The World Socialist Web Site has received messages of support from young people in Scotland for Julian Assanges freedom. The WikiLeaks publisher will spend his third Christmas inside Belmarsh maximum security prison in London next week, with the threat of extradition and lifetime incarceration in a US federal prison hanging over his head, deprived of his most fundamental legal and democratic rights.
On December 10, Britains High Court ruled in favour of a US government appeal aimed at securing Assanges extradition. The courts vicious decision confirms that the British state, its government, judiciary, and intelligence agenciesand all of its political partiesare determined to destroy Assange in retribution for WikiLeaks courageous exposure of war crimes in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Next Wednesday, the Socialist Equality Party in Australia is hosting an emergency online meeting, British court decision puts Assanges life in danger. Demand his immediate release! The meeting will take place at 7pm AEDT (see here for registration details, including international start times). We urge workers and young people all over the world to help promote the meeting and make plans to attend.
The thoughtful comments published below show the enormous potential to win support among a generation of workers and young people being politicised by momentous world events, including unending wars, staggering social inequality, climate change, the collapse of democracy and a pandemic that has claimed millions of lives.
Jordan, 23, a delivery driver from Inverness said, Assange did not sell a product, but brought to light truths with evidence, and they want to lock up the truth and throw the key away in the USA! For years the TV, radio, and written press networks have been in the hands of tycoons who in turn finance their companies and keep journalists mouths sealed with millions of dollars.
That is why there is no longer a place for journalists who are not corrupt, or who are willing to go beyond the script set by their bosses. Manipulative garbage is what exists in all these media today, almost entirely.
Calum, 23, a postal packing worker from Inverness said, The betrayal of Assange years ago by the global press was a sign of things to come. Unfounded accusations and his continual smearing by the press should have shocked more and shown people the bias of capitalist media as anti-journalistic, but the reality of the situation was smothered and confused by the weight of that media.
Now as hes facing American justice, the threat of life imprisonment and the chance of execution or assassination in response to the highest journalistic integrity. It should say something about the death of our democratic ideals and should rally the working class and journalists, anyone with a conscience, in a fight for his freedoma fight that is not only to save a man's life, but to save journalism and is intertwined with the fight for socialism.
Now, more than ever, we cannot watch as remote legal proceedings develop and liberal articles are exchanged. The people need to take to the streets, to their workplaces, to their communities in protest and discussion. This needs to become a real political issue and exposed as the serious political crime it is.
Daniel, 23, a sound technician from Inverness said, Assange's extradition is a travesty of justice and morality. The silence of the pseudo-left and the Labour Party is tantamount to complicity. Assange should never have been held without due cause for any length of time, and the duration of the ordeal he has gone through will have undeniably caused severe degradation of his mental and physical health.
The fact that the working class are the only force to bring forward the struggle for truth, justice, and for Assange himself, is evidence that the ruling class care nothing for any of the ideals that give us our humanity, and are a force in undeniable opposition to the proletariat and the common good of all the earth's people.
Andrew, 21, a cook in Glasgow said, This vicious entrapment of Julian Assange exemplifies the brutal lengths the ruling classes will go to cover up and disguise their own heinous war crimes. His extradition to the US is being used by the ruling classes to strengthen British-American relations. Giving Assange to the Americans now is quite literally a death sentence. The fact is that we, the working class, are the only class interested in fair justice because we are the class that these hidden crimes, done by the ruling class, affects. We are the people in danger of learning the truth behind the atrocities conducted overseas especially in the Middle East.
Jill, a social care worker and the mother of a young Socialist Equality Party member from Inverness wrote, Article 10 of the Human Rights Act 1998 says, everyone has the right to freedom of expression in the UK. I am personally disgusted by the treatment of Julian Assange and that there has been an ongoing criminal investigation and that his kidnap and his murder was actually planned by the US government.
So, a man is going to either 1) Rot in prison or 2) Be kidnapped and murderedfor what? Speaking the truth?
