‘Julian Assange is free’: Wikileaks founder to be freed in deal with US

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Julian Assange

‘Julian Assange is free’: Wikileaks founder to be freed in deal with US

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/6/25/julian-assange-is-free-wikileaks-founder-freed-in-deal-with-us

 

Assange to plead guilty to one charge of espionage and return home to Australia after decades fighting US extradition.

‘Julian Assange is free’: Wikileaks founder to be freed in deal with US | Julian Assange News | Al Jazeera

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange boards a plane at a location given as London, UK, in this still image from video released JUNE 25, 2024 ["@wikileaks" via X/Handout via Reuters]

Published On 25 Jun 202425 Jun 2024

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has been freed from prison in the United Kingdom and is set to travel home to Australia after he pleads guilty to a single charge of breaching the espionage law in the United States.

Assange, 52, will plead guilty to one count of conspiring to obtain and disclose classified US national defence documents, according to a filing in the US District Court for the Northern Mariana Islands.

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UK ruling on Assange extradition ‘resets the game’. What happens next?

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WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange wins bid to appeal extradition to US

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UK court to rule on Julian Assange extradition appeal: What could happen?

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‘Bring Julian home’: the Australian campaign to free Assange

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He was freed from the UK’s high-security Belmarsh prison on Monday and taken to the airport whre he flew out of the country. Assange will appear at a court in Saipan, a US Pacific territory at 9am on Wednesday (23:00 GMT on Tuesday) where he will be sentenced to 62 months of time already served.

“Julian Assange is free,” Wikileaks said in a statement posted on X.

“He left Belmarsh maximum security prison on the morning of 24 June, after having spent 1901 days there. He was granted bail by the High Court in London and was released at Stanstead airport during the afternoon, where he boarded a plane and departed the UK.”

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A video posted on X by Wikileaks showed Assange dressed in a blue shirt and jeans signing a document before boarding a private jet.

He will return to Australia after the hearing, the Wikileaks statement added, referring to the hearing in Saipan.

“Julian is free!!!!” his wife Stella wrote on X. “Words cannot express our immense gratitude to YOU – yes, YOU, who have all mobilised for years and years to make this come true. THANK YOU. tHANK YOU, THANK YOU.”

Julian Assange boards flight at London Stansted Airport at 5PM (BST) Monday June 24th. This is for everyone who worked for his freedom: thank you.#FreedJulianAssange pic.twitter.com/Pqp5pBAhSQ

— WikiLeaks (@wikileaks) June 25, 2024

Assange rose to prominence with the launch of Wikileaks in 2006, creating an online whistleblower platform for people to submit classified material such as documents and videos anonymously.

Footage of a US Apache helicopter attack in Baghdad, which killed a dozen people, including two journalists, raised the platform’s profile, while the 2010 release of hundreds of thousands of classified US documents on the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, as well as a trove of diplomatic cables, cemented its reputation.

‘Holding the powerful accountable’

Wikileaks published material about many countries, but it was the US, during the administration of former US President Donald Trump, that decided to charge him in 2019 with 17 counts of breaching the Espionage Act.

US lawyers had argued he conspired with Chelsea Manning, a former army intelligence analyst, who spent seven years in prison for leaking material to WikiLeaks. She was freed when  US President Barack Obama commuted her sentence in 2017.

The charges sparked outrage, with Assange’s supporters arguing that, as the publisher and editor-in-chief of Wikileaks, he should not have faced charges usually used against government employees who steal or leak information.

Press freedom advocates, meanwhile, argued that criminally charging Assange was a threat to free speech.

“WikiLeaks published groundbreaking stories of government corruption and human rights abuses, holding the powerful accountable for their actions,” Wikileaks said in its statement announcing the plea deal.

“As editor-in-chief, Julian paid severely for these principles, and for the people’s right to know. As he returns to Australia, we thank all who stood by us, fought for us, and remained utterly committed in the fight for his freedom.”

