AAPP - support Julian Assange, Wed 22 June 2022, 12.30pm US Embassy

Dear supporters of justice and democracy

The Alliance Against Political Prosecutions condemns the ongoing politically motivated legal actions continuing the imprisonment of Australian journalist, Julian Assange. He has not seen freedom now for 10 years.

Assange has committed no crime. What he did was publish information about US war crimes in Iraq and other information on Afghanistan and other matters. He has been charged under the Espionage Act, but he didn't obtain the information, US intelligence officer, Chelsea Manning, did.  She was subsequently pardonned by President Obama.

How can it be that Assange is still in prison when the whistleblower is now free, and no other media outlet which published the information has suffered any consequences? 

These proceedings against Julian Assange are clearly an attempt to intimidate journalists everywhere. They are a travesty of justice and a threat to press freedom and must be ended.

We will be protesting Julian's continuing imprisonment and the threat to press freedom that it constitutes, opposite the US Embassy this coming Wednesday 22 June at 12.30pm.

Please contact the Prime Minister on 02 6277 7700 or on 02 9564 3588 and urge him to speak to President Biden immediately to obtain his release and the dropping of all charges.

It's not as if Australia hasn't helped out the US many times over the last 55 years (most when it shouldn't have)!

See these articles about the case:

James Massola and Latika Bourke, Federal government lobbying behind the scenes for Assange’s freedom, SMH, 19 June 2022.

Stuart Rees, Opportunity for Albanese intervention to free Julian Assange. ‘It’s time.’ Pearls and Irritations, 3 June 2022.

Journalist Stefania Maurizi has also written powerfully about the threat Julian's case poses to journalists and press freedom everywhere.

Prime Minister Albanese has said of the actions against Assange, that "Enough is enough" and that "I can't see what is served by keeping him incarcerated".  The Prime Minister must redouble his efforts with the UK and US Governments until Julian has his freedom.

Please join us if you can at the US Embassy on Wednesday at 12.30pm.

For justice and democracy

Kathryn Kelly
Co-convenor of AAPP