... Lee is being
held in nearly solitary confinement and allowed one
hour a day to exercise and one hour a week to visit
with his family. ...
... The government's
pre-trial handling of the case prompted the Social
Implications of Technology (SSIT) Governing Board to
send a letter in June, signed by SSIT Vice President
Karl Perusich, to U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno.
... According to the letter, the IEEE SSIT contends
that "the government has consistently relied
upon conjecture and speculation to argue against Dr.
Lee's right to bail pending trial." ...
... "I was
motivated by feeling it was an outrageous human
rights violation that affected a fellow technical
professional," said Stephen Unger, chairman of
the SSIT ethics committee, who brought this matter
before the Society's governing body for their
consideration. "We should not allow somebody in
our profession to be treated in such a unfair manner
without expressing protest because this could happen
to any of us."
Another area that
concerned the Society was that the information Lee
handled was reclassified after he was charged. ...
... SSIT joins other
organizations that have protested against Lee's
treatment, including the Committee for Concerned
Scientists, American Association for the Advancement
of Science, New York Academy of Sciences and the
American Physical Society. ...