WikiLeaks’ Julian Assange says in first public speech: ‘Justice is out of the question’

Julian Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks, made his first public appearance since his release on Tuesday, attributing his freedom to pleading guilty to “journalism,” which he described as a fundamental pillar of a free society. During his speech before the Council of Europe in Strasbourg, Assange noted that he was not released because “the system worked,” but rather because of his admission of guilt.

“I’m not free today because the system worked. I am free today after years of incarceration because I pleaded guilty to journalism. I have pleaded guilty to seeking information from a source,” Assange said in his speech to the Council of Europe’s legal committee. He further stated, “I ultimately chose freedom over unrealizable justice after years of imprisonment and a 175-year prison sentence with no effective legal remedy.”

“I am not free today because the system worked. I am free today because after years of incarceration I pleaded guilty to journalism. I pleaded guilty to seeking information from a source” – Julian Assange pic.twitter.com/2EjAMI5vYh

— WikiLeaks (@wikileaks) October 1, 2024

“Justice is now out of the question for me because the US government has emphasized in writing in its plea agreement that I cannot file a case with the ECtHR or even make a request regarding what it has done to me as a result of its extradition request.” he noted.

Assange has spent much of the past fourteen years incarcerated – first in the Ecuadorian embassy in London to avoid arrest, and later in Belmarsh Prison in the British capital. His release in June followed a sentence he served for publishing hundreds of thousands of confidential US government documents through WikiLeaks.

Criminalization of news gathering, a threat to investigative journalism: Julian Assange

Accompanied by his wife Stella, who campaigned for his release, Assange argued that journalism is not a crime and emphasized its role in maintaining a free and informed society. “Journalism is not a crime, it is a pillar of a free and informed society,” he said, adding: “The fundamental issue is simple: journalists should not be prosecuted for doing their work.”

The cache of classified US documents released by WikiLeaks revealed blunt US State Department assessments of foreign leaders, along with details of extrajudicial killings and intelligence activities. Assange stressed that his case shows how “powerful intelligence organizations engage in transnational repression” against their opponents, warning that this trend “cannot become the norm here.”

“If powerful nations feel entitled to attack individuals outside their borders, those individuals don’t stand a chance unless strong safeguards are in place and a state is willing to enforce them. Without them, no individual has the hope of defending themselves against the vast resources at a country’s disposal. state aggressor can deploy,” he noted.

“The criminalization of newsgathering activities is a threat to investigative journalism around the world. I was formally convicted by a foreign power for soliciting, receiving and publishing truthful information about that power while in Europe,” the WikiLeaks founder noted.

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Julian Assange on his incarceration: ‘Relentless struggle to stay alive’

Reflecting on his incarceration, Assange said: “The experience of years of isolation in a small cell is difficult to convey; it strips one’s sense of self, leaving only the raw essence of existence. I am not yet fully equipped to speak about what I have endured the brutal struggle to stay alive, both physically and mentally, and the death by hanging, murder and medical neglect of my fellow prisoners.”

He further expressed concern about the current state of freedom of expression, noting a decline in transparency. “As I emerge from the dungeon of Belmarsh, the truth now seems less discernible, and I regret how much ground has been lost during that period in which the expression of the truth has been undermined, attacked, weakened and diminished. I now see more impunity, more secrecy and more retaliation for telling the truth,” he noted.

Assange also spoke about the founding principles of WikiLeaks, driven by the desire to expose hidden truths about war, torture and mass surveillance. He talked about WikiLeaks’ major revelations, including the “Collateral Murder” video, which exposed the killing of Iraqi journalists by an American Apache helicopter.

A significant portion of Assange’s testimony was devoted to exposing the CIA’s attempts to retaliate against him and WikiLeaks. He alleged that the CIA, led by Mike Pompeo, launched plans to kidnap or kill him, targeted his family and hacked his associates. “It is now publicly known that the CIA, under Pompeo’s explicit direction, plotted to kidnap and kill me inside the Ecuadorian Embassy in London and authorized the pursuit of my European colleagues, exposing us to theft, hacking attacks and the planting of false information,” he added.

The WikiLeaks founder concluded his speech with a call: “Let us all commit to doing our part to ensure that the light of freedom never goes out and that the pursuit of truth lives on and that the voices of many not be silenced by the interests of a few. .”

Assange’s case remains a subject of heated debate. Supporters see him as a free speech advocate who was wrongfully imprisoned, while opponents label him as a reckless figure whose publication of sensitive documents endangered lives and American security.

US President Joe Biden, who has previously called Assange a “terrorist”, is expected to consider granting a pardon before leaving office in January. Assange continues to campaign for a pardon from the United States for his conviction under the Espionage Act.

His appearance at the Council of Europe, an organization of 46 signatories to the European Convention on Human Rights, raised eyebrows because the body has no direct influence on his legal status.