Article can be found at: https://thinkcarebelieve.blog/2024/05/15/assange-team-predecision-press-conference/
LONDON, May 15, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- A Press conference was held today at the Foreign Press Association prior to the UK High Court extradition decision for Julian Assange. ThinkCareBelieve thinks this is important because if Julian Assange is extradited to the United States, he stands little chance of winning in the Eastern District of Virginia Court, which has earned the nick-name "Espionage Court" and if Assange is convicted, that precedent would be open to be used against any journalist, publisher, reporter, blogger, social media user, or common citizen. This is enough of an incentive to forget what we've heard in the media in the past and independently look at the facts of this case and ask ourselves what we stand for.
Speakers on the panel: Julian's wife Stella Assange, WikiLeaks Editor Kristinn Hrafnsson, Assange's Attorney Jen Robinson, and Reporters Without Borders Director Rebecca Vincent.
Links to Recorded Previously Live Press Conference:
Reuters on X- https://twitter.com/i/broadcasts/1YpKkwYBaDPKj
The Independent on YouTube- https://youtu.be/DKC6MUPAR2c?si=jqR3QrazCKYf1p2X
Reuters on YouTube- https://www.youtube.com/live/GmN3GFtCJL8?si=iDy9f8-zchhx3D01
Important Points Shared at This Press Conference:
“This case is of huge legal significance, not just for Julian but for journalists everywhere. The Australian government has put their support behind Julian Assange. We are working closely with our Prime Minister and our Attorney General and the Australian government to try to seek a resolution of this case and we continue to demand that Julian be released and this case be brought to an end and he be brought to Australia.” -Jen Robinson, Assange Attorney via remote
"This is institutional corruption on a judicial level. Julian Assange is a political prisoner. It’s abundantly clear, and I hope that you can look into the details of the case where the evidence is basically screaming at you.” -Kristinn Hrafnsson, Editor of WikiLeaks
"Julian is just one decision away from being extradited. If the judges find against him on Monday then there will be no further avenues for appeal in the UK, and the UK will move to extradite him. The timing is uncertain, but we know that in other cases, other national security cases of extraditions to the United States, the person has been extradited within 24 hours of the decision. The United States has been given opportunity after opportunity after opportunity to change its case in order to get Julian extradited. Initially it lost in January 2021. That was the initial Magistrate’s decision to deny extradition based on the mental health and physical conditions that Julian would be placed under, if extradited, and then once that decision came through, the United States was allowed to change its case by issuing so-called assurances, which the High Court then accepted, and an extradition order was issued and then Priti Patel who at the time was the UK Home Secretary in June of 2022, issued her approval of the extradition as well. Julian then requested permission to appeal to the High Court which was initially denied, and then when he sought a separate panel of High Court Judges to review that decision, which is the current panel that Julian is before, in February they gave a provisional permission to appeal to the High Court, and that provisional permission is subject to U.S. so-called assurances. Now think about how bizarre this case is, where the U.S. has not only been allow 2 sets of assurances, but also 3 sets of indictments. It seems that they are given endless chances to change their case in order to get Julian extradited to face 175 years for publishing evidence of U.S. war crimes." – Stella Assange, Wife of Julian Assange
"We agree with the assessment that this is a political case. We don’t know what will happen in the event for example with the return of Trump whose DoJ brought this case in the first place. President Biden has the chance still to be the President who put an end to this, who acted in the interest of press freedom and journalism, rather than enabling this very dangerous prosecution that will tarnish the reputation of the country of the First Amendment.” -Rebeca Vincent, Reporters without Borders
Notable Guest in Attendance at Press Conference:
The rapporteur of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), Sunna Ævarsdóttir (Iceland, SOC), just wrapped up a thorough investigation into Assange’s case was in attendance at the Press Conference to answer questions. Sunna states, “As noted in the motion underlying my mandate, Julian Assange’s harsh treatment risks deterring others who wish to report truthful information pertaining to armed conflicts,” said Ms Ævarsdóttir. “Whether or not he is extradited, his prosecution and lengthy detention already risk deterring other whistle-blowers and journalists from reporting on various transgressions of governments or powerful private parties.”
ThinkCareBelieve believes that when we take a look at the ideals and practices for which Julian Assange stands, we can see him as a man of integrity. He has a moral and social intelligence that shines through his work and his talks in educating the public on how to empower themselves with knowledge against a state of increasingly diminished rights. Julian Assange changed journalism forever by employing the practice of “Scientific Journalism” which printed the source documentation alongside the articles for verification of facts.
Monday May20, 2024 is Decision Day for Julian Assange. The public is assembling outside the UK High Court in London on The Strand and will be livestreamed on Youtube, X and Facebook starting Live at 8:30AM BST. Presented by @FreeAssangeNews on X in collaboration with Stella Assange and AssangeDefense.org. Livestreamed by Reuters and The Independent on X and YouTube.
Official AssangeDefense Press Releases can be found at: https://assangedefense.org/press-releases/
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/fe591aa3-3f1e-4917-aa53-dccfb7b1a809
