U.S. State Department Comments on Randy Blythe Case
So remember how back in July, when Randy Blythe was in a prison in the Czech Republic, some fans started a petition to to enlist the aid of the White House in freeing the Lamb of God vocalist? And how if they got twenty-five-thousand signatures on the petition, the U.S. State Department was supposed to respond?
Well, as of this writing, there are actually 29,009 signatures on the petition, and even though Blythe has been free for some time now, the State Department has, indeed, finally issued a response — specifically, one from Michael Posner (above), Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor (or at least/more likely someone in his office speaking on his behalf). The statement reads as follows:
“We appreciate your inquiry about the case of D. Randall Blythe, who was released from detention in the Czech Republic on August 3, 2012, and returned to the United States shortly thereafter. Mr. Blythe has publicly stated his intention to return to the Czech Republic to face trial for the alleged manslaughter of a Czech man at a concert in 2010. He recently told MTV, ‘It’s the correct thing for me to do … this poor young man’s family deserves some answers.’ Pending Mr. Blythe’s trial, we cannot discuss the details of his case. We are closely monitoring the progress of his trial.
“The Department of State noted in its 2011 Human Rights Report that in the Czech Republic, ‘The laws provide for the right to a fair trial, and the independent judiciary generally enforced this right.’ We expect that the Czech government will make all efforts to ensure a fair, transparent, and timely trial for Mr. Blythe, and guarantee full protection of his legal rights under Czech law and his welfare.
“If you would like to know more about what the Department of State does for U.S. citizens overseas, please visit our website at www.Travel.State.Gov. General information on U.S. human rights policy is available at www.HumanRights.gov.”
Which I’m sure will anger some people because it doesn’t say, like, “We’re sending in Rambo to bring our boy home no matter what!” or whatever, but realistically speaking, is pretty much what you’d expect such a statement to say. Whoopee.
Blythe was indicted on charges of manslaughter a week ago. A date for his trial has yet to be set.
[via Lambgoat]
