Julian Assange claims WikiLeaks is more accountable than governments

VIDEO SOURCE:  http://www.timesnow.tv | SOURCE: Guardian.co.uk
Saturday 9 April 2011 22.48 BST


WikiLeaks is more accountable than democratically elected governments because it accepts donations from members of the public, Julian Assange has claimed, in his first formal public appearance since being arrested over sexual assault allegations.

The Hindu newspaper had in recent weeks published 21 front pages based on so-called "cablegate" revelations, he said, has lead to the Indian government walking out four times and a growing anti-corruption movement in the country.

Read the full Guardian new story here:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2011/apr/09/julian-assange-wikileaks-public-debate

PRESS RELEASE - Christine Assange's Full Response to Australian Prime Minister, Julia Gillard

SOURCE: Christine Assange

On March 2, 2011, following an article by Michelle Grattan from TheAge.com.au following Julia Gillard's remarks about Wikileaks as "ill made", Christine Assange responded to the Australian Prime Minister.

Julia Gillard’s ignorance and arrogance regarding Wikileaks and the subsequent Swedish case involving my son Julian, knows no limits.

Not content with ignoring the plethora of growing concern voiced by prominent Australian and International lawyers, writers, human rights organisations, academics, ex-diplomats, etc., she now dismisses the entire Australian media as ‘myth makers’.

There has been a lot of that going around lately hasn’t there, Julia?

The pesky myth about the promise you made not to introduce the Carbon Tax. Then there is the myth that you stated that Julian’s work was ‘illegal’ ahead of an AFP investigation, which subsequently found he had broken no Australian Law.

And then there is that myth about you saying he is ‘grossly irresponsible’ and implying that he is immoral, and then repeating it again on February 2, 2011, the day he was awarded the Gold Medal for ‘Peace with Justice’. And then there is that nasty little myth about a Backbench revolt because they believe the above myth.

Damn Journalists! Perhaps when you see your buddy, Barack, this week, you could put your heads together and work out a way to lock them all up.

You say that your personal view of ‘that person’ (Julian) does not affect the Government assistance given to him. Are you serious? A Prime Minister publicity accuses one of her own citizens as having committed an ‘illegal act’, and impunes his character ahead of the most publicized case in the world this decade, and you think it has no effect!!

In the wake of your ongoing character assassination of Julian in the media, your government’s offer of ‘normal consular assistance’ is about as useful as a floaty in a tsunami. You have cast aside the presumption of innocence and prejudiced his right to a fair trial. You have been complicit in the denial of natural justice he is currently experiencing in a foreign country. Now the Swedish Prime Minister is taking your lead and vilifying him through the Swedish media. You have perverted the course of justice and continue to do so.

You condemn the media for ‘appalling’ confusion in the comparing of Wikileaks disclosures to those of whistleblowers such as Watergate’s, Daniel Ellsberg. I would call appalling the US cries to kidnap and murder my son.  I would call appalling the continual abuse of the legal process in the Swedish case. The Australian public and some of your own backbenchers are appalled at your silence.

While you are in the US, why don’t you drop in on Daniel Ellsberg and ask him just what he thinks about Julian and his work? He is on the public record as stating that there is no difference between them. He supports the Australian ‘media’s myth’. No problem, you can dismiss him too.

You warn us that what is reported in the US Diplomatic Cables should not be assumed as fact. What are you trying to say Julia - that Wikileaks has made up the cable that exposed Mark Arbib as being in bed with the US for the past four years, or the one that reveals for 12 months you both plotted the political coup of an elected Prime Minister. Is that a myth too?

Never mind, we’re comforted by you telling us that you’re going to be a good girl while you’re away from home and will not do anything ‘inappropriate’ like raising Wikileaks or questioning the US legal system. We know you won’t raise any of that other ‘inappropriate’ stuff like threats of illegal renditions of your citizens, sealed subpoenas on Twitter and other social networking sites enabling the US to secretly spy on Aussies, or the increasing pressure on Bradley Manning to crack and falsely implicate one of your own citizens in a crime.

