URGENT! PLEASE FORWARD TO MEDIA CONTACTS - SANTA TO JAIL FOR IRAQ PROTEST

[media at peace2000.org]

PRESS RELEASE
Thursday 19 December 2002.  More Information: +354 557 1000 (Iceland)

SANTA TO JAIL FOR IRAQ PROTEST

A professional TV&Photo crew is recording this in the Reykjavik District
Court today 19th December. TV material can be delivered to you via
satellite uplink or by overnight courrier. Photographs available by email.
Contact details below.

Santa will naturally meet his faith in front of the Judge dressed in his
traditional red outfit last used in Baghdad.

Santa to be jailed in Iceland!
State Police demand 3 year prison over protest against civil airlines
flying NATO weapons and troops to Iraq

REYKJAVIK, Dec 19 - Thor Magnusson founder of the Peace 2000 charity and
who is known to the Icelandic people as Santa Claus for his Santa
Peaceflights to war torn countries, is being summoned foran a Reykjavik
District Court Judge today to hear a Charge filed by the State Police
demanding a three year jail sentence over the peace activist and former
Icelandic presidential candidate.

The Peace 2000 leader was arrested 22 November for an e-mail warning that
Icelandic passenger planes are being exposed as targets and to terrorist
activity following an agreement by the government with NATO to strengthen
its military capability by placing Icelandair and Air Atlanta passenger
aircraft on standby to transport weapons and troops, even as early war is
waged on Iraq.  The arrest and the shift of policy from a nation of peace
with ancient democratic tradition and no military services to a wish to
participate in military agression has been protested by thousands of
scholars, peace activists and organizations from around the world resulting
in Icelandic government offices blocking email deliveries and Peace 2000
Internet access being shut off for several days.

Peace 2000 organized the first western flight through the no-fly zone to
Baghdad flying Santa with almost 100,000 Christmas gifts, food and medical
supplies to Iraq in Christmas 1997, under a special authorization of the UN
Security Council.  The flight gained wide media attention and helped ignite
demonstrations against a new Gulf war all over the world.  International
support of the US call to allied bombing broke down.  Magnusson was honored
with the Holy Gold Cross by the Greek Orthodox Church at the nomination of
UNESCO in Greece for his part in this, but in Iceland Peace 2000 faced the
cold shoulder and persecution of authorities that arrested Santa's next
flight and cargo from the runway seconds before aircraft lift off for a
second mission to Baghdad.

Additional Information&Referances:

Arrest in Iceland: Reuters report 26 November 2002:
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L26515198

Ekstra Bladet Denmark: Panik paa Island - Presidential candidate jailed:
http://ekstrabladet.dk/VisArtikel.iasp?PageID=184866

Baghdad Christmas 1997 - CNN Peter Arnett reports:
http://www.cnn.com/WORLD/9712/28/iraq.sick.girl/index.html

Peace 2000 Home Page - Various Reports:
http://www.peace2000.org

AVAILABLE TV AND PHOTO MATERIAL:

TV: 4-5 minutes footage of Santa in the District Court and original
material from Santa's flight to Baghdad with shooting list and storyline.
Contact: Kristinn Tel +354 899 2506 (Iceland).  Email: khrafnsson at msn.com

PHOTO: Santa in District Court and Santa in Baghdad.
Contact: Zafer Sipa Press:Tel: +33 1 47434743 (France). Email:
info at sipa.com

Contact Peace 2000 Institute:
Tel: +354 557 1000 (Iceland).  Email: media at peace2000.org