Free Assange Now campaign

(also in Spanish and German)

Note: We are in no way whatsoever linked with Julian Assange, Wikileaks or any of their affiliates. This campaign is the sole initiative of our nonprofit organization. We aim to encourage people to join our movement, as we believe that this is the last chance to change the bleak fate of Julian Assange.

A year ago the U.S. and Swedish governments declared war on the people's right to hear the truth about what is being done on their behalf - with active complicity by the Australian and UK governments and with the passive complicity of the European Union. The aforementioned war was declared the moment a Swedish prosecutor used an EU tool, the European Arrest Warrant, against Julian Assange, the founder and leader of Wikileaks. Wikileaks is a not-for-profit organization that publishes documents from whistleblowers after carefully verifying their authenticity and predetermining their impact.

Since then Assange has been subjected to distasteful forms of character assassination and smear campaigns. Furthermore, he has endured calls for legal and extra-legal assassination, judicial harassment and detention. He is required to wear an electronic bracelet around his ankle for 24 hours a day and appear at precise time each morning at a police station several miles away from the site of his house arrest. This can be interpreted as a form of harassment or humiliation attempt.

Frequent condemnation appears not to have deterred those who wish to keep the crimes that Wikileaks are exposing secret from the world audience. These people enjoy, for the most part, impunity and the priviliges of high rank in U.S. political and corporate spheres. Denouncement and disavowal of these people have come from all sides – most notably in the from a Nobel nomination, to the Walkley Award for Most Outstanding Contribution to Journalism. Both of which served to recognize the efforts and achievements of Julian Assange.

As Assange himself said, if the U.S. administration opposes Wikileaks' work in exposing its wrongdoings and crimes, it shouldn't have perpetrated those crimes in the first place.

If no deterrance is afforded, the fate of Assange is clear: extradition to Sweden, where – regarding the close ties its political elite appear to maintain with the worst of U.S. political and military/industrial strongmen, in addition to the legal and basic human rights violations that have rigged his case so far – Assange cannot expect much in terms of fair trial. Sweden already wants him tried behind closed doors.

Virtually all legal options have been explored. The few left,such as an appeal to the British High Court which will be reviewed by the same judges who have rejected a previous appeal. This calls to mind the words of one of the world's greatest pacifists, Mahatma Gandhi. He said, "Civil disobedience is the assertion of a right which law should give, but which it denies."

We believe in the freedom of expression and the right to access information of public interest. For reasons cited here and in order to defend digital freedom at its most fundamental level, we are starting a peaceful, nonviolent civil disobedience campaign that will work towards the goal of freeing Assange, and he and his team be freed from prosecution and persecution of any kind by any political or corporate entity.

We call on Wikileaks' and Julian Assange's supporters, as well as our own, to join our campaign. Furthermore, we hope to inspire the support of all those who felt shock, disbelief, shame and sadness at Assange's treatment during this last year.

If you are not familiar with Assange's case:
The details and facts of the case, and the Swedish political climate.
The numerous irregularities and violations of Assange's human rights by the Swedish justice system, politicians, and the press.
The banking blockade against Assange and Wikileaks.
A summary of Julian Assange's case, by his mother Christine.
What the Australian government is (not) doing for Assange.
Get news updates of the case: WLCentral.org.
See also:
Friends of Wikileaks
Crowdleaks
Friends of Julian Assange
Help Julian Assange face his outstanding legal costs, a consequence of the legal persecution against him.

-> Go directly to instructions and tips for calling your M(E)Ps.

May 9, 2012, 12:15 a.m.: Another 'The World Tomorrow' episode brings a unique perspective on global politics, this time with two Arab Spring revolutionaries.

April 28, 2012, 11:00 p.m.: Holocaust survivor Andrew Partos on how the Australian government is not fulfilling its duty to protect Assange, plus its possible implication in the extra-legal Mastercard blockade against Wikileaks:

April 20, 2012, 12:30 p.m.: Today marks Assange's 500th day of detention. Time to reflect on his true status.

Why Julian Assange is the first international prisoner of conscience

The notion of prisoner of conscience was first coined by an English lawyer, Peter Benenson, who grew tired of the fact that individuals persecuted and silenced because their beliefs were deemed unacceptable by their governments weren't designated by a proper term, which would reflect their particular situation. The first step of recognizing something is to give it a name.
In 1961, Benenson initiated a world campaign, “Appeal for Amnesty”, and in order to promote his idea he wrote a long article (“The Forgotten Prisoners”) which started by citing the articles 18 and 19 of the United Nation's Universal Declaration of Human Rights, that deal with freedom of thought, of opinion, and of expression.
This declaration was adopted in 1948 by 48 (easy to remember) members of the General Assembly, including, of course, the United States. A few members abstained, like the USSR, the Byelorussian SSR, and Saudi Arabia.
Benenson's movement eventually gave birth to the NGO Amnesty International (AI), which aims to prevent human rights abuses and demand justice for those whose rights have been violated.
In his founding article, Benenson defines prisoners of conscience as:

“Any person who is physically restrained (by imprisonment or otherwise) from expressing (in any form of words or symbols) any opinion which he honestly holds and which does not advocate or condone personal violence. We also exclude those people who have conspired with a foreign government to overthrow their own.”

