He’s announced more sanctions against Russia.
That all fizzled out and IMO was pretty dodgy in the first place. The big issue is that the "crimes " he is wanted for in the States are the same as the “crimes” Navalny was wanted for in Russia, that is… telling the truth. The US has been careful to charge him with spying, to which there is no defence of public interest. It’s a stitch up.
I also don’t like this extraterritorial stuff, I don’t think any of the trumped up “crimes” were committed by Assange on US soil, were they? Others worry about that too, but from the other side of the coin. Ben Wizner from the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) said that if authorities were to prosecute Assange “for violating US secrecy laws [it] would set an especially dangerous precedent for US journalists, who routinely violate foreign secrecy laws to deliver information vital to the public’s interest.”
I think it would be wrong to believe Russia is all bad and the US is all good, they are both pretty evil in their own ways, and let’s face it, since the Wall came down the US has caused more death and destruction worldwide than Russia has.
Nils Melzer, who was the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, visited Assange twice in Belmarsh and reported he was displaying the signs of mental torture. He also subsequently wrote that the legal delays in Assange’s extradition case are strategic: “The US is in no hurry to bring the extradition proceedings to a conclusion. The longer every procedural step can be spun out, the more Assange’s health and stability will deteriorate and the stronger the deterrent effect on other journalists and whistleblowers”.
On Assange’s birthday in July 2020, 40 organizations, including the International Federation of Journalists, the National Union of Journalists, the National Lawyers Guild, the International Association of Democratic Lawyers, the Centre for Investigative Journalism and the World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters, wrote an open letter demanding that Assange be released.
I’m with them, and I think any US politician, including Genocide Joe, decrying Putin’s murder of poor, brave Navalny while still pursuing Assange is a hypocrite. So there (foot stamping emoji) 
2 Likes
No, the extradition treaty seems to be a disaster. Corbyn was interviewed outside the Court yesterday and said Johnson has actually admitted that to him. Sovereignty my bottom 
Agreed, and with all the above too.
1 Like
I view Assange as being like Trump - he found a way to manipulate the system and has tried to ride it to fame and fortune. It’s likely that what he found/acquired was genuine enough and certainly in the public interest, but he had no idea what he was dealing with and was out of his depth. Unfortunately for JA the system bit back very hard in this case. He had no wealth to protect him, no value or powerful connections, was a foreign national and also had a past record of illegal hacking. I’d be a lot more sympathetic if there was reason to suspect he really WAS trying to find out covered truth for it’s own sake.
As for Sweden, I’ve seen a lot of arguements in both directions. My feeling is that he probably did do what he was alleged to have done, but never thought it mattered. You may hold a different opinion, but neither of us have proof either way.
2 Likes
How on earth would you define an Interview as aiding and abetting, would you sooner people not hear both sides of a story or just listen to biased views?
It’s not about the man AM, it’s about the supposed crime, exposing the truth. It can’t be right to do it in Russia but wrong to do it in the US.
You’ll need to give me some context on that Paddy
I think Assange was naive in several very different respects - but most importantly undiscriminatingly releasing information and inadvertently disclosing names of informants and others who were working undercover for the West. Putting everything out there was probably of greater benefit to those governments whose aims he opposed.
Transparency is laudable and it’s all very well to ideologically argue that everyone should be able know everything, but in the real world that’s highly unlikely and therefore not necessarily a wholly sound idea.
2 Likes
He is innocent. It’s for a court to decide otherwise. You will not be the only person whose thinking has been shaped by what they have gleened from the media, so what chance a fair trial now? He must be hiding from something, eh?
I don’t disagree with you Mark but Assange is a publisher (Wikileaks is accepted as such) so let’s see the editors of the New York Times, Guardian, Der Spiegel, Le Monde and El País who all published Chelsea Manning information channeled through Wikileaks in the dock beside him.
Chelsea Manning said she attempted to contact the New York Times and spoke to a Washington Post reporter during but neither newspaper was quick to respond so she gave the information to WikiLeaks, which went on to partner with news organisations (above) to share the leaked information.
Let’s face it, the people that should be shot are the senior US military goons that let a 23 year old US private nick so much classified information. That’s real treason.
Probably another example of ‘senior staff’ being technically illiterate…
1 Like
Yulia Navalnaya speaking at European Parliament…
His funeral in Moscow today. Lots of police and crowd barriers in place between church and cemetary. Not sure how many will attend with info only on internet, apparently none on all state controlled media.
Just seen it on the BBC and the crowds are building with many there already. If people were scared or not interested in getting rid of mad vlad, they wouldn’t be there so that speaks volumes.
Was surprised that Putin allowed a public funeral to take place.
I understand that it was Yulia Navalnaya’s criticism of Putin’s faith that changed his mind.
“We already knew that Putin’s faith was fake. But now we see it more clearly than ever before. No true Christian could ever do what Putin is now doing with Alexei’s body. Give us back the body of my husband. We want to hold a funeral service and bury him in a humane way, in the ground, as is customary in Orthodox Christianity."