The filing from the US Department of Justice describing the plea deal [US Department of Justice via Reuters]

Assange was first arrested in London in 2010 on a Swedish warrant accusing him of sexual assault. Allowed bail pending the extradition case, Assange took refuge in Ecuador’s London Embassy in 2012 after a court ruled he could be sent to Sweden for trial.

He spent the next seven years in the tiny embassy – during which time Swedish police withdrew the rape charges – before UK police arrested him on charges of breaching his bail conditions. Assange was being held in prison in the UK as the US extradition case went through the courts.

Monday’s plea deal comes as pressure mounted on US President Joe Biden to drop the long-running case against Assange.

In February the government of Australia made an official request to this effect and Biden said he would consider it, raising hopes among Assange supporters that his ordeal might end. At the time, the Australian government said Assange’s case had “dragged on for too long and there is nothing to be gained by his continued incarceration”.

A spokesperson for the Australian government declined to respond to news of the plea deal, saying it was “not appropriate to provide further comment” until the proceedings were concluded.

“Prime Minister Albanese has been clear. Mr Assange’s case has dragged on for too long and there is nothing to be gained by his continued incarceration,” the spokesperson added.

‘Power of quiet diplomacy’

Assange’s mother, Christine, in a statement to Australian media, meanwhile said she was grateful that her son’s “ordeal is finally coming to an end”.

“This shows the importance and power of quiet diplomacy,” she said in the statement carried by public broadcaster ABC and other media.

Jodie Ginsberg, chief executive of the Committee to Protect Journalists, told Al Jazeera she was “delighted” at the news of Assange’s expected release.

“If Julian had been extradited to the US and prosecuted under the Espionage Act […] it would have had serious implications for journalists globally who seek information in the public interest, classified documents, and who then publish them in the public interest,” she said from New York. “Remember, of course that Julian is not a US citizen. He is an Australian citizen and if he had been brought to the US and had he been prosecuted, that could have meant that journalist anywhere seeking to publish information about human rights abuses, as Wikileaks did, could have found themselves pursued and prosecuted as the US had done with Julian.”

She added that the plea deal was a way for the Biden administration to save face, amid the increased pressure to release Assange, especially from Australia.

“They [the Biden administration] have a guilty plea on a criminal charge, but only on one criminal charge of course, and not the 18 that he was being prosecuted for and that could have seen him face 175 years in total in jail.  And Julian has been released to his home country and will now be able to spend time with his family and with his loved ones.”

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In Australia, legislators who fought for Assange’s freedom also welcomed news of his expected return.

Barnaby Joyce, a former deputy prime minister, told ABC that it was greatly encouraging to see Assange on a plane, but cautioned that the “finish line” was not yet reached. The National Party legislator added that he was “pleased” that the outcome would set “an incredibly strong precedent” that Australians should not be charged by other countries for alleged crimes that are not committed on their soil. “[Extraterritoriality] is a principle, and if you let it lapse for one then it lapses for all,” he was quoted as saying.

Australian Greens Senator David Shoebridge said he was looking forward to welcoming Assange back home.

“Let’s be clear, Julian Assange should never have been charged with espionage in the first place or had to make this deal,” Shoebridge said. “[He] has spent years in jail for the crime of showing the world the horrors of the US war in Iraq and the complicity of governments like Australia and that is why he has been punished.”

SOURCE: AL JAZEERA AND NEWS AGENCIES

 

https://www.lemonde.fr/en/international/article/2024/06/25/julian-assange-is-free-and-has-left-britain_6675637_4.html

JOHN PILGER: Visiting Britain’s Political Prisoner

JOHN PILGER: VisitingBritain’s Political Prisoner

November 29, 2019 • 33 Comments 

“I think I’m going out of my mind,” Julian Assange told John Pilger at Belmarsh Prison. “No you’re not,” Pilger responded. “Look how you frighten them, how powerful you are.”

By John Pilger

I set out at dawn. Her Majesty’s Prison Belmarsh is in the flat hinterland of south east London, a ribbon of walls and wire with no horizon. At what is called the visitors centre, I surrendered my passport, wallet, credit cards, medical cards, money, phone, keys, comb, pen, paper.

