A banner was hung at Pasternak’s home calling her a “white-supremacist Zionist” and an inverted red triangle was spray-painted on her door, which authorities have identified as a symbol used by Hamas to identify military targets. The homes of other museum leaders were also spray-painted with messages accusing them of supporting genocide.
Seligson was arraigned and released on Tuesday in Brooklyn on multiple counts of criminal mischief, several of which were classified as a hate crime.
About PEN America
PEN America stands at the intersection of literature and human rights to protect free expression in the United States and worldwide. We champion the freedom to write, recognizing the power of the word to transform the world. Our mission is to unite writers and their allies to celebrate creative expression and defend the liberties that make it possible. Learn more at pen.org.
Contact: Suzanne Trimel, [email protected], (201) 247-5057