Former whistleblower Jullian Assange said he 'pleaded guilty to journalism' to protect his freedom after being arrested for espionage.
The New Arab Staff & Agencies
01 October, 2024
'I eventually chose freedom over an unrealisable justice,' Assange said [GETTY]
Julian Assange, the founder of whistleblower media group WikiLeaks, told European lawmakers on Tuesday that his guilty plea to US espionage accusations was necessary because legal and political efforts to protect his freedom were insufficient.
"I eventually chose freedom over an unrealisable justice," Assange said in his first public comments since his release from prison, addressing a committee at the Council of Europe, the international body best known for its human rights convention.
Assange, 53, returned to his home country of Australia in June after a deal was struck for his release. He pleaded guilty to violating US espionage law in it, ending a 14-year British legal odyssey.
"I am free today after years of incarceration because I pleaded guilty to journalism, pleaded guilty to seeking information from a source, I pleaded guilty to obtaining information from a source and I pleaded guilty to informing the public what that information was," he said.
WikiLeaks in 2010 released hundreds of thousands of classified US military documents on Washington's wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, the largest security breaches of their kind in US military history, along with swaths of diplomatic cables.
Assange was indicted years later under the Espionage Act.
A report by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe concluded Assange was a political prisoner and called for Britain to hold an inquiry into whether he had been exposed to inhuman treatment.
Dressed in a black suit with a burgundy tie and a slight white beard, Assange sat between his wife, Stella, and WikiLeaks' editor, Kristinn Hrafnsson, reading his initial remarks from sheets of paper.
"I am yet not fully equipped to speak about what I have endured," he said, adding: "Isolation has taken its toll which I am trying to unwind."
Speaking freely during a subsequent question-and-answer session, Assange looked moved when he told lawmakers that the plea deal barred him from ever bringing a case to defend himself against the US's spying accusations.
"There will never be a hearing into what happened," he said.
His wife, whom he married while in a London jail, said last month he would need time to regain his health and sanity after his long incarceration.
When asked about his plans, Assange said the Strasbourg hearing, which aimed to raise awareness of the need to protect whistleblowers and informers, was "a first step."
He said that adapting to everyday life after years of imprisonment included some "tricky things", like learning to be a father to two children who grew up without him and "becoming a husband again, including with a mother-in-law," drawing some laughter from the crowd.
Assange was first arrested in Britain in 2010 on a European arrest warrant after Swedish authorities said they wanted to question him over sex-crime allegations that were later dropped. He fled to Ecuador's embassy, where he remained for seven years, to avoid extradition to Sweden.
In 2019, he was dragged out of the embassy and transferred to London's Belmarsh high-security jail for failing to pay bail.
(Reuters)
WikiLeaks founder Assange tells EU rights body he 'chose freedom over justice'
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has told the Council of Europe he was released after years of incarceration only because he pleaded guilty to doing 'journalism', warning that freedom of expression was now at a 'dark crossroads'.
Issued on: 01/10/2024
Wikileaks founder Julian Assange and his wife Stella Assange raise their arms as they arrive at the Council of Europe in Strasbourg, eastern France, Tuesday, 1 October, 2024. AP - Pascal Bastien
By:RFI
Addressing the Council of Europe rights body at its Strasbourg headquarters – in his first public comments since his release in June – Assange said, "I am not free today because the system worked. I am free today after years of incarceration because I pleaded guilty to journalism."
The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe had issued a report expressing alarm at Assange's treatment, saying it had a "chilling effect on human rights".
Julian Assange spent most of the last 14 years either holed up in the Ecuadorian embassy in London to avoid arrest, or locked up at Belmarsh Prison, south of London.
He was released under a plea bargain this summer, after serving a sentence for publishing hundreds of thousands of confidential US government documents.
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has told the Council of Europe he was released after years of incarceration only because he pleaded guilty to doing 'journalism', warning that freedom of expression was now at a 'dark crossroads'.
Issued on: 01/10/2024
Wikileaks founder Julian Assange and his wife Stella Assange raise their arms as they arrive at the Council of Europe in Strasbourg, eastern France, Tuesday, 1 October, 2024. AP - Pascal Bastien
By:RFI
Addressing the Council of Europe rights body at its Strasbourg headquarters – in his first public comments since his release in June – Assange said, "I am not free today because the system worked. I am free today after years of incarceration because I pleaded guilty to journalism."
The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe had issued a report expressing alarm at Assange's treatment, saying it had a "chilling effect on human rights".
Julian Assange spent most of the last 14 years either holed up in the Ecuadorian embassy in London to avoid arrest, or locked up at Belmarsh Prison, south of London.
He was released under a plea bargain this summer, after serving a sentence for publishing hundreds of thousands of confidential US government documents.
