We are finding out just how important those who are willing to stand up, as voices for the people, really are. Extraordinary individuals who are willing to act for securing our free speech rights, are heroes. After his release from prison in June of this year, Julian Assange will speak publicly for the very first time at the Council of Europe’s JUR Committee to testify about his experience following his confirmation as a political prisoner. PACE’s Rapporteur made a report on the wide-reaching implications of his case and what it means for freedoms and human rights. He is still recuperating, but is making this important exception to give his testimony. What will Julian say to the world, now that he can speak?
See Press Releases here and here.
What: Assange will address Council of Europe following confirmation of his status as a Political Prisoner, his first time speaking in public since becoming free.
Where: at the Palace of Europe in Strasbourg, France to give evidence before the Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE)
When: 8:30am to 10am CEST on October 1st, 2024 (Grand-Est)
How: Live steam on PACE’s YT channel Here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mq85IZMeigc
“The hearing marks Assange’s first official testimony on his case since before his imprisonment in 2019. His appearance before Europe’s foremost human rights and treaty-setting body emphasizes the broader implications of his case.”
PACE Announcement: https://pace.coe.int/en/news/9600/julian-assange-to-attend-a-pace-hearing-in-strasbourg-on-his-detention-and-conviction-and-their-chilling-effect-on-human-rights
Julian Assange is widely considered the greatest journalist of our time and the fight to free him for speaking and publishing the truth was one of the most important fights for the freedom of humanity. Fighting for the right to speak and publish truth without the oppression of censorship has been one of humanity’s greatest shining moments. Julian Assange speaking publicly again is an historic moment for humanity. This has far-reaching implications. Don’t miss it.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Live Panel Discussion following Julian’s speech: Rights Dissent and Assange Defense will host a panel to discuss Julian Assange’s PACE hearing on Tuesday October 1, featuring Chip Gibbons, Marjorie Cohn, Kevin Gosztola, and Matthew PHoh
Council of Europe announcement/article: https://pace.coe.int/en/news/9578/committee-expresses-deep-concern-at-harsh-treatment-of-julian-assange-warns-of-its-chilling-effect-for-the-press
Article by Kevin Gosztola: https://thedissenter.org/assange-testify-political-imprisonment/
Consortium News article- Assange to Testify at the Council of Europe: https://consortiumnews.com/2024/09/24/assange-to-testify-at-council-of-europe/
UK Standard article: https://www.standard.co.uk/news/world/julian-assange-wikileaks-strasbourg-council-of-europe-belmarsh-prison-b1183968.html
FOIA Document Case: This article serves as a reminder of the destruction of email evidence showing that Julian Assange was targeted and set up by CPS, Sweden and the US to be trapped in a UK prison.
Find the report here: https://pace.coe.int/en/files/33734
UK using terrorism law to silence journalists
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Stefania Maurizi is calling out the Italian government for stomping on Italian’s fundamental rights to use noble and ancient protest techniques to secure their freedom of speech.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Please Remember Journalists and whistleblowers being persecuted for speaking the truth: Dan Duggan, Josh Schulte, David McBride and others. Please stand up and speak out for them.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
WIKILEAKS PRESS RELEASE:
Julian Assange to Address Council of Europe Following Confirmation of his Status as a Political Prisoner
On October 1, Julian Assange will arrive in Strasbourg to give evidence before the Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) which is scheduled to meet from 8.30am to 10am at the Palace of Europe.
This comes following the release of the PACE inquiry report into the Assange case, authored by Rapporteur Thórhildur Sunna Ævarsdóttir. The report focuses on the implications of his detention and its broader effects on human rights, in particular freedom of journalism. The report confirms that Assange qualifies as a political prisoner and calls on the UK conduct an independent review into whether he was exposed to inhuman or degrading treatment.
Sunna Ævarsdóttir serves as the General Rapporteur for Political Prisoners and is the Chair of the Sub-Committee on Artificial Intelligence and Human Rights within PACE’s Legal Affairs Committee. She emphasises how Assange’s case is a high profile example of transnational repression. The report discusses how governments employ both legal and extralegal measures to suppress dissent across borders, which poses significant threats to press freedom and human rights.
Julian Assange is still in recovery following his release from prison in June 2024. He is attending this session in person due to the exceptional nature of the invitation and to embrace the support received from PACE and its delegates over the past years. PACE has a mandate to safeguard human rights and has repeatedly called for Julian Assange’s release when he was in prison.
He will give testimony before the committee, which will also hear the findings that his imprisonment was politically motivated.
The hearing marks Assange’s first official testimony on his case since before his imprisonment in 2019. His appearance before Europe’s foremost human rights and treaty-setting body emphasizes the broader implications of his case.
###