I personally am ashamed to say that until recently I did not know who he was and was only made aware due to the World Socialist Web Site. The working class need to take a stand and can make a difference because this outcome will also make a difference to their own democratic rights.
We need to act now because either way this poor man has a death sentence hanging over him due to his treatment. Todays generation needs to be the ones who say no more! The proletarians have nothing to lose but their chains. They have a world to win. (Karl Marx, The Communist Manifesto).
Ari, 23, a final year media student in Glasgow, said the case against Assange means, The presumption of innocence and peoples democratic rights, thats all out the window.
Ari described Assanges achievements as a journalist, highlighting the Collateral Murder video which he watched for the first time when he was a 13-year-old, Its horrific, its a war crime. I was really enraged. Theyre killing those people as if its a video game, theyre so detached from it. That was my first introduction to WikiLeaks.
In 2012 when Assange first went into the embassy, I was 14, so Ive been aware of the case for quite a while. Ari said the sight of Assange being dragged from the Ecuadorian Embassy in 2019 by police was brutal, they made a show of it for the worlds media. Theyre making an example of him. Its been very brutal and drawn out over many years. Its a horrific example to make, and journalism is under a threat because of it.
Ari recently watched a YouTube video called, The CIAs plot to assassinate Julian Assange, showing evidence of CIA and US government plans to kidnap and kill Assange in London during his time inside the Ecuadorian Embassy. At the same time, efforts to smear Assange personally were being intensified, Theyve thrown a lot of bogus accusations against him.
Asked if there was discussion at university about Assange, Ari replied, Because of the rape stuff [bogus allegations against Assange by the Swedish state], amongst the leftist student types hes not very popular. Its definitely bullshit. It was too convenient, far too convenient.
The WSWS told Ari about UN Rapporteur on Torture Nils Melzers forensic take-down of the Swedish allegations that Assange and his lawyers had also refuted. In contrast, leading pseudo-left parties in Europe, Australia and the United States eagerly weaponised the CIA-backed rape narrative, using gender politics to incite middle class hysteria against a journalist persecuted for exposing war crimes. Ari agreed, adding, Obviously, they were false allegations and they have been dropped now.
This all happened about five years before the #MeToo era, and it was a prototype for what was to come.
Ari questioned the precedent being established by #MeToo, including its undermining of the presumption of innocence, Wasnt the #MeToo movement another form of essentially throwing away peoples democratic rights, including to a fair trial? Its pretty messed up.
Ari warned that the promotion of gender and race-based politics and its undermining of democratic rights was playing into the hands of the far-right, When the pseudo-left come up with this kind of nonsense, the far-right dismantle it and sometimes they do a good job of dismantling it, and the danger is that it brings young people towards the right. Theyre giving them an ammunition in a way. Ari described the January 6 coup in the United States as a very worrying development.
A recent survey by the Institute of Economic Affairs found nearly 70 percent of young people in Britain want to live in a socialist economic system. It found 73 percent of 1634-year-olds believe a socialist system would boost solidarity, compassion and cooperation among people. Ari said, Ive been speaking to my classmates about this, and its remarkable how much more radical everyones got. People are talking much more about Marxism and socialism compared to when I was 13 or 14. Back then, my friend and I would talk about Karl Marx and socialism, but people didnt really want to talk about it. But now young people are completely interested and that is growing.