You will be the perfect guest at the White House dinner party, won’t you? Just there to keep your mouth shut and pickup the latest US administration sound bite.

We knew we could count on you to keep it nice, Julia.

Now there’s a myth for you.

Christine Assange

You can also view or download Christine Assange's full response to Australian Prime Minister Gillard here: https://sites.google.com/site/bris4wikileaks/resources/Christine-Assange_Julia-Gillard-Response-March-2-2011.pdf

The original TheAge.com.au Article by Michelle Grattan can be viewed here:
http://www.theage.com.au/national/assanges-mother-hits-out-at-gillard-20110306-1bjk3.html

Assange's mother hits out at Gillard

SOURCE: TheAge.com.au

JULIAN Assange's mother has lashed out at Julia Gillard, accusing her of ''character assassination'' and prejudicing her son's right to a fair trial.

Christine Assange was responding to criticisms of the media and ''myths'' in their coverage of Assange and WikiLeaks made by the Prime Minister in an interview with The Age last week.

Ms Assange ridiculed Ms Gillard's statement that her personal view of Assange did not affect the government assistance given to him.

''Are you serious? A prime minister publicly accuses one of her own citizens as having committed an 'illegal act' and impugns his character ahead of the most publicized case in the world this decade - and you think it has no effect?''

Read the full article here: http://www.theage.com.au/national/assanges-mother-hits-out-at-gillard-20110306-1bjk3.html

Gillard attacks media for 'myths' over Assange

SOURCE: TheAge.com.au | Michelle Grattan


PRIME Minister Julia Gillard has lashed out at media ''myths'' about her own and her government's attitude to WikiLeaks' Julian Assange, saying her personal view of his conduct does not affect the help he has been given.

Angry about media portrayal of the issues surrounding WikiLeaks, Ms Gillard used an interview with The Age before she leaves for the US to set out her case. She accused the media of ''appalling'' confusion in comparing WikiLeaks disclosures with whistleblowing such as Watergate, and also warned that what was reported in cables should not always be assumed to be factual.

''What view I personally take of the conduct of that person doesn't in any way change how we assist Australians overseas,'' she said.


Read the full Michelle Grattan article on TheAge website here: http://www.theage.com.au/national/gillard-attacks-media-for-myths-over-assange-20110303-1bgcy.html

Major Aberrations in Police Sex Crime Reporting Process in the Assange Case according to US Political Author, Naomi Wolf

SOURCE: Via Marcello Vittorio Ferrada-Noli is a Swedish medicine doktor and Professor Emeritus of Public Health Sciences Blog

Karl Rove, Sweden, and the Eight Major Aberrations in the Police Sex Crime Reporting Process in the Assange Case.

"...Based  on my 23 years of reporting on global rape law and my five years of supporting women at rape crisis centers and battered women's shelters through the legal system in the US and in Europe, this case is not being treated as a normal rape or sexual assault case, and the new details of the police transcript confirm my position further. Assange’s lawyers, and the UK court hearing the extradition issue today, is unlikely to be familiar with the normal standards for rape and sexual assault complaints."

Naomi Wolf, US author and political consultant.

Read her full article here: http://ferrada-noli.blogspot.com/2011/02/karl-rove-sweden-and-eight-major.html

Darkness at Noon: Bradley Manning

SOURCE: WLCentral.org


US founding father Benjamin Franklin, in 1792 - … a nation as a society forms a moral person, and every member of it is personally responsible for his society.

Former Australian Diplomat, Tony Kevin, is concerned that the lifepaths of Julian Assange and Bradley Manning are converging.

"...Their stories are appropriately coming together now as stories of two young national heroes, one American and one Australian, who are putting their lives on the line now for the sake of defending the principle of individual moral accountability for the actions of their national states that profess to share similar political values."

