Julian Assange is an Australian. He is in trouble overseas. He needs the Australian government’s help.
For six years he has been virtually a prisoner in the Ecuadorean Embassy in London. The reason he is there is because he is the founder and editor of WikiLeaks, which published evidence of war crimes leaked by an American soldier, Bradley (later Chelsea) Manning as a matter of conscience. WikiLeaks has since revealed the secrets of the world’s unaccountable forces. This Australian has provided an historic public service.
The Americans have made it clear from the start that they want to get Assange, who has good reason to fear he will be mistreated the way Chelsea Manning was. That’s why this week’s events in London are so critical. Will the Ecuadorean president Lenin Moreno, at present visiting London and under pressure from Washington, abandon the man his country has so honourably protected?
Julian Assange has never been charged with any crime. In 2010, Sweden wanted to extradite him from Britain under a European Arrest Warrant. When it became clear that Sweden was likely to hand him over to the Americans, he sought asylum in the Ecuadorean Embassy in London.
The Swedish case has been dropped, but the British authorities still want him for jumping bail. If he steps out of the Embassy, they will very likely hand him over to the Americans.
This Australian needs Australia’s help.
He has not seen sunshine or felt rain for 6 years. Try to imagine what it is like to be stuck indoors for 6 years. Whatever your view of what he did, 6 years inside is enough.
His health has deteriorated badly over those 6 years. I visited him at the Embassy in the middle of June: he is looking much frailer than when I saw him there in mid-2012.
His teeth are causing great pain: a dentist can’t visit him. He needs root-canal surgery, which is not possible except in a fully equipped dental surgery.
He is suffering from oedema: his legs are swelling.
His eyesight is fading, because he cannot look into the distance: the most distant thing from him inside the Embassy is a view down the corridor, which is perhaps 10 metres.
His bone-density is reducing seriously, because he has not been in the sunshine for 6 years, and exercise is difficult.
The government of Ecuador changed recently, and conditions in the Embassy have changed as well: it is now much more difficult for Assange to receive visitors, and he does not have access to a phone or the internet.
Because the British authorities are likely to hand him over to the Americans, Assange does not dare to step out of the Embassy. That’s why he needs the help of the Australian government. Malcolm Turnbull and Julie Bishop could easily reach a diplomatic agreement with Britain to allow Assange to be brought safely back to Australia, where his family is. If the Americans want to extradite him, they can apply to an Australian Court. The Australian Government has given help to other Australians in trouble overseas – such as the journalist Peter Greste in Egypt.
It in era of diminishing rights, of widespread insecurity and injustice, it is time to recognise one who has stood against the tide. Julian Assange needs our help, urgently. The Government should give it without delay.
Julian has risked his own freedom to give us truth. He deserves to be free. Australia should do all they can to bring Julian home. He is truly a hero!
I support him facing justice for breaching bail. Equality before the law is important (outcome: dismissal? good behaviour?). But I’m aghast that the British authorities might had him over to the US. What are the grounds for the belief that they will?
Hear! Hear! Julian Assange is a hero. Sadly, both sides of politics have failed Assange, and by extension, all Australians.
Totally agree. The challenge is how to get our government to act.
Australian goverments can supportt and use tax payers money on pedophiles and drug runners overseas .bring Assiane home. What is there fear? He knows too much.bring him home!!
The Australian Government should step straight in to bring Julian Assange back to Australia. How can a man who has never been charged with a crime be abandoned this way? It was wonderful that Peter Greste was helped and Australian govts over the years have helped many who are far less worthy – this is also an extraordinary way to treat his family.
I agree with you.
I am grateful and really admire the stand you take Julian Assange’s behalf. I believe it is the ethical and proper position.
It is the duty of Australian government to extend every possible assistance to its citizens who may get in to difficulties oversea. It is not acceptable for the Australian government to abandon it’s citizen just to please the USA a country that has a dismal record of human rights violation all over the world and the current terrorism mess.Julian Assange must be brought home as a free citizen.
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Spot on Julian. Only problem is that both labor and the coalition oppose whistle blowers when it comes to exposing the abuses of gov’t.
Keep up the great work
Australian government is too busy protecting multinationals and corrupt politicians bankers judges and lawyers. A shameless bunch of sociopaths. There is a Julian Assange in every single one of us and they are petrified of us the people. They portray decent people as criminals and allow criminals to run our government and judiciary. Julian Assange must be protected by Australian government.
