An Australian parliamentary group has written to the U.K. home secretary calling for a probe into the risks to Assange’s health should he be extradited.
With Professor Stuart Rees, journalist Mary Kostakidis, Senator David Shoebridge, Assange lawyer Jennifer Robinson, Dr. Arthur Chesterfield-Evans of Doctors for Assange and CN Editor Joe Lauria at Politics in the Pub in Sydney, Australia. Produced by Cathy Vogan. Watch the replay.
The event focused largely on health risks to Julian Assange, who faces DAY X, his final U.K. appeal on February 20-21, if he is extradited to the U.S., as well as the implications of a new law in the U.K. regarding a requesting State’s assurances in an extradition case.
In 2021, U.S. assurances were accepted by the High Court of England and Wales to overturn a lower court decision not to extradite Assange on health grounds, but his state of health has significantly deteriorated since then.
The Australian all-party ‘Bring Assange Home’ parliamentary group has sent a letter to U.K. Home Secretary James Cleverly, requesting an investigation into the health risks should Assange be extradited. Senator Shoebridge is one of the four signatories.
The letter begins and ends with the following two quotes: “We know that you will be well aware of the U.K. Supreme Court decision that related to your office reported as AAA v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2023] UKSC 42.”
The decision found that courts in the United Kingdom cannot just rely on third party assurances by foreign governments but rather are required to make independent assessments of the risk of persecution to individuals before any order is made removing them from the U.K.…
“…we are requesting that you undertake an urgent, thorough and independent assessment of the risks to Mr Assange’s health and welfare in the event he is extradited to the United States. Consistent with the decision in AAA it appears to us that such independent investigation should include a close review of the risks to Mr Assange’s health, life and wellbeing through prolonged detention in one or more high security U.S. detention facilities.”
Not 2 rain on our parade (uhhh… look outside folks it’s Pouring)… but… realistic expectations can only anticipate further human (& media) rights denial!
Why should the Brits be concerned re: home media protection… when BBC is socialist broadcasting… & thus protected (kinda like entire Faux- MSN(GE) range here!
Who the hell Cares re: home citizen rights!
Exposing an ongoing criminal enterprise is always problematic and I doubt most Americans or those of the collective west is all that aware that criminal enterprise happens to be their governments. Then again, maybe they are but aren’t sure what to do with the information. After all, any court is going to be part of the same criminal enterprise, so where does one go to seek justice? This is the question of our times and times before today. From the days of The Devine Right of Kings to present, we’ve always had the exact same problem. Who is in charge of matters of justice and who is not? Since the beginnings of Colonialism, the rulers have decided justice and rarely have such decisions benefited the average working man or woman.
Yet, there are changes in the air and I believe, we must encourage these changes. Peacefully. It’s the peacefully part which will be the most problematic.
I have no crystal ball to provide insight, but I know change is happening all the same. As JFK articulated in 1963, peace is not only possible, but desirable. This path has yet to be determined but my hope is that peace remains the main solution to our collective lives.
You can contact the Australian Prime Minister. Anthony Albanese, at:
hxxps://www.pm.gov.au/contact
Albanese is currently coming under fire for ‘breaking an election promise’ regarding tax reform – so what.
The matter of Julian’s wellbeing is one promise the PM has also failed to deliver on; this one with more important and long-lasting consequences.