Roy Drew, Mullumbimby
In the middle of this wretched coronavirus pandemic Australian citizen and journalist Julian Assange is still being detained in Belmarsh Prison, UK.
He has been kept on remand for the last six months because the presiding magistrate has declared him a flight risk. A further hearing on his extradition to the US is now delayed until September, owing to COVID-19.
COVID-19 is sweeping through British prisons. Due to a high infection rate and increasing death rate there are plans to release 4,000 low risk prisoners.
Despite not having committed any act of violence, or being charged with any crime by the UK, Julian Assange is not one of them.
Nils Melzer, UN Special Rapporteur, said in May 2019 ‘that in 20 years of work with victims of war, violence and political persecution I have never seen a group of democratic States (UK, US, Ecuador and Sweden) ganging up to deliberately isolate, demonise and abuse a single individual for such a long time and with so little regard for human dignity and the rule of law’. He concluded by discussing ’the inhuman and degrading treatment or punishment (of Mr Assange), the cumulative effects of which can only be described as psychological torture’.
Melzer could also have included Julian’s own country of Australia in this number. Thousands of Australians, and tens of thousands around the world are calling on all politicians to take a stand and demand justice for Julian Assange.
Nils Melzer once again: ‘… telling the truth has become a crime, while the powerful enjoy impunity, it will be too late to correct the course. We will have surrendered our voice to censorship and our fate to unrestrained tyranny’.
We urge all politicians to show courage and compassion and stand up for the principles of free press and free speech and to call for the release of Australian citizen Julian Assange.
Free press & free speech can only be found in
the independent arena that exist on donations
& a supporting public. Julian’s been kicked
around by a grubby ‘legal system’ paid for by
even grubbier members of a parliamentary
system. A fare go is not on the agenda.
Why are his lawyers not screaming bloody murder over this? In thier compliance with such flagrant abuses of process, what they’re effectively doing is legitimizing this show trial. if one of them had the courage to publically call it out and condemn the brazen, baldfaced bias of the magistrates, for starters. Assange’s treatment isn’t just “cruel”, it’s criminal – outrageously so.
It is horrifying in the country where Queen Elizabeth rules that an Australian Citizen Julian Assange is being illegally held and psychologically tortured having not been convicted of any crime!
It’s simply disgusting that Australia has done nothing but I also as an Australian Citizen know so very well that #DFAT only assist when you are dead in a box to be shipped back to Australia.
France is no better than the UK! France supposedly claiming to be the country and home to Droits de l’Homme is not. Corrupt judges from the small courts to the Highest Conseil d’Etat in Paris. Julian ASSANGE is a victim. An innocent victim or vile corruption where the evil have the power to persecute Julian ASSANGE. No crime committed RELEASE Julian Asange! Horrifying abuse of power by a judge paid by whom? Stay strong Julian.
Julian Assange is an award winning joirnalist and whistkeblower who shone the light on american war crimes in Afghanistan. The lawless warmongers are hellbent on extraditing him in order to punish, revenge and silence whistleblowers. His life, freedom and basic human rights continue to be violated. His pnly hope is for more and more people to stand up, speak out for his freedom and rights. And our own rights for freedom of speech and media.
How can Assange be a flight risk when all international flights are cancelled? There’s no where for him to go but to see his wife and young baby child in London. Boris Johnson is more of a risk, spreading COVID-19 and infecting innocent people as well as himself !!!
Julian is an accused rapist that would not face up to the accusation or his accuser, surly he would want to sort out this issue to be able to move on with all his other legal issues. He’s not going anywhere in a hurry. What about me!