It is pretty clear and concise, and general enough to prevent loopholing. There is the notion of restriction from expression, through limited movement, limited communication means, isolation... etc ; the one of honest opinion, which can refer to anything from political opinion to religious or personal belief ; and the notion of (non)violence, which can be taken in all its forms, like verbal or physical. Plus the 'no conspiracy' condition.
Now let's see if Julian Assange, who is today 'celebrating' his 500th day of detention (a virtual house arrest actually, after ten days of solitary confinement), fits into the profile of a prisoner of conscience according to Benenson, and if yes, is there anything more particular about his case.
In his youth, Assange was part of of the cypher-punk movement, which holds as a philosophy the protection of individual freedom through cryptography, that is the strong encryption of communication between individuals. He wrote several articles on the topic to defend this idea. This led him later to be involved in Wikileaks, which is a publishing organization that provides an anonymous electronic drop-box (making use of encryption technology) for whistleblowers holding material of political, ethical, or historical significance, and promises to publish the material with the highest impact. That is for the belief, that no one can doubt or deny.
Regarding nonviolence, and when looking at the false accusations that already targeted him, if Assange had shown any form of it, no matter how small, several jurisdictions would have jumped at the occasion and charged him with an offense. However to this day he hasn't been charged with anything, anywhere. Assange has clearly and consistently been defending his ideas and beliefs with the exclusive use of nonviolence.
Add to that the obvious fact that Assange didn't conspire with a foreign government to overthrow his (the Australian one). Like his counsellor Jennifer Robinson said he has been accused of anything from being anti-semitic to being a Mossad agent .
So the four Benenson conditions seem to be satisfied. Assange IS a prisoner of conscience.
Then why doesn't Amnesty International enlist him as a prisoner of conscience? In 2009, when Assange was relatively low profile (compared to since 2010), he received the Amnesty International Media Award. But no major reaction from AI since Wikileaks publishes very embarrassing US-related documents.
If you look Assange's name on their website, you will find a first page which has apparently been posted on December 9 2010 (two days after Assange voluntarily surrendered to the UK police) which sums up quite well the facts and the stakes, with some understandable reservations as investigations were underway.
The other page (most likely posted around mid-2011) presents the organization's 2011 Annual Report. The paragraph mentioning Assange says:

“As we have seen before, the desire to publicize information, if not balanced against individual rights, can lead to problems of its own. In August, two women filed criminal complaints against Julian Assange, the founder of Wikileaks, under the Swedish sexual offenses act. Hackers published the names and identities of the women who had been vilified in the media as stooges of the US and Swedish governments. This demonstrates that in the new virtual universe women continue to be treated as pawns – or even worse – as acceptable collateral damage. To be clear, the women deserve to have their complaints fully investigated and if there is sufficient evidence, to see the alleged perpetrator prosecuted. Julian Assange must be accorded the presumption of innocence and given due process protections and a fair trial.”

One can only be surprised at the fact that most of the paragraph is dedicated only to the two women who filed complaints (although only one should be considered, since the other one refused to sign her statement when she understood that she was being railroaded by the Swedish police and justice) and whose names have been exposed (note that their names should have remained protected, however this disclosure has allowed the establishment of their affiliation with members of the judiciary and the political class who are heavily involved in Assange's case, and have their personal agenda). Not a single word on the leaking of harmful and false information (like the 'rape charge' allegation) to the media by the Swedish prosecution and police on the ongoing investigation, which violated Assange's right for privacy. Nor on the calls for assassination from US and Canadian 'experts', politicians, and media hacks.

It seems that Amnesty International is trying to avoid the subject, and mentions Assange just enough for posture. Too bad, as it might suggest that AI's mission does have a limit after all.
Now what is specific about Assange's 'prisoner of conscience' case? Let's see how many governments or political entities have tried and are still trying to silence him, as well as Wikileaks that he represents:

• The United States government: at a national level, a secret Grand Jury was set up to 'deal' with Assange's case, and the latest Stratfor emails revelations show that a secret indictment has been issued against him already in early 2011. This indictment will most likely be used at the right moment in order to capture Assange and stip him of his fundamental freedoms (not to mention the possibility of torture, or organized assassination or suicide). On an international level, the US government seems to have dictated new laws to other states in order to help it get Assange on its territory: the extradition procedures of those countries. This extra-legal influence took place in Australia (cf. the Wikileaks Amendment), in the UK, whereas in Sweden there was already an efficient bilateral extradition treaty in place,

• Sweden's government: the radical-feminist-fueled allegations against Assange were a unique and unexpected chance for the democratically elected Swedish government to please its mentor and only master: the US administration. To the point that the Swedish Primer Minister himself as well as the prosecutor general launched direct attacks on Assange and Wikileaks. The Swedish government has already planned a behind-closed-doors trial for Assange in case he sets foot in Sweden. His detention conditions would involve isolation, incommunicado. With his lawyer gagged from talking to the public about the evidence. Then few people doubt that he would be extradited to the US, where he would be silenced for a long time. Yes it sounds more like Saudi Arabia, but that's the reality of Sweden today,

• The United Kingdom: after the issuing of the Red Notice Interpol arrest warrant against him (note that Gaddafi who had just bombed his people with fighter jets got only an Orange Notice arrest warrant; Assange got the Red Notice while charged with nothing), Assange went voluntarily into custody (in the UK where he was). He was immediately put in solitary confinement for 10 days in a maximum security unit of Wandsworth prison; was that all really necessary? After his release on bail, he has been put under virtual house arrest, and has to wear since an electronic tag and must report to the nearest police station daily. This sounds like overdoing, and may suggest an intention of harassment. Now more generally speaking, an FOI request shows that the extradition review panel that was appointed by the Home Secretary in 2011 failed to make public the results of the public consultation over the European Arrest Warrant (EAW), the UK/US extradition treaty, and the enactment of Forum – that's a strong suggestion that these objections weren't going to be considered - while in the same time going all the way to the US to meet US Attorney General Eric Holder, his team, and State Department officials. The goal of this trip seems quite clear: to write down the new British extradition policy as dictated by the US government, which is very likely to be tailor-made in order to get Assange on US soil,

• Australia (his home-country): last but not least, the Oz government has also taken part to the toxic smear campaign against its own citizen Assange, for instance when Prime Minister Julia Gillard wrongly but intentionally said he has broken the law. Of course no law has been broken, not in Australia, not anywhere. Regarding restrictions against him, the Australian government has been actively putting in place a 'welcome committee' in case Assange shows up, by successfully passing the 'Extradition and Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters Legislation Amendment Act 2012' on February 28 2012. Strange timing, a few weeks only before the UK Supreme Court's decision. Just in case the court rules in Assange's favor. The Oz government has also successfully blocked a freedom of information (FOI) request into the exchange of information between the Oz government and the US administration regarding Assange's extradition, and postponed its release until after the UK Supreme Court's verdict (expected this week). And last year, it passed what is called the 'Wikileaks Amendment' which makes it easier for ASIO (the Oz intelligence agency) to spy on anybody, no matter if the person or organization represents a threat to national security or not. You're never too careful with dissident voices.

