CN Live! discusses Julian Assange’s upcoming public appearance, his first since his plea deal, as well as proposed changes to the Espionage Act, with former Australian diplomat Alison Broinowski, interviewed by CN‘s Elizabeth Vos and Cathy Vogan.
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I would like Julian to pick up were he left off with Wikileaks. We need independent news.
Praying for the safety of Julian Assange at this committee meeting. USA and Great Britain politicians and security systems have hounded him for way too many years just for doing journalism.
It seems to me a pardon is very unlikely. Trump’s ego would not be served, and Biden-Harris will not concede to any suggestion of fault in the plea bargain. Further, the plea bargain in no way discusses whether release of Manning’s information caused (or causes) an exception to the classified restriction rule on war related information, although it should. The case at that level is shut. The issue is his treatment, particularly while in the embassy and imprisoned in Belmarsh. Given the nature of the information revealed as a service to the public a clear case of cruel persecution, with the government seeking cover-up, can be made as part of a persecution complex attacking journalism in general. Voices of Assange and the European Court on this matter may thus help critique and stem this anti-democratic tendency.
Very good presentation and some observations …
Re a pardon – aren’t pardons given to those convicted of crimes? So what was Assange convicted of? He pled guilty to a certain charge (which is equivalent to a “conviction”) in return, I think for the dropping of the other charges, the ones for which he could have spent decades in jail – and was sentenced for that “crime”, essentially to time served – he has served his “time” so the “crime” was paid for – what does a “pardon” add? That he can write a book? Make a movie? On the other hand doesn’t a “pardon” rather imply that he was guilty of those other charges, but we are “forgiving” him and not demanding additional punishment – but there is nothing to “forgive” him for as the whole thing was a sham …. if he requests a pardon, isn’t that saying “I am guilty of that stuff, but I ask forgiveness”
As far as such a pardon is concerned – I expect it from neither Trump nor Harris – which have nothing to do with “freedom of the Press or Speech”
Trump – no, because he ain’t a compassionate fellow to begin with, and he would be accused of being soft in “defense of national security”
Harris – no, because the case, though brought in the Trump Admin, was pursued in the Biden one – was all about revenge for being a “contributor” to Hillary’s loss in ’16, and the Ds never forgive and never forget …
I just hope his plane doesn’t “run into trouble” on his trip over or back – such has been known to happen …
Yes, I do think we need to keep in mind the danger Julian will continue in, and why (at least in my opinion). This is due to his being an outstanding magnet-like person, not only brilliant but capable of attracting whistle-blowers in further work, damaging to imperialistic states, US at number one. I believe this is the basic reason he was entrapped for so long and in such danger–not so much from what he had done, but from what he MIGHT do in the future. I feel this danger to him has not gone away, and will not, for some time.