Matt DeHart is a 30-year-old former US Air National Guard
drone team member and alleged WikiLeaks courier, who worked with the
hactivist group Anonymous. After becoming the subject of a
national security investigation — and allegations relating to a
teenage pornography case which he vehemently denies — he fled from the
United States to Canada with his family to seek political asylum and
protection under the United Nations Convention Against Torture. In
what represents a moral victory for the DeHart family, the Canadian
Immigration and Refugee Board judge found that the teenage pornography
case against Matt lacked credibility. However, because the IRB
considered that the United States still had a functioning democracy,
they denied his claim, and on 1 March, 2015 Matt DeHart was handed
over into US federal custody.
Matt DeHart’s defence fund is run by the Courage
Foundation. If you wish to donate to Courage to support its
work in protecting truth-tellers and the public's right to know
worldwide, please go here.
While serving with the US Air National Guard, Matt DeHart had become
disillusioned with post-9/11 America when he realized that the CIA
knew it was killing children and innocents. A longtime member of
Anonymous, in mid-September 2009, he found an unprotected file, an FBI
investigation into the CIA, on The Shell, a server he ran. He deleted
the file but it later reappeared in encrypted form on another server
he had access to, and was destined for WikiLeaks. Matt was honourably
discharged from the military when, ostensibly, the Air National Guard
deemed that his depression was incompatible with his work. However, he
believes the Air National Guard knew about his online activity. “Part
of my job with Anonymous was I helped people communicate securely,” he
said. “I would protect people from NSA spying.”
The FBI raided the DeHart family home on 25 Jan 2010 and seized
Matt’s computer together with every data storage device in the house —
except for two hidden thumb drives, which he says contain Anonymous
contact information, server logs from The Shell and leaked documents.
Later that year, DeHart was detained at the border when returning from
college in Canada. There, Matt says he was tortured and intravenously
drugged against his will. FBI records of his interrogation confirm
that Matt was detained for “national security” reasons and questioned
about his military unit, Anonymous, WikiLeaks and espionage. During
his interrogation he was presented with a Criminal Complaint and
Arrest Warrant for the solicitation of child pornography that had been
filed in the afternoon after his morning detention at the border.
According to Matt, the FBI told him they knew he was innocent of the charges.
Matt spent almost the next two years in various US jails while
awaiting trial for the pornography charges. In 2012 a US judge, after
reviewing classified FBI reports, expressed scepticism in open court
over the government’s charges against Matt, and ordered that he be
released on bond. Matt then returned to Canada with his parents to
seek asylum, but he again found himself in detention, and under
questioning by the Canadian Security and Intelligence Service (CSIS)
and the Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA) Intelligence and War
Crimes Division. In February 2015 Canada denied Matt DeHart’s request
for asylum, and on March 1, 2015 he was deported back to the US, where
he is currently in federal custody.
Matt DeHart is in dire need of support. Donating to Matt’s defence fund will help his lawyers to fight his corner and keep monitoring his condition to prevent him from experiencing further mistreatment in detention.
Donating is the easiest, fastest, and most tangible way you
can support Mr DeHart now. If you are donating with a
credit card or PayPal, click on the big orange CONTRIBUTE button at
the top of the page.
OTHER WAYS TO DONATE
Bank Transfers or EFT (for details on how to donate by cheque
and how to donate by Bitcoin please scroll to the end)
You can donate by bank transfer (not tax deductible) from all
over the world using the following details:
FROM USA
Bank: Lloyds TSB Bank
Name of Account: “DR&Co - Courage 11”
Account number: 33781160
Sort code: 30-94-57
BIC/Swift code LOYDGB21158
IBAN: GB27 LOYD 30945 7 33781160
Subject / Reference: “Courage - Project 11”
Bank Address: Lloyds TSB, 19-20 Upper Street, London, N1 0PJ,
United Kingdom
Recipient address: Derek Rothera & Company, Chartered
Accountants, Units 15 & 16, 7 Wenlock Road, London N1 7SL, United Kingdom
FROM EUROPE
Bank: Lloyds TSB Bank
Name of Account: “DR&Co - Courage 11”
Account number: 33781160
Sort code: 30-94-57
BIC/Swift code LOYDGB21158
IBAN: GB27 LOYD 30945 7 33781160
Subject / Reference: “Courage - Project 11”
Bank Address: Lloyds TSB, 19-20 Upper Street, London, N1 0PJ,
United Kingdom
Recipient address: Derek Rothera & Company, Chartered
Accountants, Units 15 & 16, 7 Wenlock Road, London N1 7SL, United Kingdom
FROM THE UNITED KINGDOM
Bank: Lloyds TSB Bank
Name of Account: “DR&Co -Courage 11”
Account number: 33781160
Sort code: 30-94-57
Subject / Reference: “Courage - Project 11”
Bank Address: Lloyds TSB, 19-20 Upper Street, London, N1 0PJ,
United Kingdom
Recipient address: Derek Rothera & Company, Chartered
Accountants, Units 15 & 16, 7 Wenlock Road, London N1 7SL, United Kingdom
FROM EVERYWHERE ELSE
Bank: Lloyds TSB Bank
Name of Account: “DR&Co - Courage 11”
Account number: 33781160
Sort code: 30-94-57
BIC/Swift code LOYDGB21158
IBAN: GB27 LOYD 30945 7 33781160
Subject / Reference: “Courage - Project 11”
Bank Address: Lloyds TSB, 19-20 Upper Street, London, N1 0PJ,
United Kingdom
Recipient address: Derek Rothera & Company, Chartered
Accountants, Units 15 & 16, 7 Wenlock Road, London N1 7SL, United Kingdom
CHEQUES
Alternatively you can donate by cheque made payable to
"Courage 11 DR&Co" which can be sent to:
Derek Rothera & Company Chartered Accountants
Units 15 & 16 7 Wenlock Road
London N1 7SL,
United Kingdom
BITCOIN
You can send BTC to the following address for the Courage –
Project 11:
35hdtGbBHTpSzQghDs1UFpiGcqskugUHgR