There is also the simultaneous banking blockade by Paypal, Visa, and Mastercard, which can be interpreted as an attempt of silencing through financial starvation. But we will not treat here of actions other than those of governments (although it is possible that those companies acted after the US government pressured them, it is more likely that they acted on their own, in some sort of 1%-solidarity show).
So that makes four countries, including his own, who want to silence him in one way or another (and some have partially succeeded in seriously limiting his freedom of movement). Note that, apart from the US government whose feelings seem to have been deeply hurt because the documents released were supposed to remain classified and revealed embarrassing truths, all three others went after Assange only because they've had the opportunity to: Sweden, because Assange got trapped in the duckpond; the UK, because it happened that he was on its soil when the Swedish prosecutor Marianne Ny issued a judicially treacherous international arrest warrant for him; Australia because it happens that Assange is an Australian citizen, which should have constituted a positive leverage for him, but quite the opposite happened. When you're in a tricky situation abroad, your government (which has theoretically the obligation to come to your rescue) has virtually the right of life and death on you. After Assange's serious woes began, not only the Australian government didn't come to his help but rather joined the trigger happy band of character assassins by making statements alleging he broke the law also in Australia (which of course proved to be purely fabricated smear), and threatened to cancel his passport.
In all three cases, when the opportunity presented itself, these countries chose to clearly take sides with the Super Power while simultaneously overriding the sacred basic rights of citizens (Assange plus Wikileaks members and supporters), including their own.
This should of course bring up the following question: how many other countries would have taken the same path if they had the “chance” (or felt obliged) to?
The answer to that question doesn't matter, as the point here - which is that Assange is a prisoner of conscience, and furthermore an international one (the first of his kind), hunted down by four powerful jurisdictions who wish to silence him - is we believe made.

Artwork by basicregisters.

Should we expect Amnesty International to recognize Assange as a prisoner of conscience, and his particular status? When looking at the facts cited earlier about its apparent self-censorship and avoidance of the topic, it doesn't look likely.
Do we, the supporters of Assange and Wikileaks, and persons who reject all forms of injustice and oppression (whether for or against Wikileaks' philosophy), really need Amnesty International's recognition to change things and give Assange his freedom back?
The Arab Spring has taught us that true power lies within the people if they unite at the same time with the same goal. NGOs, especially large ones, were caught like everybody else by the unexpected North African and Middle Eastern democratic wave.
The case against Assange and Wikileaks is a grandeur nature testing ground for the above-mentioned governments and others of how fiercely will the people fight back to keep their fundamental rights, and those of others. It is obvious to many (although not to everyone) that what will happen to Assange (good or bad) will happen to many, many others.
A first round of this arm wrestling (or rather fierce battle) between civil society and governments will end with the UK Supreme Court's verdict on Assange's extradition. If the court allows his extradition to proceed, then it will be the first of many others (within the EU) which will need nothing more than a police officer, a justice minister, or virtually anyone who a foreign EU government decides to designate as a judicial authority, to extradite any citizen. A clear violation of a sacred multi-centennial principle of justice that is the role of a judge.
Technology allows us today to shed light on dark, hidden corners of both national and international affairs. The latter will, like in Assange's case, trigger closely coordinated attacks from several governments putting lots of manpower behind them. That is unprecedented in history, as it occurred only during wars, or in international terrorism cases. Other massive leaks like Cablegate WILL happen again. But the end-result of the fight for Assange's freedom will determine how often it will happen, what will be the fate of the publishers, and ultimately where will the balance of power stand between individuals' rights and the governments' capacity for abuse.

April 19, 2012, 1:00 p.m.: Never trust extremists: After the SCUM episode, Sweden's 'radical feminist elite', represented here by no less than the Culture Minister Lena Adelsohn Liljeroth, makes fun of a terrible practice against... women: female genital mutilation. Warning: the images and sound are very disturbing.

April 18, 2012, 2:30 a.m.: 'The World Tomorrow' kicks-off with... an interview with Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, the first one by a western media since 2006!

April 17, 2012, 2:30 a.m.: Well done RT! Full interview with Assange on 'The World Tomorrow'!

April 14, 2012, 2:30 a.m.: New episode of DID YOU HAVE ANY IDEA? with peace activist Gail MALONE: "It is now or never for Julian... History will judge him far more kindly than it judges [the Australian] government."

April 12, 2012, 12:00 p.m.: Don't miss the premiere of Julian Assange's show "The World Tomorrow", to be aired on RT on Tuesday April 17 at 11:30 GMT!

April 11, 2012, 8:00 p.m.: "The Treason of Benjamin Franklin", an excellent article by Harry Blutstein, or how the Obama administration is a traitor to the philosophy and values behind the United States' independance as well as its constitution.

Picture courtesy of Harry Blutstein.

April 6, 2012, 6:00 a.m.: Congratulations to our Swedish friends from HappySmile for preparing an English subtitled, special cut version of their short documentary The Transatlantic Link, focusing on the Swedish government, media, and justice's "handling" of Assange's non-case.

This video is very timely as it comes when Swedish politicians and media are fabricating stories saying that Wikileaks is preparing a smear campaign against Sweden, based on absolutely nothing, like all their precedent lies, and so ridiculous that it should open the eyes of many Swedes on the way they are being manipulated.

