Here is the key ideas take-out from Julian Assange’s remarks from the PACE hearing:

• Transition from Prison to Freedom:

  • Assange described the transition from years of isolation in a maximum-security prison to addressing the representatives of 46 nations as profound and surreal.
  • He discussed the toll of isolation, both mentally and physically, and the challenge of expressing himself after years of confinement.

• Gratitude for Support:

  • He thanked PACE for its resolutions calling for his release and raised concern over his prolonged imprisonment setting a dangerous precedent for journalists.
  • Assange expressed gratitude for the widespread global support from various figures and organizations, including parliamentarians, UN officials, and human rights advocates.

• Legal Injustices:

  • Assange argued that his imprisonment was due to the failures of legal protections that existed only on paper.
  • He pled guilty to journalism but was not free because the system worked; he was forced to choose freedom over justice after years of detention.

• Chilling Effects on Journalism:

  • He emphasized how his case represents a global threat to freedom of expression, with the U.S. government criminalizing journalism by prosecuting him under the Espionage Act.
  • He discussed the chilling climate for media freedom globally, with increasing secrecy, impunity, and retaliation against journalists for exposing the truth.

• WikiLeaks’ Role:

  • Assange reaffirmed that WikiLeaks was founded to reveal the hidden workings of governments and empower the public to demand justice.
  • He detailed WikiLeaks’ exposure of war crimes, torture, and corruption and criticized the U.S. for prosecuting him instead of the war criminals exposed by the publications.

• Transnational Repression:

  • Assange highlighted the U.S.’s use of transnational repression, including CIA plans to kidnap or assassinate him, and the broad impact of such actions on global journalism.
  • He called for strong safeguards to prevent states from targeting journalists beyond their borders, warning that other nations could follow the U.S. precedent.

• Call to Action for Europe:

  • Assange urged Europe to strengthen protections for journalists and investigative journalism, emphasizing that freedom of speech and press must be guaranteed, not privileges enjoyed by a few.

• Reflection on Personal Struggles:

  • He reflected on his readjustment to life after confinement, including family challenges and the changing media landscape, where live-streamed horrors from war zones have become common.
  • Assange concluded with a call for continued vigilance and solidarity in defending the rights of journalists and freedom of expression.  
• KEY QUOTATIONS

  • 1. On the Global Chilling Effect:

       • “The U.S. government’s prosecution of me, by internationally criminalizing journalism, has crossed the Rubicon. This has contributed to a chilling climate for freedom of expression, where telling the truth is attacked, weakened, and diminished.”

    2. On the Failure of Legal Protections:

       • “I am not free today because the system worked. I am free today because I pled guilty to journalism—guilty to seeking information from a source, guilty to obtaining it, and guilty to informing the public.”

    3. On the Responsibility of Europe:

       • “If Europe is to have a future where the freedom to speak and publish the truth are not privileges enjoyed by a few, but rights guaranteed to all, it must act to ensure that what happened in my case never happens to anyone else.”

    These quotations capture the essence of Assange’s message about the dangers posed to journalism, the failures of justice, and the urgent need for systemic reform to protect free speech.

• FULL TEXT