Read the full article here: http://wlcentral.org/node/1433

Jennifer Robinson: Brief to Canberra meeting of MP's re Julian Assange

SOURCE: WLCENTRAL.org

On March 2, 2011, Jennifer Robinson of the firm Finers Stephens Innocent submitted a brief to a Canberra MP Meeting that can be read at WLCentral.org. She is part of the legal team representing Julian Assange in the extradition proceedings requested by Sweden.


"I am writing to you to provide a briefing for the meeting of members of Federal Parliament on Wednesday 2 March 2011 regarding the case against Julian Assange. This briefing note sets out the timeline of events and the human rights concerns that we have raised in relation to Julian’s case in Sweden.

Julian is facing extradition to Sweden pursuant to a European Arrest Warrant (EAW). He is currently electronically tagged and held under virtual house arrest, having spent nine days in solitary confinement in a London prison for a crime that he has not been charged with and in relation to allegations that he emphatically denies.

It is mutually concerning that an Australian citizen like Julian has been treated in ways which would not accord with the standards of Australian law or indeed international law. As I set out in this note, if he is extradited to Sweden, he will be held incommunicado, in solitary confinement, and without bail for several months and then tried in secret on allegations which are weak and which would not constitute a crime in Australia or in the UK. In such event, it can be predicted that Australians will be outraged and that considerable damage will eventuate in respect of relations between Australia and Sweden.

It is hoped that this briefing note will act as a resource for concerned Australian MPs to raise questions and to take action on Julian’s behalf." - Jennifer Robinson, Solicitor for Julian Assange

Her full brief can be read on WLCentral.org here: http://wlcentral.org/node/1418

Meeting on 2nd March in Parliament House Canberra with MPs re Julian Assange

SOURCE: WLCENTRAL.org

On 2nd March 2011 at 9.15am a meeting was held, organised by Andrew Laming (Liberal Party MP Bowman Qld) at Parliament House Canberra to allow federal parliamentarians who wished to attend, some insights into the matters of Julian Assange facing extradition from the UK to Sweden, and facing (subject to that extradition process) a possible trial in Sweden and another possible extradition to the USA thereafter.

Among others, MPs Andrew Laming, Malcolm Turnbull, Doug Cameron and Sarah Hanson-Young were in attendance, along with parliamentary staff members.

Three speakers made themselves available for oral presentations and questions: Greg Barns, barrister from Tasmania; former Australian diplomat Tony Kevin and Peter Kemp, solicitor from NSW.

Read the full article here: http://wlcentral.org/node/1414

Excellent article by Mark Stephens calling for Open Justice

SOURCE: Guardian.co.uk | Friday 25 February 2011 17.44 GMT

"This act, quite incredibly, allows European countries to deem prosecutors and even policemen "as judicial authorities" (a contradiction in terms, because they are neither independent nor impartial) and to pluck their suspects from the UK so long as they tick the right box on the EAW form. In Assange's case, for example, they ticked "rape" and the court cannot dispute that the allegation is of rape, even though the leading authority on sexual offences, the Oxford Vinerian professor, Andrew Ashworth, disputes this characterisation. There can be no questioning on the merits of the charges – in 2003 parliament abolished the traditional right of a suspect to require foreign governments to show a prima facie case before dragging them off to unfair trials."

- Mark Howard Stephens, Solicitor for Julian Assange

Read Full Article here: http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/feb/25/europe-open-justice-sweden-assange

Julian Assange Press Conference After Extradition Ruling

SOURCE: Channel4.com/news

Julian Assange's press response and appeal for justice immediately after the British Belmarsh Magistrates Court's ruling to extradite him to Sweden, February 24, 2011.

BREAKING NEWS: Christine Assange 8-Page Letter to the Hon. Kevin Rudd, Australian Foreign Minister

SOURCE: Christine Assange

Christine Assange, mother of the Wikileaks founder Julian Assange, made her first public Australian appearance today by lobbying outside the Brisbane offices of Australian Foreign Minister, Kevin Rudd at 5.30pm.

