Spanish rights site shut down

The Association Against Torture (ACT) investigates and publicizes cases of brutality in Spain, including publicizing the names of government agents accused of torture and brutality. Listings on its site include the names of individuals implicated, the date and location of the incident, and the status of the case.

In December 1999 Spain adopted a law aimed at prohibiting the publication of databases containing personal information. Because of that law, the ACT site is illegal, regardless of the nature of the acts it denounces.

According to the U.S. organization Netrights, the Agency for Data Protection, a division of Spain's Ministry of Justice reportedly took materials from the ACT site's ISP, including the company's Web directory. The Spanish government decided to close down the ACT site and fine the group thousands of dollars, Netrights reported.

Netrights has established a mirror site for ACT. -- Laure Noualhat, ZDNet France, translation by Matthew Rothenberg, ZDNet News