I need two pairs of glasses. I had to choose which pair stayed behind. I left my reading glasses. From here on, I couldn’t read, just as Julian couldn’t read for the first few weeks of his incarceration. His glasses were sent to him, but inexplicably took months to arrive.

There are large TV screens in the visitors centre. The TV is always on, it seems, and the volume turned up. Game shows, commercials for cars and pizzas and funeral packages, even TED talks, they seem perfect for a prison: like visual valium.

I joined a queue of sad, anxious people, mostly poor women and children, and grandmothers. At the first desk, I was fingerprinted, if that is still the word for biometric testing.

“Both hands, press down!” I was told. A file on me appeared on the screen.

I could now cross to the main gate, which is set in the walls of the prison. The last time I was at Belmarsh to see Julian, it was raining hard. My umbrella wasn’t allowed beyond the visitors centre. I had the choice of getting drenched, or running like hell. Grandmothers have the same choice.

At the second desk, an official behind the wire, said, “What’s that?”

“My watch,” I replied guiltily.

“Take it back,” she said. 

So I ran back through the rain, returning just in time to be biometrically tested again. This was followed by a full body scan and a full body search. Soles of feet; mouth open.

At each stop, our silent, obedient group shuffled into what is known as a sealed space, squeezed behind a yellow line. Pity the claustrophobic; one woman squeezed her eyes shut.

We were then ordered into another holding area, again with iron doors shutting loudly in front of us and behind us.

“Stand behind the yellow line!” said a disembodied voice.

Belmarsh prison, where Assange is incarcerated.

Another electronic door slid partly open; we hesitated wisely. It shuddered and shut and opened again. Another holding area, another desk, another chorus of, “Show your finger!”

Then we were in a long room with squares on the floor where we were told to stand, one at a time. Two men with sniffer dogs arrived and worked us, front and back.

The dogs sniffed our arses and slobbered on my hand. Then more doors opened, with a new order to “hold out your wrist!” 

A laser branding was our ticket into a large room, where the prisoners sat waiting in silence, opposite empty chairs. On the far side of the room was Julian, wearing a yellow arm band over his prison clothes.

Intervista a John Shipton, padre di Julian Assange

Pamela Anderson -- Letter to President Trump and the First Lady

Letter to President Trump and the First Lady

November 8, 2019

Dear Mr President and the First Lady,

I am always enlightened and encouraged when I see the great work that you both have achieved during your period as the leading couple of the people. You complement each other extremely well, Mr President with your personal touch and emotional flare that strikes a chord with the people, together with the enduring poise and presented dignity that the first lady upholds. 

Integrity was certainly the underlying thread that defeated Hillary and brought to the world this great couple, cannoning you into the most powerful position in the world. The people trusted your intent and your judgement because and it was supported by the free press during your campaign. Recalling that it was the free press that in effect stifled and dominated over the fake news rubbish that was so desperately trying to derail your great and successful campaign.

Mr President you were elected by the people to save the people from the septic political swamp of systemic corruption that filled the shadowy halls of the USA’s power structures. You always said you loved Wikileaks and you were right to say that. You are an honest leader of the people and as you correctly acknowledged you were not promoted into the presidency by a fraud of a Russian conspiracy, but you in fact were pathwayed thru your own tenacity as well as through honest journalism and that was broadcasted primarily from the 100% factual publishing work of Julian Assange and his Wikileaks.

I fear now however that the great leader of the people, the great President Trump is being drowned in media falsehoods perpetrated by a vindictive and orchestrated media blitz of lies and propaganda. 

The deliberate misinformation that is being peddled against you is clearly also part of the conspiracy to shut down the honest free press. This is happening through the high profile torturing and silencing of the fact publishing journalist Julian Assange. 

Mr President the relentless public flogging of the modern day symbol of free and honest journalism Julian Assange is in effect part of the conspiracy to destroy your presidency by allowing the domination of fake news that is now working against you. 

The conspiracy to extradite Julian Assange to the USA for simply publishing as a journalist sends a clear message to all free press and honest journalists that if you publish facts that expose the shadow government’s illegality then you will be punished.