Enjoy, and share widely.

Reminders:

- the UK Supreme Court verdict regarding Assange's application for appeal should be made public during the week of April 16 2012,

- April 20 2012 will mark Assange's 500th day of detention without charge,

- global rallies are planned the day after the UK Supreme Court's decision. See list of planned rallies here; if your city is not mentioned organize one!

March 22, 2012, 2:00 p.m.: The videos of the "Wikileaks, Assange & Democracy" panel are now online! Below the speech of historian Humphrey McQueen:

March 19, 2012, 2:15 a.m.: It seems Julian Assange can run for the Australian Senate... and will! Here's a short video interview with Christine Assange and Senator Scott Ludlam on the implications:

March 17, 2012, 10:30 a.m.: Why is it so important for society to have an honorable press which isn't afraid of dealing with the real issues and holding power to acccount? Like reminds it the editor of online investigative newspaper Mediapart, right after the liberation of France in 1944, Nobel Prize in Literature laureate Albert Camus said:

"Anything that degrades culture shortens the paths that lead to bondage. A society that supports being distracted by a disgraced press (...) runs toward slavery despite the protests of the very people who contribute to its degradation. (...) Yet it is our duty to refuse this dirty complicity. Our honor depends on the energy with which we will not compromise."

March 14, 2012, 1:00 p.m.: It seems the info we got wasn't so reliable. Nevertheless the court decision is expected soon.

March 14, 2012, 1:20 a.m.: We may be just a few hours away from the UK Supreme Court's decision on Assange's application for appeal, which will be announced on its Twitter account: @UKSupremeCourt
Indeed we hear the announcement will be tweeted between 9 and 10 p.m. Australian time (that's between 10 and 11 a.m. GMT).

Will we continue to stand up for Assange no matter what the decision is? Yes. Why? A certain Nozomi Hayase says it very well:

March 13, 2012, 1:30 a.m.: We're publishing our interview with Christine Assange, Julian' mother.

March 10, 2012, 2:30 a.m.: UK Supreme Court's decision regarding Assange's appeal should be made public any day now through the court's Twitter account.

March 8, 2012, 1:45 a.m.: Christine Assange call out / Standby Demonstration Alert Brisbane

‘BRING JULIAN HOME’
This is close to home. When someone is dragged from the pack, we go
back for them.


Standby Demonstration Alert Brisbane

Brisbane stay on Alert between March 6 - 14th 2012

It is expected that the trial outcome to extradite Julian Assange to
Sweden will be announced between March 6 - 14.
A demonstration is planned in Brisbane for the day after the outcome
is announced. If the outcome is announced on Friday the demonstration
will be held after the weekend on the Monday.


This demonstration has been called by Julian’s mother Christine Assange

This is a non-violent event.
Location: Department of Foreign Affairs - 295 Ann Street, (corner of
Creek St) Brisbane City

Lunch time at 12AM -2.00PM
Afternoon at 4.30PM- 6.00PM

This is a call to you to stay on alert and participate in this
demonstration. There are two times allocated to allow people to attend
this event. Please pass on this information as an individual or a
member of a group. This message needs to get around.
For further enquires or if you would like to receive an SMS/Email as a
reminder the day before the event send your contact details to:
goldie_adele@yahoo.com.au

Confidential emails obtained from the US private intelligence firm
Stratfor show that the United States Government has had a secret
indictment against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange for more than 12
months.
Wikileaks.org "PRESS RELEASE - Stratfor emails: US has issued sealed
indictment against Julian Assange"

Julian is facing indefinite detention, torture and the death penalty
for his role as Editor and Chief of WikiLeaks.

 "Assange is going to make a nice bride in prison.“ Screw the
terrorist. He'll be eating cat food forever." and that Assagne should
be 'waterboarded'. In a press release, Wikileaks.org said that,
"emails from Fred Burton reveal that the US Government employs the
same counterterrorism strategy against Julian Assange and WikiLeaks as
against Al Qaeda: "Take down the money. Go after his infrastructure.
The tools we are using to nail and de-construct Wiki are the same
tools used to dismantle and track aQ [Al Qaeda]. Thank Cheney & 43
[former US President George W. Bush]. Big Brother owns his liberal
terrorist arse" and "Burton states: "Ferreting out [Julian Assange’s]
confederates is also key. Find out what other disgruntled rogues
inside the tent or outside [sic]. Pile on. Move him from country to
country to face various charges for the next 25 years. But, seize
everything he and his family own, to include every person linked to
Wiki."

"[Julian Assange] is a peacenik. He needs his head dunked in a full toilet bowl at Gitmo.”

The Australian government must act now to prevent the extradition of
Julian Assange to the United States”, responded Pearson. “Prime
Minister Gillard must immediately seek confirmation of these reports
from the US government. She must state publicly that our government
objects to Assange being extradited to the US, under any
circumstances.”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yS11uFGVjZ0&feature=player_embedded

March 6, 2012, 3:45 p.m.: Time for a new action! We won't just sit back and wait for the Supreme Court's decision, will we?

A supporter of Julian Assange (who wishes to remain anonymous) has sent us an interesting analysis of the game being played at the UK Home Office, supported by a new document obtained through the Freedom of Information Act (FOI) Act. Read the backgrounder below, then take action and send a letter plus an e-mail to Nick Clegg with copy to all UK MPs! You don't have to be a UK citizen for that: not only is Assange's fate an international issue and a matter of concern to all of us, but also the UK politicians should worry about the perception of their country from abroad, especially its excessive political ties with private US interests.

Backgrounder + Letter, by anonymous:

First, some background so you can understand what this letter is trying to do, and why it’s important to send it. Two things:

People think it is up to the Supreme Court whether Julian Assange is extradited to Sweden. WRONG. It’s up to the UK Home Secretary, a lady called Theresa May. She’s the one who has the final say-so on ALL extraditions – always. The legal basis for this is at the bottom of the letter – so sending the letter to UK MPs is the best way to put pressure on her to block the extradition if the Supreme Court turns down Julian Assange’s appeal.

