The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe Wednesday debated a report and resolution on Julian Assange’s treatment during his years of incarceration. Watch the replay here.
Plenary chamber of PACE, where the debate will take place. (Adrian Grycuk/Wikimedia Commons)
Julian Assange:
“The impunity [s]eems to mount, and it is still uncertain what we can do about it.”
The impunity is richly symbolized by what has happened to him, revealed clearly at this time with a System scot-free of responsibility for its criminal behavior. This specific case shows this problem. The egregious misuse of power here has stretched over a fourteen year span, ending with a travesty of a plea agreement in which “I pled guilty to journalism.”
One thing we can do is call for honesty and clarity. Yes, this has happened. And it is WRONG.
Continuing the impunity with a cloak of self-righteousness is the position of Mr. Keen. Besides denying any case of torture to Assange, he insists this lengthy persecution is not “political.” This is self-delusion which any thorough examination of the case establishes as distortion and a form of lying. The case has been clearly set out in the committee’s summary remarks prior to the exception Keen attempts to argue. It is in fact this very ignorant and self-protective attitude that has worked the evil of impunity in this case, the failure to acknowledge and investigate official wrongdoing and allow it to continue year after year.
I very much liked the gentleman (i didn’t catch his name) number 166. I think he represented Ireland. He was very vocal like Clare Daley.
But that Mr. Keen (number 250) insisted Julian Assange was not detained in the UK as a political prisoner. No-one else appeared to agree with him. And the resolution was passed.