“The right of journalists to report the facts that governments and corporations don’t wish to have revealed will be virtually criminalised if the extradition of Assange is successful.”
By John Rees
Julian Assange’s very last chance to escape extradition to the US will happen next week in the Royal Courts of Justice.
There could not be more at stake in a single court case than there is in the Assange case. The right of journalists to report the facts that governments and corporations don’t wish to have revealed will be virtually criminalised if the extradition of Assange is successful.
The continued persecution of Assange, who has just spent his fifth Christmas in Belmarsh prison, is part of a wider attack on civil liberties by the Tories.
The government are implementing greater powers for the police to curb political protest, a raft of anti-union legislation which will make it virtually impossible to organise a legal and effective strike, a new official secrets act, and new limitations on freedom of speech.
Success for the Tories in extraditing Julian Assange will embolden them in every other attack they are making on civil liberties and trade union rights. That’s why its in the interest of every trade unionist, everyone who cares about preserving civil liberties, to join the protests outside the Royal Courts next Tuesday and Wednesday.
The National Union of Journalists, and the International Federation of Journalists which represents 300,000 members worldwide, are supporting the protests. So is Amnesty International. They have been joined by film directors Ken Loach and Oliver Stone, musicians Brian Eno, Lowkey, and Roger Waters, MP’s Jeremy Corbyn and Richard Burgeon, and the President of the Muslim Association of Britain, Raghad Al Tikriti.
There is now a growing consensus that the Assange extradition is a wholly unjustified assault on freedom of the press. Moreover, the revelations during the extradition hearings themselves have raised the gravest doubts about the legality of the process itself.
In the course of the court hearings, it has become public knowledge that a lead witness for the prosecution lied, that Assange and his lawyers were spied on by the CIA, and that the CIA discussed at the highest levels plans to abduct or assassinate Assange.
In any normal trial any one of these, let alone all of them, would have had the case dismissed.
That has not happened in the Assange case because there is too much at stake in the ‘special relationship’ between the US and UK governments. It is this above all else that marks the Assange case out as a political trial.
In a political trial it is crucial that political pressure outside the courtroom is brought to bear to halt the abuse of the legal system that takes place in the courtroom.
That’s why protest at the court is so important.
- The rally and demonstrations for Julian Assange take place outside the Royal Courts of Justice, WC2A 2LL, from 8.30am on Tuesday and Wednesday, February 20-21.
- This article was originally published in The Morning Star on February 16th, 2024.
If a 1 to 2 million strong protest were to take place, in London outside of the High Courts when this (final) “”decision”” is “actually” being made at the “same time” it is being made, can be organized, with people from outside of Britain supporting those in Britain who are trying to stop this extradition of Julian from taking place, then that also can facilitate an end to this Judicial Outrage and thus facilitate FREEDOM for Julian Assange.
Also, if the British Courts final decision, is to Extradite Julian, then the TUC General Council, should call for a General Strike to stop this extradition process.
In addition, Australia should leave NATO/AUKUS SHOULD THE BRITISH COURT’S FINAL DECISION BE IS TO EXTRADITE JULIAN ASSANGE TO THE US AND THE PM IN AUSTRALIA SHOULD CALL FOR A REFERENDUM ON THIS ISSUE IF BRITAIN DECIDES TO EXTRADITE JULIAN TO THE US THERFORE.
ARGUABLY, HE ALREADY HAS DIPLOMATICALLY LET THE AMERICANS KNOW THAT HE INTENDS TO DO THIS VIA HIS RECENT COMMENTS THAT “”ENOUGTH IS ENOUGTH”” ETC.
HOWEVER, IF HE DOES NOT DO THIS, THEN PEOPLE IN AUSTRALIA SHOULD DEMAND A VOTE ON WHETHER OR NOT AUSTRALIA SHOULD LEAVE AUKUS/NATO, ESPECIALLY IF JULIAN IS EXRADICTED TO THE US FROM BRITAIN.
FREE JULIAN ASSANGE