Assange blasts US over threat to free speech
Source: Agencies |
August 20, 2012, Monday
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WIKILEAKS founder Julian Assange used the balcony of the Ecuadorean Embassy in London to berate the United States for threatening freedom of expression and called on US President Barack Obama to end what he called a witch-hunt against his whistle-blowing website.
Speaking from within the mission to avoid arrest by police for breaching his bail conditions, Assange said that the US was fighting a war against media outlets such as WikiLeaks.
Pitching himself alongside the recently jailed Russian punk band Pussy Riot and the New York Times newspaper, Assange said the US risked shunting the world into an era of journalistic oppression.
"As WikiLeaks stands under threat, so does the freedom of expression and the health of all of our societies," Assange said.
"I ask President Obama to do the right thing: the United States much renounce its witch-hunt against WikiLeaks," Assange said in a 10-minute speech which he ended with two thumbs up to the world's media.
Ecuadorean President Rafael Correa, a self-declared enemy of "corrupt" media and US imperialism, granted the former computer hacker political asylum last week, deepening a diplomatic standoff with Britain and Sweden.
Assange, 41, incensed the US and its allies by using his WikiLeaks website to leak hundreds of thousands of secret US diplomatic and military cables in 2010, disclosures that often embarrassed Washington.
He took sanctuary in the embassy in June, after exhausting appeals in British courts against extradition to Sweden, where he is wanted for questioning over allegations of rape and sexual assault against two women.
He says he fears Sweden will eventually hand him over to the US where, in his view, he would face persecution and long-term imprisonment.
In his first public appearance since jumping bail and seeking refuge two months ago, Assange thanked Correa and Ecuador's diplomats, whom he praised for standing up against oppression.
"The sun came up on a different world and a courageous Latin American nation took a stand for justice," Assange said.
Assange's attempt to escape extradition has touched off a diplomatic tussle between Britain and Ecuador, which accused the UK of threatening to raid its embassy and casting the dispute as an arrogant European power treating a Latin American nation like a colony.
Britain says the dispute is about its legal obligations and that Assange should be extradited to Sweden.
The US has so far kept its distance from the dispute.
Speaking from within the mission to avoid arrest by police for breaching his bail conditions, Assange said that the US was fighting a war against media outlets such as WikiLeaks.
Pitching himself alongside the recently jailed Russian punk band Pussy Riot and the New York Times newspaper, Assange said the US risked shunting the world into an era of journalistic oppression.
"As WikiLeaks stands under threat, so does the freedom of expression and the health of all of our societies," Assange said.
"I ask President Obama to do the right thing: the United States much renounce its witch-hunt against WikiLeaks," Assange said in a 10-minute speech which he ended with two thumbs up to the world's media.
Ecuadorean President Rafael Correa, a self-declared enemy of "corrupt" media and US imperialism, granted the former computer hacker political asylum last week, deepening a diplomatic standoff with Britain and Sweden.
Assange, 41, incensed the US and its allies by using his WikiLeaks website to leak hundreds of thousands of secret US diplomatic and military cables in 2010, disclosures that often embarrassed Washington.
He took sanctuary in the embassy in June, after exhausting appeals in British courts against extradition to Sweden, where he is wanted for questioning over allegations of rape and sexual assault against two women.
He says he fears Sweden will eventually hand him over to the US where, in his view, he would face persecution and long-term imprisonment.
In his first public appearance since jumping bail and seeking refuge two months ago, Assange thanked Correa and Ecuador's diplomats, whom he praised for standing up against oppression.
"The sun came up on a different world and a courageous Latin American nation took a stand for justice," Assange said.
Assange's attempt to escape extradition has touched off a diplomatic tussle between Britain and Ecuador, which accused the UK of threatening to raid its embassy and casting the dispute as an arrogant European power treating a Latin American nation like a colony.
Britain says the dispute is about its legal obligations and that Assange should be extradited to Sweden.
The US has so far kept its distance from the dispute.
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