The world needs a real champion of the Free Press and that can be your moment in history. To save Democracy would be your defining moment stamped in the pages of history and will turn your presidency around. To make you the champion leader of the people that you were always destined to be. 

If you were to pardon Julian Assange and not allow the legal precedent of extradition of a fact publishing journalist for a life of torture, then the people would salute your action. You will be forever remembered as the champion you were always destined to be and the people would truly salute you for such a gesture. It would always be remembered as your legacy to the world and the people could never be fooled otherwise. 

I would also like to take this chance to have a meeting about the environment and how The Pamela Anderson Foundation can help be a platform broadcast your outlook and objectives in regards to the environment. I feel I wish to also explore the possibility that the First lady Mrs Melania Trump may wish to partner with The Pamela Foundation on some ground breaking initiatives to save some endangered species such as the Black Rhinoceros……As well as allowing via a welcoming PR platform to inform and guide the people as to how you wish to manage the planet into the future..

Best Regards

Pamela Anderson

From Pamela to Australia -- Urgent Appeal to Bring Julian Assange Home

From Pamela to Australia

November 7, 2019

 

Urgent Appeal to Bring Julian Assange Home to:

Hon. Scott Morrison Prime Minister of Australia

Senator the Hon. Marise Payne, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Women

All Parliamentarians of the Government of Australia,

I am pleased to be advised that Australian parliamentarians from across the political spectrum are now choosing to stand and work together to bring Julian Assange home to Australia.

The establishment of the “Bring Assange Home Parliamentary Group” is a great leap forward in upholding the human rights of this Australian citizen and journalist.

Julian Assange is hanging on like a super hero in Belmarsh super maximum security prison’s hospital in London and I will be visiting him again the day before my arrival to the Gold Coast this month.

Personally - I am extremely distressed at the thought of his declining state - though I know his mind is as sharp as they come - I am hopeful that he will even be able to recover from the traumatic psychological torture that he has been systematically subjected to, as declared by the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture Mr Nils Melzer.

Julian must be allowed to heal in a natural environment that he has been deprived of for so long. The natural beauty of his native country Australia, surrounded by his loving family is what he urgently needs.

Knowing Julian as I do - he can survive this -  he is strong, focused and willing to sacrifice even his life for all of us.

But for me, I’m just not willing to accept that or allow that to happen.

Now more than ever before Julian needs Australians to support him, so that he can continue to be the journalist Australians are proud to call their own, one of the most respected and awarded journalists of our time in fact. The best in the world, as so many say and that’s why everyone’s so upset.

When I visit Julian in a few weeks I am very much looking forward to be able to convey to him that the tide is shifting. Australian citizens on mass together with Australian parliamentarians are now standing up and together to declare they want the Australian Government to “Bring Assange Home”. I know this will be a crucial piece of great news that will lift Julian’s spirits.

I know he is able to hear his supporters cheering for him outside the confining walls of Belmarsh prison -

When I can give him a smile and he smiles back, when I can touch his hand and look into his gentle eyes, his spirits rise.

He is a great and honest man. A true and fantastic Aussie

You cannot let him be extradited. You must protect him and have his back. –

It’s a death trap.

It will go down in the history books as the weakest decision ever made by Australia.

It is evident now that citizens of western democracies are rapidly waking up to the reality that Julian Assange is being tortured for political reasons and nothing more.

I am also preparing to speak with President Trump on my return.

I know most people must think:

What does this girl think she is ?  I ask myself the same question, but here I am and I cannot deny my responsibility.

I have gotten to know Julian - he is worth fighting for. And he requires your intervention and all of our support.

I am going to do all I can. I’m not giving up.

I will make sure that his story remains public and that freedom of expression and freedom of the press are protected as these are without question the very foundations of democracy.

My friend and another mentor Hugh Hefner was also an activist.

Hef might have set me up for this. “Controversy creates change” he would say - and “artists are the freedom fighters of the world”.

