The Prime Minister’s surprise revelation that he has raised the case against Julian Assange with US officials and urged that charges of espionage and conspiracy be dropped opens up many questions.
By Alison Broinowski, Pearls and Irritations
Mr Albanese thanked Dr Monique Ryan for her question on Wednesday 31 November, giving what appeared to be a carefully prepared and timed answer. The Independent MP for Kooyong sought to know what political intervention the government would make in the case, observing that public interest journalism is essential in a democracy.
The news flashed around between Assange supporters in and outside Parliament, and reached the Guardian, the Australian, SBS, and Monthly online. Neither the ABC nor the Sydney Morning Herald carried the story, even the next day. SBS reported that Brazil’s president-elect Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva expressed support for the campaign to free Assange.
But two days earlier, on Monday 29 November, the New York Times and four major European papers had printed an open letter to the US Attorney-General Merrick Garland, deploring the assault on media freedom which the pursuit of Assange represented.
The NYT, the Guardian, Le Monde, Der Spiegel and El Pais were the papers which in 2010 received and published some of the 251,000 classified US documents provided by Assange, many revealing American atrocities in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Recent Posts
Sen. Bernie Sanders Opposes Unconditional Military Aid To Israel In Funding Bill
Take Action Now An additional $10.1 billion in “unconditional military aid” to Israel would be “irresponsible,” the senator…
COP28 Has More Fossil Fuel Lobbyists In Attendance Than Ever
Take Action Now There are 2,456 fossil fuel interests at this year’s U.N. climate summit, nearly four times more than any past year, according…
“The Madness Of Militarism,” The 2023 Ellsberg Lecture By Norman Solomon
Take Action Now Norman Solomon reflects on ‘the madness of militarism’ in the Ellsberg Lecture By Norman Solomon, Nation of Change In…
The U.S. Has Given Israel An Endless Supply Of Smart Bombs
Take Action Now Nearly three years ago, Congress gave Israel a pass to stockpile precision-guided bombs “without regard to annual limits.” An inside…