Assange: Welcome Home
Time for a little stock taking and R&R
Published: 2024-06-27
Julian Assange's US lawyer, Barry Pollack, speaking outside of the court in Saipan reminded the world of the context of the case.
The prosecution of Julian Assange is unprecedented. In the 100 years of the Espionage Act it has never been used by the US to pursue a publisher, a journalist like Mr. Assange.
In this he was echoing that which Julian had stated in the court.
"Working as a journalist, I encouraged my source to provide classified information to publish it. I believe the First Amendment protected that." When being asked to confirm his guilty plea to the ‘conspiracy to commit espionage’ charge he said, “I accept it’s a violation of an espionage statute.”
Assange concluded with:
The First Amendment and the Espionage Act are in contradiction.
Actually, its the three: the first amendment, the Espionage Act and the system of classification. It is illegal for the government to classify information which reveals a crime, but the Espionage Act must be broken to possess the information to reveal it. This contradiction, the almost certain unconstitutionality of the 1917 Act, is known but the US used the Espionage Act anyway, tacked on 17 times after the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act "hacking" charge, which we learned during Assange's trials was bogus. But, enough of this legal chicanery. There is plenty of guilt to be shared even outside of the US DoJ and CIA. Jonothan Cook rightly places the establishment media, The Guardian in particular, in the middle of his crosshairs.
Chris Hedges' article captures the messages sent by Stella Assange and Jennifer Robinson: You Saved Julian Assange. It took millions of people, politicians from all over Europe and Australia, and some in the US too, with reports from the UN, dogged reporting by some elements of the independent media, and protest after protest after protest after protest by millions of people world wide, for years, to achieve this outcome.
Jennifer Robinson was particular in her thanks for the Australian government's diplomacy, which was perhaps too quiet for many. It involved the current Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and former PM Kevin Rudd, Australia's Ambassador in the US, to facilitate the dialogue which made the plea deal possibile.
The US was snookered by the upcoming legal appeal in the UK and the upcoming presidential election in the US. The regime needed a face-saving manner in which to wash their hands of the diabolical outrage.
Caitlin Johnstone is correct that "Justice Has Not Been Done". For now though, while the person who has withstood 14 years of arbitrary detention or super-max incarceration recuperates and unites with two sons, whose childhood the US government has prevented him from knowing, and his determined and loving wife, a celebration is fitting.
With the energy that comes from having achieved the nigh impossible, perhaps we can all accept that dogged determination exists, and that when harnessed, anything can be achieved.
Well done all.
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Sources
You Saved Julian Assange, Chris Hedges, ScheerPost, 2024-06-25
The End Of The Biggest Press Freedom Case Of The Century, Kevin Gosztola, The Dissenter, 2024-06-25
Assange: I Broke the Law But the Law Is Wrong, Joe Lauria, Consortium News, 2024-06-26
It Was the Media, Led by the Guardian, That Kept Julian Assange Behind Bars, Jonothan Cook, The Unz Review, 2024-06-26
Assange Finally Free After Judge Accepts Plea Agreement, Kyle Anzalone, Antiwar, 2024-06-25
Julian Assange Is (Nearly) Free: Live Coverage, ScheerPost, 2024-06-25
The Happiest of Days, Craig Murray, Craig Murray, 2024-06-25
Assange Is Free, But Justice Has Not Been Done, Caitlin Johnston, Caitlin's Newsletter, 2024-06-25
Hell, Maybe ANYTHING Is Possible, Caitlin Johnston, Caitlin's Newsletter, 2024-06-26
Julian Assange arrives back in Australia ｜ 9 News Australia, 9 News Australia, 2024-06-27
Julian Assange's lawyers speak outside US court in Saipan, SBS News, 2024-06-26
Julian Assange: 'He needs time,' tearful wife says - as WikiLeaks holds news conference without him, Sky News, 2024-06-26
📽️ YES, JULIAN ASSANGE IS ACTUALLY FREE, Richard Medhurst, Richard Medhurst, 2024-06-25
Prof. Jeffrey Sachs: Netanyahu’s Troubles, Napolitano with Sachs, Judging Freedom, 2024-06-27
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