Second – read the link to the Freedom of Information request. This is important NEW information. The Baker Review was set up last year to look at the UK’s Extradition Act because so many people were unhappy with the way it was working. There was a big “public consultation” beforehand but, well, the FOI reply says it all about how seriously that was taken.... Main thing though, from WikiLeaks supporters’ perspective: look at the dates that this “whitewash” Review went and met Eric Holder and all those State Dept officials to have the UK’s extradition policy dictated to them... We’re not being told what was discussed, but - May 2011 and a US drive to “get” Julian Assange and WikiLeaks that was “unprecedented in scale”? – It’d be surprising if Assange’s name didn’t come up somewhere in those discussions. Nick Clegg – UK Deputy Prime Minister – was very big on Human Rights at one point and he was furious with the Baker Review's “current system works just fine” bullshit, so he’s set up a Review of the Review... Most relevant politician for this letter.  

Please take 5 or 10 minutes to cut n’ paste the Open Letter below. Please use the A-Z list of UK MPs to copy it to a few.... and please please please don’t worry if you’re not a UK citizen – just set yourself up a gmail.com address – they’ll never know... ;)  Who needs borders anyway, eh? We’re all global citizens now.

A-Z list of UK MPs:
http://www.parliament.uk/mps-lords-and-offices/mps/

And here's the letter itself:

March 3, 2012, 1:45 p.m.: Ahead of a possible extradition of Assange to Sweden, the Swedish elite, supported by many mass media outlets, have intensified their PR campaign in order to prepare the Swedish public opinion to the (very likely) harsh and illegal treatment of Assange, and "compensate" past and future violations of his basic human rights.

"Witch-hunt", by Monica Martins (basicregisters)

For more details read Professor Ferrada de Noli's article on the subject, and the transcript of Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeld's interview on the Swedish national radio: Justice4Assange.com.

February 29, 2012, 12:50 a.m.: Below, two interviews on the Global Intelligence Files (GIFiles), one with Assange, the other with Kristinn Hrafnsson (Wikileaks spokesperson). And, for the lulz, an interview (in Swedish, but it doesn't matter if you don't understand it) of Swedish Blood Money Minister Carl Bildt. Enjoy:

February 28, 2012, 6:30 p.m.: The GIFiles discussing Wikileaks and Assange are now available on-line. The manner in which Stratfor's employees and senior officers talk about Assange is quite shocking. For instance, this is what one senior officer said on Assange: ''If I thought I could switch this dickhead off without getting done, I don't think I'd have too much of a problem." More interestingly, he also commented on Sweden's legal case against Assange: "there is absolutely nothing behind it other than prosecutors that are looking to make a name for themselves." You're thinking a certain Marianne Ny?

February 27, 2012, 11:15 a.m.: BREAKING: After several months of silent work, Wikileaks, along with twenty-five media organizations (excluding The Guardian, New York Times, Le Monde, El Pais, and Der Spiegel, who have turned against the organisation in order to please the establishment), publishes The Global Intelligence Files (or The GIFiles): over five million e-mails leaked or hacked from intelligence company Stratfor.

Wikileaks has also announced that a press conference will be held on Monday (today) at 12 (GMT).

Congratulations to Wikileaks for keeping its promise of giving the highest impact to releases of secret information of public importance, and this despite being under attack from all possible angles (judicial, financial, smear). Remember to support Wikileaks and Assange in their ongoing fights.

February 25, 2012, 4:30 p.m.: Important: Help discourage silencing attempts againt Assange and Wikileaks by downloading and seeding the bittorrent Wikileaks Insurance file (22/02/2012 update; size: 65 GB) on P2P networks!

February 24, 2012, 1:00 a.m.: Great job of reconstructing the timeline of the US versus Assange, Manning, Wikileaks case, by Alexa O'Brien (@carwinb).

February 15, 2012, 11:50 p.m.: Wikileaks made an announcement today to say that UNESCO didn't allow them to take part to the conference The Media World after WikiLeaks and News of the World, which will be held during the next two days at UNESCO's headquarters in Paris.

Wikileaks have called to an #OccupyUNESCO protest against this shamefully blatant censorship. We invite you to be part of this protest:

• If you are in or near Paris: by peacefully gathering outside UNESCO's headquarters (see map here) during the conference (during the next two days, that is on February 16 and 17), holding signs exposing the event's true nature (masquerade, fraud, fake...),
• If you are not near Paris, you can still share your indignation with the event organiser: Sylvie Coudray, e-mail: s.coudray(at)unesco.org , phone: +33 1 45 68 42 12 , fax: +331 45 68 55 84.

You can for instance send (by e-mail and/or fax) and/or call to remind them of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, of which Article 2 mentions that no distinction should be made against any person. UNESCO also refers to fundamental human rights in Article 1 of its constitution. You can of course also e-mail/fax UNESCO's constitution. Think of using free fax services. This one seems to work. Remember to always remain polite and not send illegal things or abuse the service.

February 7, 2012, 1:00 a.m.: New interview by CaTV! Independent journalist Antony Loewenstein explains how many Western journalists and newspapers saw Wikileaks as a threat to their privileged relationship with the Establishment:

February 5, 2012, 19:40 p.m.: While Assange's freedom is repressed by the 1% criminals and their acolytes, one of the best things we can do is to give his ideas and the facts surrounding his legal plight an exceptional coverage and accessibility worldwide. This involves an effort of translation in order to reach non-English speaking audiences. Here are a few announcements/articles our volunteers and supporters have translated so far, feel free to publish them on your website, or tweet their links:

• Wikileaks' official announcement for Assange's TV series, in Brazilian/Portugese, Greek, French.
• The Guardian article "Julian Assange extradition breaches legal principle, lawyer claims", in Brazilian/Portuguese.

