Julian Assange’s father, John Shipton, has told a webcast co-produced by CN Live! that U.S. and British authorities are still trying to kill his son.
By Joe Lauria
Special to Consortium News
John Shipton, Julian Assange’s father, said that after nearly 13 years of his son’s detention it is clear what the intention of the United States is.
“They just want to murder him. That’s all. They want him dead,” Shipton said.
“They discussed means of doing it. They found legal means of doing it. It’s twelve years. It’ no joke,” said Shipton. “They have been pursuing Julian Assange in the embassy, in fact they conspired to keep Julian in the embassy.”
Assange faces a hearing on a U.S. appeal against extraditing him at the High Court in London at the end of this month.
The U.S. is challenging a decision by Judge Vanessa Baraitser on Jan. 4 not to extradite Assange because of his high risk of suicide in a U.S. prison. Shipton called “complete rubbish” U.S. assurances to the High Court that Assange would not be put into harsh isolation if he is extradited.
Joe Biden’s DOJ will argue in court that Assange isn’t that ill or suicidal. If there is to be another psychological examination of Assange ordered by the High Court, it could prolong the appeal process by a year, Shipton warned.
Hiding Crimes By Focusing on Assange
Shipton said the benefits of WikiLeaks publications to people around the world, and even to governments, has been obscured by the attention the case has put on Assange. This shift away from the revelation of state crimes to his son’s psychology “in itself is a scandal,” Shipton told Sydney’s Politics in the Pub in a webcast co-produced by CN Live!
“It’s the manipulations of the Crown Prosecution Service and the Department of Justice that ensure that the entirety of the focus now is on Julian’s character and his psychology,” Shipton said. “Compare this to the Himalaya of crime and the benefits brought to the publics in the United Kingdom and the West by exposure of those crimes.”
Shipton’s full remarks.(Article continues below):
The U.S. wars in Afghanistan and Iraq are over and Guantanamo is nearly closed, Shipton said. “The revelations of WikiLeaks, through Chelsea Manning, worked their way through the body politic, and as a consequence, the people have removed their support from governments in pursuing those wars,” he said.
“The benefits of those leaks are tremendous. A gift to people,” said Shipton. But is is potentially a gift to governments too, if they acted wisely, he said.
“Every single politician in the world would benefit by supporting Julian. You might lose two votes. But you’ll get ten,” he said. “I can’t understand why the Australian government and other governments don’t put their shoulder behind this and solve it. It brings benefits, huge benefits to populations around the world and to governments, showing that they can act against clear injustices.”
Shipton added: “The way out of this is clear to everybody: that the Australian government uses the facilities of negotiation and the imagination of skilled diplomats” to free his son.
The appeal hearing in U.S. vs. Julian Assange is set for the High Court in London on Oct. 27 and 28.
Consortium News, which has received praise for the best Assange coverage, will be in the courtroom to provide continuous coverage.
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Let’s face it. Julian Assange performed a public service in letting us know what our government was doing in our name. He has been persecuted for nearly thirteen (13!!) years because he published, among other things, clear evidence of war crimes. His sin was exposing what the powers that be sought to keep hidden. For this, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo labeled WikiLeaks “a non-state hostile terrorist agency.” To adopt Pompeo’s language, that makes Julian a “transparency terrorist,” a title he should wear proudly. If only we had more of them!
It is an absolute disgrace that the Australian Government is neglecting our fellow citizen, who should be extradited from the UK and brought home. Will the UK Courts stand for good old British Justice? The problem is that we Australians are SO much tied to the US American Establishment (CIA, FBI, Pentagon and Whitehouse) that we must do their bidding. (That is possibly the reason that we’re buying US submarines; their Defence Industry perhaps needs a customer). Forget Western Democracy from now on.
John Shipton speaks remarkably well. It is the first time I have heard him speak. Please keep in touch with him and give us updates on his reactions to events. It would interesting to learn about his son Julian’s upbringing, political development and about what led him to the course of action that has brought so much trouble to his life. It seems to me we are greatly in Julian’s debt for the exposures that have hampered U.S.’s military and para-military aggression, in part fueled as it is by the myth of American Exceptionalism and the related suppression of truth about this aggression.
We expect nothing less from the Yanks.
I support Julian Assange and his family and friends in what amounts to an unbelievably cruel and harrowing search for justice
The most heartfelt, insightful witness for the good that Julian Assange has transparently brought out in the open, for all the global populace to witness, is definitely John Shipton.
If the Nobel Peace Prize ever had any real value for humanity, and it could be rehabilitated to that former status; after it having been awarded to the likes of an Obama, the committee might consider awarding it to Julian Assange, his father and family, to share now, and not posthumously.
I feel so disgusted by the actions of these Political assassin’s on both American and British soil.
Your son is being martyred In front of our eyes, despite the outcry of so many and demand for his safety and release.
I’m praying for divine intervention ?
Julian Assange should not be extradited to the US which is in political upheaval for a sham trial that will see this brilliant man who cares more about the US citizens well being than any politician thrown in prison for life and possibly murdered.
Thank you so much for not letting it disappear.