The march against freedom of speech in Canada continues. A blogger known for criticizing Calgary police officers has been arrested and charged with criminal libel.

CALGARY – RCMP have laid five charges against a Calgary man related to the operation of a website highly critical of Calgary police officers.

In a news conference Friday morning, RCMP announced the charges against John Kelly, 53, of Calgary.

Kelly’s website accused officers of perjury, corruption and destroying evidence, RCMP said. Police deny the charges, saying they injure the reputation of Calgary police officers and interfere with an ongoing homicide investigation.

How do accusations — baseless or otherwise — on a blog actually interfere in a homicide investigation? And even if they do, why is the blogger being charged criminally rather than being sued for libel?

Kelly was arrested Thursday and his home in the 1600 block of 37th Street S.W. was searched following an investigation that began in March 2010. He was to appear in Calgary Provincial Court on the charges Friday morning…

The website in question is still running, but RCMP can ask the New York-based Internet provider to take it down.

What makes Kelly’s site libellous, said McGinnis, are the false allegations made against two city homicide investigators.

“It’s the extent that he’s gone to target and go after the members.

“There’s information that he specifically attacked the moral integrity of the members, not on just one occasion but on several occasions.”

And? Sue him for libel. Throwing someone in jail for expressing an opinion of public servants seems like a terribly dangerous precedent to set. In fact, it sounds like the Canadian government attempting to suppress free speech.