Amnesty: did FBI watch hurt dissidents on trial?

Amnesty International, the London-based human rights group, called Tuesday for a US inquiry into the influence of domestic surveillance on criminal trials of militants in the Un ited States.

The report, with a focus on the separate murder convictions of Elmer Pratt, a Black Panther leader, and Richard Marshall, a member of the American Indian Movement, suggests an "irregularity" in the pattern of criminal cases brought against activists after being picked out for FBI surveillance.

The report suggests that FBI activities went beyond intelligence gathering so as to disrupt target groups and were aimed at "discrediting," "demoralizing," and "fomenting violence" among memebers of activist groups.