The trove included searingly frank US State Department descriptions of foreign leaders, accounts of extrajudicial killings and intelligence gathering against allies.
Assange returned to Australia and since then had not publicly commented on his legal woes or his years behind bars.
Facing a potential 175-year sentence, "I eventually chose freedom over unrealisable justice ... Justice for me is now precluded," Assange said, referring to the conditions of his plea bargain.
Speaking calmly and flanked by his wife Stella, who fought for his release, he added,"Journalism is not a crime, it is a pillar of a free and informed society."
"The fundamental issue is simple. Journalists should not be prosecuted for doing their jobs," Assange said.
The WikiLeaks founder said that he could have lost years more of his life had he tried to fight his case all the way.
"Perhaps, ultimately, if it had gotten to the Supreme Court of the United States and I was still alive ... I might have won," Assange said in his address."
WikiLeaks founder Assange en-route to final US court hearing ahead of release
Assange case still divisive
Assange remains visibly affected by his experience, tiring towards the end of the session even as he thanked "all the people who have fought for my liberation".
Stella Assange told reporters after the committee hearing, "It was truly exceptional that he came here today ... He needs time to be able to recover".
"He's only been free for a few weeks and we're really just in the process of starting from zero ... or from less than zero," she added.
Asked what the next moves for WikiLeaks might be, the site's editor-in-chief Kristinn Hrafnsson told reporters Assange was "committed as ever to the basic principles that he's always abided by – transparency, justice, quality journalism".
Assange's case remains deeply contentious.
Supporters hail him as a champion of free speech and say he was persecuted by authorities and unfairly imprisoned.
Detractors see him as a reckless blogger whose uncensored publication of ultra-sensitive documents put lives at risk and jeopardised US security.
French parliament votes against handing asylum to Wikileaks founder Assange
Pardon campaign
Assange is still campaigning for a US presidential pardon for his conviction under the Espionage Act.
US President Joe Biden – who is likely to issue some pardons before leaving office next January – has previously described him as a "terrorist".
But Chelsea Manning, the army intelligence analyst who leaked documents to Assange, had her 35-year sentence commuted by President Barack Obama in 2017.
Assange's timing and his choice of venue for his first post-release appearance have puzzled some observers.
The Council of Europe brings together the 46 signatory states of the European Convention on Human Rights, with little say over Assange's legal fate.
Holly Cullen, a law professor at the University of Western Australia, told AFP ahead of the hearing that in criticising the United States, Assange might "need to be a bit more restrained until the pardon issue is resolved".
(with newswires)
Assange returned to Australia and since then had not publicly commented on his legal woes or his years behind bars.
Facing a potential 175-year sentence, "I eventually chose freedom over unrealisable justice ... Justice for me is now precluded," Assange said, referring to the conditions of his plea bargain.
Speaking calmly and flanked by his wife Stella, who fought for his release, he added,"Journalism is not a crime, it is a pillar of a free and informed society."
"The fundamental issue is simple. Journalists should not be prosecuted for doing their jobs," Assange said.
The WikiLeaks founder said that he could have lost years more of his life had he tried to fight his case all the way.
"Perhaps, ultimately, if it had gotten to the Supreme Court of the United States and I was still alive ... I might have won," Assange said in his address."
WikiLeaks founder Assange en-route to final US court hearing ahead of release
Assange case still divisive
Assange remains visibly affected by his experience, tiring towards the end of the session even as he thanked "all the people who have fought for my liberation".
Stella Assange told reporters after the committee hearing, "It was truly exceptional that he came here today ... He needs time to be able to recover".
"He's only been free for a few weeks and we're really just in the process of starting from zero ... or from less than zero," she added.
Asked what the next moves for WikiLeaks might be, the site's editor-in-chief Kristinn Hrafnsson told reporters Assange was "committed as ever to the basic principles that he's always abided by – transparency, justice, quality journalism".
Assange's case remains deeply contentious.
Supporters hail him as a champion of free speech and say he was persecuted by authorities and unfairly imprisoned.
Detractors see him as a reckless blogger whose uncensored publication of ultra-sensitive documents put lives at risk and jeopardised US security.
French parliament votes against handing asylum to Wikileaks founder Assange
Pardon campaign
Assange is still campaigning for a US presidential pardon for his conviction under the Espionage Act.
US President Joe Biden – who is likely to issue some pardons before leaving office next January – has previously described him as a "terrorist".
But Chelsea Manning, the army intelligence analyst who leaked documents to Assange, had her 35-year sentence commuted by President Barack Obama in 2017.
Assange's timing and his choice of venue for his first post-release appearance have puzzled some observers.
The Council of Europe brings together the 46 signatory states of the European Convention on Human Rights, with little say over Assange's legal fate.