Surrounded by a small crowd of news crews & reporters from Network Ten, the Courier Mail and other news outlets, Ms Assange demanded Mr Rudd take immediate diplomatic action toward Sweden in order to protect her son's legal and human rights.

She demanded that the Foreign Minister make the necessary representations to protest & halt current extradition proceedings in London. She also urged Mr Rudd to stand up against the US government and make them prosecute those officials who incite violence against her son.

Failure to act and protect Julian, she said, would require Mr Rudd's registration due to not meeting his duties and by effectively reneging on his previous promises that he would help towards protecting her son's rights and his life.

Provided to Brisbane Wikileaks Defence by Christine Assange, is a copy of the full 8-page hand-written letter written by Christine Assange and given to Australian Foreign Minister, Kevin Rudd, which can be downloaded from the link below:

https://sites.google.com/site/bris4wikileaks/resources/Hon-Kevin-Rudd-Foreign-Minister-of-Australia_Christine-Assange_Letter_110211_RELEASE.pdf

- Brisbane Wikileaks Defence.

Assange's mother says Rudd is all talk

SOURCE: SBS News / AAP


Julian Assange's mother Christine has demanded action, not just talk, from Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd.

Ms Assange hand-delivered an eight-page handwritten letter to Mr Rudd's Brisbane electorate office on Friday evening, also reading it to journalists.

While she spared some praise for Mr Rudd for his words in support of her son, Wikileaks founder Julian, she said he had failed to act on them.

Read the Full Article here at SBS News, 11 February 2011, 8:03:08 PM:

http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/1482992/Assange-s-mother-says-Rudd-s-all-talk

Christine Assange's Public Message in Support of her Son, Julian.

Source: Christine Assange

On the 22 January, 2011, "Christine Assange", the Mother of Wikileaks Founder, "Julian Assange", prepared a personal statement for a Public Rally held in Brisbane Square and organised by Brisbane Wikileaks Defence.

The message from Christine was intended to be read verbatim, and was made available for immediate press release.

Below, please find a copy of Christine Assange's original public statement read out to the Brisbane Public by Brisbane Wikileaks Defence.

Link: https://sites.google.com/site/bris4wikileaks/resources/ChristineAssangestatement.pdf

TODAY! FEBRUARY 9 Rally to defend Wikileaks as Assange Faces Extradition

Rally to defend Wikileaks as Assange faces extradition
Location: King George Square (Adelaide St, Brisbane City)
Time: 5:30PM Wednesday, February 9th

SUPPORT WIKILEAKS! TODAY! ALL INVITED!

Julian Assange awarded Sydney peace medal

In the estimation of the Sydney Peace Foundation, Australian WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange stands alongside the Dalai Lama and Nelson Mandela.

As he outrages and embarrasses world leaders by leaking secret US diplomatic cables - and continues to face down allegations of sex offences - Mr Assange has been chosen by the foundation to receive a rare gold medal for peace with justice.

-via, Sydney Morning Herald

Read Article here: http://www.smh.com.au/technology/technology-news/julian-assange-awarded-sydney-peace-medal-20110202-1adeu.html

Next Rally for Wikileaks February 9, 2011

Our Next Rally for Wikileaks is timed to coincide with Assange's extradition hearing. Even more important to show public support for Wikileaks. It will be all over the news so we have to be all out on the streets. Invite all your facebook friends.

Wednesday, February 9 · 5:30pm - 8:30pm
King George Square (Adelaide St, Brisbane City)

Julian Assange’s extradition trial begins Monday 7th February. It is obvious the goal of these hearings is to get Assange to the USA so they can shut him up and shut down Wikileaks. There will be demonstrations happening all across Australia over this period, it is urgent that people come out and take a stand to defend freedom of information and Wikileaks.

RALLY TO DEFEND WIKILEAKS
FREEDOM OF INFORMATION
END THE PERSECUTION OF ASSANGE
EXPOSE THE LIES

Many Thanks,


Jessica Payne

Organiser
Brisbane Wikileaks Defence