Australian National Review – WikiLeaks founder Assange makes first public comment since release

In his first speech since his release, WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has highlighted the disturbing precedent being set by countries targeting foreign journalists and the erosion of freedom of expression worldwide.

In a speech to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), Assange detailed the US government’s long-running attempt to prosecute him for leaking classified information.

He described a complex legal journey that began when former President Obama closed an investigation into his actions, only to have it reopened by the U.S. attorney general, resulting in the rearrest of Chelsea Manning.

Manning, a former US Army intelligence analyst, was forced to testify against Assange and faced significant legal pressure, including more than a year in prison and psychological problems, which ultimately led her to attempt suicide.

“Manning was no longer just a whistleblower; she became a source forced to testify against the journalist,” Assange said.

In December 2017, the US issued an order to extradite Assange from Britain, a move that was kept secret for two years as both the US and Ecuadorian governments worked behind the scenes to lay the political, legal and diplomatic groundwork. for his eventual arrest.

After fourteen years of legal battles, Assange returned to Australia as a free man in June 2024.

In 2010, WikiLeaks’ release of a U.S. military video showing civilians being killed in Baghdad, along with thousands of confidential documents exposing unreported civilian deaths during the war in Afghanistan, became central to his case.

These revelations sparked global outrage and put U.S. military actions in foreign conflicts under scrutiny.

Assange highlighted the broader implications of his case, noting that powerful countries such as the US are increasingly asserting a dangerous legal precedent.

“Only U.S. citizens enjoy the right to free speech under U.S. law, while citizens of other countries are still bound by U.S. secrecy laws,” he said.

This shift, he argued, has put European and other foreign journalists at risk of extradition and prosecution for reporting on U.S. government activities.

“Europeans must obey US secrecy laws without any defense,” he warned.

Assange described his case as “transnational repression” and caused alarm in Europe, where the war in Ukraine has already criminalized journalists in Russia.

Assange warned that without strong safeguards, other countries could follow the US lead in attacking foreign journalists and restricting press freedom.

He also condemned the US government’s attempts to undermine the role of investigative journalism.

“I was convicted by a foreign power for receiving and publishing truthful information while in Europe. Journalism is not a crime,” he declared, warning that the criminalization of newsgathering activities poses a global threat to press freedom.

In his closing remarks, Assange called on European countries to take action, stating: “If Europe wants to have a future where the freedom to speak and publish the truth are not privileges but rights, it must ensure that what I happened will never happen. again.”

“I have not pleaded guilty to anything other than journalism. This was never just about me – it’s about every journalist’s right to do their job without fear of retaliation.”