- The Guardian
- Issue #2012
Photo: Anthony Crider – commons.wikimedia.org (CC BY 2.0)
The Communist Party of Australia condemns in the strongest possible terms the decision by the UK government to extradite Julian Assange to the United States.
Julian Assange, his family and friends have been put through years of inhumane pressure by politically motivated charges that aim to penalise people’s right to know.
Julian Assange, Australian citizen, Wikileaks editor, whistle-blower, journalist and publisher, has been persecuted and imprisoned for revealing details of murder and other crimes by the US Government in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The CPA has passed resolutions in the past demanding his release and his right to be brought back to his home in Australia. His horrendous treatment, while defending the politically motivated charges, included plans to assassinate him.
Julian Assange is being sought by the United States for publishing US government documents that exposed war crimes and human rights abuses in 2010. The politically motivated charges represent an unprecedented attack on press freedom and the public’s right to know seeking to criminalise basic journalistic activity. Freedom of speech and of the press are at stake.
The categorisation by Independent MP Andrew Wilkie that this is “an international farce” is supported by the analysis of thousands of Wikileaks cables by Professor Clinton Fernandes which showed there was no evidence that Assange harmed anyone.
This is a political case which has nothing to do with justice.
The recent British government decision to extradite him to the US, potentially condemns Assange to up to 175 years in prison – likely to be spent in extreme isolation – for briefing the world on the massive human rights abuses of powerful states, for publishing truthful information in the public interest.
The Communist Party of Australia calls on Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, to urgently secure Assange’s freedom by making representations with US President Biden and UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson. All charges must be dropped and Assange must be brought back home.
The CPA will continue to campaign for Julian Assange’s freedom and calls on all party members and supporters to write to PM Anthony Albanese asking him to bring Assange home.
Contact details:
Central Committee
Communist Party of Australia
21st June 2022
