“I am not free because the system has worked, but because I declared myself guilty of doing journalism. “I pleaded guilty to seeking information from a source.” The founder of WikiLeaks, Julian Assange, has broken his silence three months after being released and returning to his native Australia after years imprisoned or locked up in the Ecuadorian embassy due to judicial persecution in the United States for the revelation of classified documents through of that platform. Assange was invited by the parliamentary assembly of the Council of Europe, which this Tuesday debates a resolution on the implications of his case on human rights.
Assange began by telling an account of how hard the last years of his life have been, first asylum under the Government of Rafael Correa to avoid being extradited to Sweden, where he was accused of sexual crimes, and then imprisoned in a maximum security prison. in London, where he was detained on behalf of the United States, which had requested his extradition. He remained there for five years until he reached an agreement for his release with that country, which accused him of encouraging and helping former soldier Chelsea Manning to steal military files. For the 18 charges attributed to him, he faced up to 175 years in prison.
Assange’s appearance has been a plea for freedom of the press. “I see more impunity, more secrecy, more retaliation for telling the truth and more self-censorship,” lamented the founder of WikiLeaks, who has warned that “transnational repression cannot become the norm,” in reference to the persecution of United States, which led him to be under the scrutiny of the authorities of different countries.
“Journalists should not be persecuted for doing their job, journalism is the pillar of our society,” said Assange at a moment in his speech in which he provoked applause from the deputies present at the parliamentary assembly of the Council of Europe. , where 46 countries of the continent are represented. Assange has made reference to informants who die in conflicts, among which he has cited those in Ukraine or Gaza: “It is worrying that the political and geopolitical alignment of media organizations means that they do not cover these victims or that they only cover to certain victims. It is a rupture of journalistic solidarity.”
“I hope that my testimony today serves to highlight the weaknesses of existing safeguards and help those whose cases are less visible, but who are just as vulnerable,” he defended during his speech, in which he spoke slow and with several interruptions for clearing the throat and drinking water.
Assange’s trip to Strasbourg was his first departure from Austria since he returned after reaching the agreement with the United States, which means that he cannot sue for the harassment to which he has been subjected during these 14 years, when WikiLeaks published thousands of diplomatic cables. with relevant information that brought to light US military irregularities in Iraq and Afghanistan. There began his judicial persecution, which led him to be locked up for more than a decade. Now, he said, he has to “readapt” to life in freedom.
Source: www.eldiario.es