If you wish to provide other translations get in touch!

February 4, 2012, 11:15 p.m.: Second day ended with everyone having the same feeling that, despite being able to argue only on the validity of the EAW, Assange's lawyer made a clear point that the arrest warrant violates the proportionality principle, Assange's human rights, and if not rejected by the court would set a dangerous precedent as it would allow any EU country to extradite any citizen without charges. Sweden's prosecution office's lawyer said quite disturbing things like the issuer of an EAW doesn't have to take into account the human rights of the subject. This is the transcript of the second day of the court hearing (by @Braingarbage):

supreme court day2 sweden versus assange

February 1, 2012, 6:40 p.m.: Today is day one of Assange's hearing. Kicks-off well, with Assange's lawyer doing a solid, terrific performance, while the other party's lawyer's was shaky. Mary Rose Lenore Eng (aka @Braingarbage) kindly transcripted the whole hearing (see below). Also, read this article, and this one. Pictures and videos here (courtesy of @Braingarbage). Part II tomorrow. Live feed here (starting at 10:30 GMT). Fingers crossed.

Assange of Wikileaks Supreme Court minutes1 February 2012

January 28, 2012, 11:45 p.m.: Sydney supporters of Julian Assange and Wikileaks: if you can't attend the hearing in London, you should know that independent artist Ingrid Skirka will be handing out free original artworks (that may become collector items one day!) at Sydney Town Hall on February 1 at 5:00 p.m. & 2 (to be confirmed). Picture courtesy of Ingrid Skirka:

January 25, 2012, 11:50 a.m.: RT (a television news network) has always closely and objectively (a quite rare feature in news outfits) covered Wikileaks' revelations and Assange's politically motivated legal battle. It will also broadcast Assange's independently-produced new series to be aired starting from mid-march:

January 25, 2012, 5:00 a.m.: Tomorrow is Australia Day: show your support to national hero Julian Assange, who is shamefully, illegally and criminally abandonned by his government, who has the obligation to assist and defend him. Visit Christine Assange's blog for ideas and tips for action!

January 24, 2012, 16:30 p.m.: Despite being illegitimately detained for over a year now, Julian Assange is about to host an exceptional series on the world tomorrow, with guests at the forefront of the battle for democracy. Official announcement here.

January 22, 2012, 12:30 p.m.: Fantastic demo in Frankfurt/Main (Germany). Great job everyone! See FreeBradleyManning.de for more pictures.

January 20, 2012, 12:45 p.m.: Another informative interview by Catherine Vogan, with Australian senator Scott Ludlam after his trip to the UK and Sweden where he met some officials to discuss Assange's case and seek guaranties:

January 18, 2012, 11:30 p.m.: Important action! Did you write a letter to Marianne Ny's top boss asking him for clarification over the many irregularities observed in Assange's case? Here's a template for you, that you can adapt by at least putting your name and country, then send it by post and/or e-mail:

January 16, 2012, 9:50 p.m.: Great job Germany! Take a look at pictures from yesterday's Global Change Demo in Berlin:

January 16, 2012, 1:00 p.m.: Ten years later, despite Obama's promise to close it down and Wikileaks' revelations of its true nature, not only the Guatánamo black-hole is still open, but the US government is vengefully going after Wikileaks' leader Assange. "Happy Birthday Guatánamo", by basicregisters:

January 7, 2012, 12:20 a.m.: (Updated on January 25 2012 according to this) Have you planned your trip to London to show Assange (and the Supreme Court judges) your support to Wikileaks? and show your indignation over the politically motivated case against Assange (who will be detained for the 400th day on January 11, without charge)?
Here are info and tips for your trip:

• Date and time: February 1 & 2 2012, most likely starting from 9:00 a.m. building will open at 9:30 a.m. (although supporters and journalists will start gathering before that); hearing begins at 10:30 a.m.,
• There will be a queuing system on both days, and once the courtroom is full people will be directed to an overflow courtroom where a live feed will be available,
• Venue: UK Supreme Court, Parliament Square, London. Closest Underground station is Westminster (it's on Circle, District, and Jubilee lines). See map:

 


View larger map

• Where to stay: if you're on a small budget you can try an international youth hostel, or couch surfing,
• What to bring: apart from your usual travel things, you can take t-shirts, masks, flags, posters, banners, flyers... that clearly show why you're there (you can still place an order on the Wikileaks shop), and while you're at it raise passers' awareness on Assange's case, without being invasive of course. Note that big objects (like flags on a stick) might not be accepted in the court, so have a plan to safely leave them outside. Bring also food (like snacks) and drinks (avoid alcohol though), the hearing will last two full days,
• If you'd like to document the event with a camcorder you should note that you'll be able only to shoot outside the court room: it's prohibited to take pictures or film inside,
• If you have more tips please share them with everyone (on Twitter, or e-mail us we'll publish them).

Street support is of tremendous importance in politically motivated cases; it may be one of the few effective levers to avoid Assange be extradited to Sweden and then the US. Be there in large numbers!

January 6, 2012, 1:00 p.m.: Many thanks to artist basicregisters for this new artwork "Prometheus" inspired by Professor Ferrada de Noli's article "Historical meaning of Wikileaks, and Swedish myths on Julian Assange".