Citizens of the world are also now becoming aware of the devastating legal precedent that will be established if Julian is extradited.

It is unconscionable that a citizen of Australia or any other western democracy may be extradited to the USA - a potential death sentence for simply publishing the facts -exposing systemic government criminality and war crimes.

I must also highlight that Julian Assange has and is being unfairly and inappropriately disadvantaged in the mounting of his defence.

He is unable to study for his defense and kept ill and tired with no access to library, no computer, he cannot access “his writings”, he has had not enough time with his lawyers - while he is left cruelly in solitary confinement.

Considering all that has happened to him, my heart breaks for him while a superpower has taken almost 10 years with the big shot lawyers and access to everything imaginable to take him down.

Noting if they succeed in taking him down, so they also in effect take all other investigative journalistsdown with him.

Where is the outcry of every journalist? Do they fear their employment that much?

It’s outrageous - as we have come to learn All the embassy meetings were apparently secretly recorded as well including discussion with his legal representatives.

His legal case files were seized following what appears to have been an illegal extraction of a political asylee from the Ecuadorian Embassy and those files were then handed over to the very nation he had been granted Asylum and protection from (the USA).

Given these circumstances, how can this be considered a normal and acceptably fair legal process?

The politically charged persecution of a fact publishing journalist and my friend Julian Assange is a modern day travesty of justice that frankly is breathtaking for any fair minded citizen regardless of political persuasion.

I make a heartfelt personal plea to every parliamentarian that is charged with the responsibility to uphold the protection of the citizens of Australia to now stand and protect Julian Assange by initiating contact with your counterparts in the USA and Britain and demand no extradition and allow Julian to walk free as a valuable teacher and Citizen of Australia.

Allowing him to return to his home and hug his mother,

father and his children.

This will inturn also uphold the sovereign rights of your citizens

which is the highest order of an elected parliamentarian.

With love and hope,

Pamela Anderson

“The First Amendment guarantees freedom of speech, freedom of press and you cannot have a free society if you do not have both.” -Hugh Hefner

 Don’t Railroad Julian Assange to Virginia

October 22, 2019 • 

The WikiLeaks legal team has a strong case to throw out Assange’s extradition request after the government that wants him extradited got hold of surveillance video of his privileged attorney-client conversations.

If this were a normal legal case, WikiLeaks’ lawyers would almost certainly be able to get the extradition request by the United States for their client Julian Assange thrown out on the grounds that his privileged conversations with his lawyers at Ecuador’s London embassy were secretly videotaped.

The  very nation that wants him extradited to stand trial in Virginia has obtained access to those videos. In a normal extradition case it would be hard to imagine Britain sending a suspect to a country whose government has already eavesdropped on that suspect’s defense preparations.

But this is not a normal legal case. 

Diana Johnstone -- Julian Assange: The Lynching of the Charismatic Geek

Julian Assange: The Lynching of the Charismatic Geek

By Diana Johnstone

Global Research, November 04, 2019

Region: Europe

Theme: History, Law and Justice, Police State & Civil Rights

Once upon a time, there was a very bright little boy in Australia who grew up as stranger to conventional society. His mother went from husband to husband, from theater to cult, always on the eccentric margins, while the boy’s natural father was left behind. As an adolescent he found his own world in cyberspace, which offered a field for his insatiable curiosity. As he learned about that great world out there and its secrets, he developed his very own rigorous ethic: his vocation was to search for true facts and share them with the public. Living outside the usual social codes, his moral compass was uninhibited by the usual niceties. Truth was truth, deception was wrong, lies on the part of the powerful should be exposed.

The original sin of Julian Assange was the same as that of Galileo Galilei. Galileo sinned by revealing to the people things the elite already knew or at least surmised, but wished to keep secret from the masses, in order not to shake the people’s faith in the official truth. Assange did the same thing with the formation of WikiLeaks The official version of reality was challenged. All lies should be exposed. By far the most sensitive targets of his wide-ranging reality revelations were the lies, the hypocrisy, the inhuman brutality of the United States in its wars of global hegemony. To Assange, these things were simply wrong.