Holly Cullen, a law professor at the University of Western Australia, told AFP ahead of the hearing that in criticising the United States, Assange might "need to be a bit more restrained until the pardon issue is resolved".
(with newswires)
Julian Assange breaks silence at landmark Council of Europe hearing
Frederick Florin/AFP
Organisation:
RSF_en
After maintaining a low profile since his release from prison in June, WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has spoken publicly for the first time in an address to a committee hearing of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), reaffirming the dangers his prosecution posed for journalism and press freedom. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) welcomes the PACE hearing and report, and urges the Assembly to pass the accompanying resolution.
In a hearing in Strasbourg, France on 1 October, Assange addressed the PACE Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights in the context of the Committee’s report on ‘The detention and conviction of Julian Assange and their chilling effects on human rights’. Assange gave an introductory statement of 22 minutes, then fielded questions from PACE members for nearly an hour, noting he was tired shortly before concluding. This marked the first time Assange has spoken in public since a plea deal enabled his release from Belmarsh prison at the end of June. Assange is expected to return to Australia to continue his recovery following the hearing.
In his address, Assange emphasised his belief that he had been targeted for journalism. "The fundamental issue is simple: Journalists should not be prosecuted for doing their jobs,” he said. He noted that he had chosen freedom “over unreliable justice”, and stated “I am not free today because the system worked. I am free today after years of incarceration because I pled guilty to journalism.” He warned that journalists remained under threat in Europe, urging PACE to act to ensure that what happened to him can never happen again.
PACE will conduct a debate in its full plenary session on 2 October and vote on the resolution accompanying the report. RSF has urged its passage in the interest of strengthening protections for press freedom and journalism in the Council of Europe region.
RSF’s Director of Campaigns Rebecca Vincent had previously given oral testimony to the Committee on 26 June, and had met with PACE Rapporteur Thórhildur Sunna Ævarsdóttir during her fact-finding mission to London in May. RSF had campaigned vigorously for Assange’s release because of the dangerous implications his prosecution held for journalism and press freedom around the world.
The United Kingdom, a Member State of the Council of Europe, is ranked 23rd out of 180 countries in RSF’s 2024 World Press Freedom Index.
Published on 01.10.2024
Frederick Florin/AFP
Organisation:
RSF_en
After maintaining a low profile since his release from prison in June, WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has spoken publicly for the first time in an address to a committee hearing of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), reaffirming the dangers his prosecution posed for journalism and press freedom. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) welcomes the PACE hearing and report, and urges the Assembly to pass the accompanying resolution.
In a hearing in Strasbourg, France on 1 October, Assange addressed the PACE Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights in the context of the Committee’s report on ‘The detention and conviction of Julian Assange and their chilling effects on human rights’. Assange gave an introductory statement of 22 minutes, then fielded questions from PACE members for nearly an hour, noting he was tired shortly before concluding. This marked the first time Assange has spoken in public since a plea deal enabled his release from Belmarsh prison at the end of June. Assange is expected to return to Australia to continue his recovery following the hearing.
In his address, Assange emphasised his belief that he had been targeted for journalism. "The fundamental issue is simple: Journalists should not be prosecuted for doing their jobs,” he said. He noted that he had chosen freedom “over unreliable justice”, and stated “I am not free today because the system worked. I am free today after years of incarceration because I pled guilty to journalism.” He warned that journalists remained under threat in Europe, urging PACE to act to ensure that what happened to him can never happen again.
Julian Assange’s address to the Council of Europe was a landmark moment, both for his own case but also for the broader fight to strengthen press freedom protections in Europe. We welcome the Parliamentary Assembly’s report highlighting the chilling effect of Assange’s prosecution, and urge the swift passage of the accompanying resolution. Like much of the international community, the Council of Europe did far too little during Assange’s period of detention. We hope that his statement in the Palais and the damning details of the report will serve as a wake-up call on the need for concrete action to ensure that such a case cannot happen in Europe again.Rebecca VincentRSF Director of Campaigns
PACE will conduct a debate in its full plenary session on 2 October and vote on the resolution accompanying the report. RSF has urged its passage in the interest of strengthening protections for press freedom and journalism in the Council of Europe region.
RSF’s Director of Campaigns Rebecca Vincent had previously given oral testimony to the Committee on 26 June, and had met with PACE Rapporteur Thórhildur Sunna Ævarsdóttir during her fact-finding mission to London in May. RSF had campaigned vigorously for Assange’s release because of the dangerous implications his prosecution held for journalism and press freedom around the world.
The United Kingdom, a Member State of the Council of Europe, is ranked 23rd out of 180 countries in RSF’s 2024 World Press Freedom Index.
Published on 01.10.2024
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