January 5, 2012, 6:00 p.m.: Happy New Year everyone! Battle for digital freedom (and for democracy as a whole) is still raging. As of us we won't stop this campaign until Assange is released from custody and free from prosecution, and all individuals behind the fabrication of the case against him investigated.
In order to help make this campaign even more international, we are glad to announce that the introduction text (see above) is now available in Spanish and German! (although our friends from BradleyManning.de already kindly provided a German translation)

December 29, 2011, 2:00 a.m.: BREAKING: THE EUROPEAN PEOPLE HAVE DOWNGRADED SWEDEN TO "JUNK STATE".
We just sent a free digital copy of our free digital newspaper frontpage (designed by our supporter OS - who shall be thanked here) to a certain number of Swedish justice system employees and officials (including the Justice Minister) as well as the Minister (+ officials) of Immigration and Asylum Policy, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs (but we believe he is too busy writing his resignation amid scandal). We have also sent this newspaper frontpage to other individuals in Sweden, but we'd rather not mention who at this stage.
By the way, gratitude to all the volunteers who did a terrific job in getting hold of all those e-mail addresses.
Along with other actions part of this campaign or other campaigns, we hope this will help get the attention of Sweden's officials and justice system employees, and make them realize that the European (and international) perception of their country has dramatically changed during the last year. As for the others (including Marianne Ny, who should get it through forwards), they shall see it as a "entrée" for a long menu that is going to be served until the international arrest warrant for Assange is dropped, and Marianne Ny investigated over her handling of the case and the violations of several of Assange's human rights.

December 28, 2011, 2:45 a.m.: Today, Assange has been detained 385 days without charge.

December 27, 2011, 12:30 p.m.: Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt has recently refused to meet with Australian Senator Ludlam to discuss Julian Assange's case. This is yet another indication that Sweden doesn't want to give too many reassurances, probably because it doesn't plan on treating Assange fairly or keeping him away from US attempts to illegally extradite him.
Carl Bildt is embroiled in a dirty case in which he is suspected of conflict of interest over the defense of two Swedish journalists who were arrested and then convicted in Ethiopia of aiding terrorism and illegal entry on the country while they were investigating the crimes of a Swedish oil company with strong ties to Bildt.
Is this case going to open Swedes' eyes to the kind of "elite" that is governing their country, and that wants Assange's head?

Anyways, some Swedes already want Bildt behind bars: (courtesy of @InnerMentalist and @AnonOpsSweden)

December 22, 2011, 11:30 a.m.: Since most Swedish adults seem to be in comatose when it comes to this particular case, Anonymous calls on Swedish teenagers to start a debate on their country's shameful treatment of Julian Assange:

December 21, 2011, 1:00 a.m.: Wikileaks has revealed the widespread, daily war crimes in places like Iraq and Afghanistan; the way in which the US leads its foreign policy (like spying on UN officials among other things); the way the Swedish government has hidden from the Swedish parliament its collaboration with... the CIA (yes, a foreign intelligence agency) in illegal detention and transport of citizens (possibly their torture) without trial; the wide-spread corruption of several governments... These are not the ultimate revelations on what is happening everyday and kept secret from us. There is a lot more out there. Here in an example.
This is why we need to protect whistleblowers and publishing organisations like Wikileaks, starting with it founder Julian Assange, who is facing a politically motivated witch-hunt with possibly serious consequences for his safety.
It is important to ACT NOW in order to help Assange fight and win his case against extradition to the US via Sweden. Join our campaign or other campaigns or networks like WLfriends.org, unite your efforts, create buzz, start campaigns, fight disinformation, challenge the media so they cover more and better this case, and most importantly ask your elected representatives to bring it under the spot-lights of the politicial scene. It is also important to support Wikileaks financially (see also the Wikileaks shop Xmas gifts), as companies like Visa, Mastercard, Paypal have exerted an unjustified financial blockade against it for over a year now (most likely just to be nice to their 1% criminal accomplices at the DOJ and CIA).

------------------------<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<ACT NOW>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>-------------------------

December 20, 2011, 3:30 a.m.: After one year of legal persecution (and counting), a Swedish media finally bothers giving an interview to Assange:

December 17, 2011, 12:30 a.m.: A few days earlier than initially announced (the 19th), the UK Supreme Court has annouced yesterday that it has accepted Assange's appeal. The hearing will take place over two days, starting February 1 2012. See Justice4Assange.com
This is great news, however justice is not made yet, we must keep the pressure until the warrant against Assange is dropped, and the people involved in its fabrication investigated.

December 13, 2011, 11:30 p.m.: Part III of documentary "The Transatlantic Link" (exposing Sweden's corruption and complicity with US crimes) is now available. If you can help with the English subtitles get in touch with www.happysmile.se (@happysmile56)

December 12, 2011, 11:50 p.m.: International Day of Support for Bradley Manning & Julian Assange, Saturday December 17 2011, 2 p.m., Brisbane Square, Brisbane, Australia:

December 12, 2011, 10:20 p.m.: John Pilger, reknowned journalist and documentary maker, speaks about Assange's initial idea, Wikileaks' success and the perils ahead:

December 12, 2011, 2:30 p.m.: Many thanks to Monica Martins aka basicregisters (see also here) for making new artwork for this campaign: "Witch-hunt"

December 11, 2011, 7:40 p.m.: Assange's application at the Supreme Court will exceptionally take place on December 19 2011, only two weeks after the High Court's acceptance. See Justice4Assange.com for more details.

December 9, 2011, 11:35 p.m.: URGENT: Swedish speakers, we need to subtitle these two videos in English:
Update: If you want to help with the subtitles get in touch with the producers: HappySmile.se
Part III added.

The Transatlantic Link (parts 1 & 2 & 3):

December 9, 2011, 1:30 p.m.: This is the country where a radical feminist private prosecutor wants Assange for "questioning". Should it be trusted for giving him a fair trial if he is prosecuted?

Here is an interesting comment on the clip above:

The "SCUM team" seems to have been finally identified:

Are we going to let Sweden get its hands on Julian Assange, use him to satisfy its radical feminists' thirst for hatred and crime, then send him to the US where he will most likely face torture and possible death?

We think we shouldn't. Join us in the fight against Assange's extradition to Sweden.