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- UK ruling on Assange extradition resets the game. What happens next? - Al Jazeera English - May 25th, 2024
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- Timeline of the Assange legal saga over extradition to the US on espionage charges - The Associated Press - May 25th, 2024
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- The Guardian view on Julian Assange: time to dial this process down - The Guardian - May 25th, 2024
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- The case against Julian Assange has been a cruel folly. His right to appeal is a small step towards justice - The Guardian - May 25th, 2024
- Explained: The case against WikiLeaks Julian Assange, who can now appeal his extradition to the US - The Indian Express - May 25th, 2024
- Watch: Outside High Court as Julian Assange wins bid to appeal US extradition - The Independent - May 25th, 2024
- Wikileaks Assange Gets Another Shot at Extradition Appeal - Bloomberg - May 25th, 2024
- Assange wins High Court bid to appeal against extradition to US over spying charges - The Independent - May 25th, 2024
- End the punishment: On Julian Assange - The Hindu - May 25th, 2024
- U.K. High Court Grants Julian Assange the Right to Appeal U.S. Extradition - Democracy Now! - May 25th, 2024
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- Julian Assange's Wife Urges Joe Biden to Drop Pursuit of Husband as he Wins Right to Appeal US Extradition Byline ... - Byline Times - May 25th, 2024
- Julian Assange Extradition Ruling: Everything We Know About WikiLeaks Case - Newsweek - May 25th, 2024
- Julian Assange Has Secured a Rare Legal Victory, But Press Freedom Still Hangs in the Balance - The Wire - May 25th, 2024
- Julian Assange can appeal extradition to the US, London High Court rules - The Register - May 25th, 2024
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- There is a way out of the Assange legal quagmire the US should drop the case - The Guardian - May 25th, 2024
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- Timeline of the Julian Assange legal saga as he makes a final bid ... - PBS - May 15th, 2024
- New Blog Article on ThinkCareBelieve: The Future of Free Speech Hangs on Important UK Court Decision For Julian ... - Yahoo Finance - May 15th, 2024
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- Julian Assange Extradition Decision: What to Know - The New York Times - April 28th, 2024
- Julian Assanges mission was to change the world - but at what cost? - CNN - April 28th, 2024
- Irish Nobel Peace Prize winner calls on Joe Biden to release Julian Assange in letter handed to U.S. Consulate - Radio Habana Cuba - April 28th, 2024
- Justice Department Reportedly in Discussions With Julian Assange Over Potential Plea Deal - The New York Sun - March 21st, 2024
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- WSJ: The Justice Department reportedly is negotiating a deal that would set Assange free - Voz Media - March 21st, 2024
- Minute by minute - The Guardian - March 21st, 2024
- Julian Assange's legal team sees 'no indication' of resolution in extradition case - SBS News - March 21st, 2024
- Last Days of Julian Assange in the United States - Consortium News - March 21st, 2024
- Assange in plea deal talks - Pearls and Irritations - March 21st, 2024
- UK/US: Time to end prosecution of Julian Assange, UN expert says - Pearls and Irritations - March 13th, 2024
- Julian Assange's brother will attend the State of the Union address as Rep. Thomas Massie's guest - Reason - March 13th, 2024
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- Julian Assange: Australian politicians call for release of WikiLeaks ... - February 17th, 2024
- Australian lawmakers approve motion calling for release of Julian Assange - The Associated Press - February 17th, 2024
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- Julian Assange: Australian politicians call for release of WikiLeaks founder - BBC.com - February 17th, 2024
- 'Devastating': wife of imprisoned journalist Julian Assange mourns death of Alexei Navalny - Pearls and Irritations - February 17th, 2024
- Law professors to DOJ: Drop Assange prosecution - Freedom of the Press Foundation - February 17th, 2024
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- On eve of British hearings, Assange's brother Gabriel Shipton speaks out: This is Julian's last chance in the UK courts - WSWS - February 17th, 2024
- Days Before Extradition Hearing, Australian Parliament Tells US to Drop Assange Case - Common Dreams - February 17th, 2024
- Rule of Law and Raison d'Etat: Julian Assange Must be Released - CounterPunch - February 17th, 2024
- Australian Parliament Approves Motion Calling for Release of Julian Assange - Democracy Now! - February 17th, 2024
- Julian Assange extradition appeal verdict to be revealed in few days - Al Mayadeen English - February 17th, 2024
- 'Julian Assange Is Not Superhuman What Is Being Done to Him Is Unworthy of Any Democracy' Byline Times - Byline Times - February 17th, 2024
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