December 9, 2011, 1:00 p.m.: P. J. Crowley, former Assistant Secretary of State, on the US government's attempt to prosecute Assange, and how it contradicts american values:

December 5, 2011, 2:30 p.m.: Assange's application for appeal at the Supreme Court has been accepted by the UK High Court. Congratulations to our volunteers, and to everyone who joined this campaign or took any kind of action in order to influence Assange's fate. We need to keep a huge pressure in order to put an end to the US witch-hunt against him.

We need more people to join us to step up our efforts, get in touch, there's plenty to do.

Also, keep on sending us your artwork, like Monica (basicregisters) who sent us "Wikiglasses", below:

December 4, 2011, 11:55 p.m.: This is the country where Julian Assange could end up if he is extradited to Sweden (via @OperationLeakS):

December 4, 2011, 9:50 p.m.: Added below: the interview of Senator Scott Ludlam (Australian Green Party), who will be tomorrow at the British High Court to support Assange (via and by CaTV on Vimeo). 

December 4, 2011, 9:00 p.m.: Watch the following interviews of Mary Kostakidis and Cassie Findlay (via CaTV on Vimeo):

December 4, 2011, 1:30 p.m.: Gratitude to @AnonoNews for sending us artwork of her "Julian" tattoo:

Send us your artwok too: posters, videos, songs... we'll publish them on this same page.

December 4, 2011, 1:45 a.m.: To our German speaking visitors and supporters: our friends from freebradleymanning.de have translated the text above to German. Many thanks to them, as this will help spread the word.

December 3, 2011, 10:20 p.m.: Many thanks to @braingarbage for sending us the following artwork on Wikileaks (by John Lewicki):

Click on it for a higher resolution version. You can also find an arty version here (mid. res.) and here (high res.). Get in touch for higher resolution.

On @braingarbage's blog you can find more Wikileaks artwork. Also, take a look at the amazing Occupy London Great Wall of Wikileaks Economic Strangulation by Visa and Mastercard.

December 2, 2011, 11:30 p.m.: Tips to make your call to your MP effective (source: LQDN; see bottom of the page):

• Always remain polite and calm.
• Send your MP a comprehensive and detailed e-mail about Assange's case, underlining all the irregularities.
• A few minutes later, call your MP. It is most likely that an assistant will answer your call.
• Introduce yourself (name, city) and say you voted for this MP.
• Ask to speak to your MP. If you succeed, that will have good impact. Otherwise, if the assistant asks you to call again later, ask this person if he or she got your e-mail. If yes, ask precise questions about its content. If no, say you will call again later (which you will do).
• Ask what your MP's position is regarding Assange's case. If necessary, recall facts from Assange's case (make a list beforehand).
• If your MP is against the extradition of Assange, ask him or her to act accordingly (see details). If for extradition, explain that you oppose it because it violates fundamental principles of human rights as stated in the European Convention on Human Rights. See preceding link for more violations.

December 2, 2011, 7:30 p.m.: Thanks to everyone who took part in our campaign so far. Visibility is needed so that everyone can take part and do something against Assange's persecution.

Next we ask you to write a letter about the European Arrest Warrant (template here that can be adapted; or visit Justice4Assange's action page, or go here. Call MEPs, UK MPs and Swedish MPs telling them that what is happening to Assange is wrong at several levels as well as about specific actions they should commence. We've got the weekend to flood MP mailboxes and answering machines to get their attention. Send only relevant material. Please don't spam.

Here are their e-mail addresses and phone numbers (MS Word documents):

• MEP e-mail addresses and phone numbers
• UK MP e-mail addresses (we don't have their numbers)
• Swedish MP e-mail addresses and phone numbers

Don't hesitate to write to an MP of a country other than yours; this is an international issue, and if these MPs care about their country's international standing, they will listen to you (in this case don't tell them what to do, just how you perceive their country and why). For international phone calls use Skype, or VoipBuster (supposed to be free to destinations such as Belgium where MEPs have offices).

Remain respectful and polite, and put in your letter or phone call as many details as you can on the irregularities of the case against Assange. It will not only bring them up to date, but it will also show that your request is legitimate and well thought out. Also mention that time is running out: on Monday December 5, 2011 the British High Court will decide on Assange's extradition appeal (likely by rejecting it). If you feel like showing your deep discontent, attach one (or both) of the warrants we publish and say you share their message.

December 2, 2011, 5:30 p.m.: We notice many EU citizens feel ashamed that a Swedish private prosecutor is using an EU tool, the already highly criticized European Arrest Warrant, for political and personal ends: 1) creating a precedent that under Swedish law that ANY man having sex with a woman can become a rapist without significant grounds for accusing him, 2) getting a career boost for being the initiator.

Since EU politicians and institutions are not to be trusted, as they have worked perfectly well to put an uncharged man in a shockingly abusive situation, while completely ignoring his and his laywers' legitimate calls for a closer look at the blatant irregularities of his case;

We have decided to allow EU citizens to symbolically take matters in their own hands, by issuing THEIR European People's Arrest Warrant, against Marianne Ny, for the offences listed:

You can either copy the warrant on your blog, website, Facebook, or you can insert a script that will display it as a banner (instructions here).

December 2, 2011, 3:00 p.m.: Our campaign starts by publishing what Interpol's arrest warrant issued a year ago against Assange would look like if purged of lies (not surprising when you know Interpol's reputation, not to mention this disturbing fact), then add known truths:

You can either copy this warrant on your blog, website, Facebook, or you can insert HTML code on your webpage that will display it as a banner (instructions here). To see how it works, visit our homepage.

There's more to come. Meanwhile, we encourage you to join our campaign and flood the Internet with the truth about Assange's case!

We are a small group of volunteers creating content and updating news on this site. We need more volunteers to help promote and defend digital democracy and whistleblowers. Help us move to the next level! Get involved in a critical issue for the future of democracy! Join us!

Also, please consider supporting us through a bitcoin donation (all donations will serve to finance our campaigns): 1Pn8DSto8ey294p11swNiboRDwzwXh41cR