Thank you Julian for your article. There are many of us who share your belief that the Australian government should be doing all that they can to ensure Julian Assange’s basic fundamental human rights are being implemented. Australian government representatives should be pushing to stop any further incarceration and be engaging in conversations about bringing him home. The only appropriate words after 8 years are “This stops now, Julian Assange is coming home, we will not permit extradition or continued attacks by the US”.
Seeing what little the Australian Government has done to assist Julian Assange over the past 6 years makes me ashamed to call myself an Australian. In my nearly 50 years on earth, I NEVER thought I would EVER speak those words, but here we are. I also NEVER thought the Australian Government – MY government – would behave so callously to one of our own. Julian Assange is a HERO to the citizens of the world – but not so much to the corrupt and powerful that infect governments worldwide. History will look back on Assange as a hero, and future generations will also look back on those countrymen of his known as the entire Australian Govt & political class, as nothing but corrupt people of immense cowardice & no moral fibre. In the event that Assange comes to harm “in the name of justice” please believe that I shall be praying that there truly is a hell for those in Govt who could of and didn’t, & those who refused to act, to burn in.
This is highlighting Australian politician’s are representing foreign nations before it’s own citizens. An Australian citizens rights are second to the US and UK government wishes.
I have always admired Julian, having had, at times, to ignore the excess of his character flaws; after all, extraordinary people can sometimes be extraordinarily difficult. I believe his core motivation is admirable. I also believe his involvement with Hillary Clinton’s emails is of questionable motive. However much this interfered with a process resulting in the incorrigible infant currently infecting the White House; I ultimately believe his actions were justified, as it was Hillary Clinton who used America’s Bullying to extra-judicially imprison him. Hillary is finished thanks to him, a result that is a good thing for American Politics. Let it be a lesson to those who follow. Now, if he can help get Trump out of the White House, that would complete his task!
Please bring Julian Assange home to Australia. This is his home. We need to recognize and defend our own citizens and show some strength and leadership as a people. Grow up and defend our own who would be held for unknown reasons of international complexities. It is obvious he cannot be responsible for any consequences because he has no real power, if he did, we would NOT have just left him there. Bring Julian Assange home. It’s time.
I can’t understand how one tells the truth and is jailed (may as well be) inside Ecuador’s embassy yet govt can sit in parliament tell outrageous lies and go home at the end of the day. He needs proper healthcare and freedom.pls help bring him home
This Australian needs Australia’s help. 6 years is more than enough and Australian government must help him to be free.He inspired so many journalists across the world.
Shokoofeh Azar, Iranian journalist and author in exile
I have been following this situation from the beginning. Julian Assange has only exposed what the people should’ve been told by their governments. After all, the US etc are supposedly ‘democratic’ nations with freedom of speech and freedom of the media, among other human rights. The fact that the US wants to charge Assange with something for exposing the crimes IT did is just unbelievable. The US committed the crimes in the first place and shouldn’t have tried to hide everything, yet it’s Assange’s fault!?! And the fact that Sweden, Britain, Australia and now possibly Ecuador are all manipulated by the US government to the extent that they forget about natural justice, the rule of law and their own sovereignty is not only appalling, it’s pathetic. The behaviour of our MPs in recent years together with this has made me become so ashamed of and disenchanted with our political system and governments (current and recent past). I saw a tweet of Julian’s showing that he couldn’t even renew his passport – the Aus government wouldn’t allow him to do it online. Does this mean he’s stateless too? What is the government gaining by neglecting Assange? Comfort that the US will stay Australia’s friend? It is despicable and is not conducive to Australian values, which the government is supposed to uphold and protect. It makes me so angry that governments can blatantly breach the various elements of the rule of law with no justification except to punish someone for exposing THEIR OWN or their ally’s crimes. It’s sickening and frightens me. There is no such thing as true justice, freedom of speech/and the media, transparency in government etc if Australia doesn’t protect Julian Assange and tell the US to stop the witch hunt.
J. Assange was born and is a Swedish Crown subject, a a naturalized Australian most recently granted a citizenship of Equador. Is his Australian citizenship still effective?
Does he personally seek an assistance of the Australian government not less friendly to the U.S.A. than British and Swedish are?
With all my personal admiration to the U.S., B.Obama, American civil liberties and human rights,is punishing a messenger, a foreigner particularly acting outside American soil,a right thing?
Julian Assange is still an Australian citizen, and our government should help him: he clearly needs help
He is an Australian citizen. Our government should have given him consular assistance at the outset, instead of being the US government’s puppet. Embassies are there for a reason, and if they can’t fulfil their obligations, they should be shut down. Bring Julian Assange back to Australia and let him live his life. There should be no legal recriminations against him.
Dear all,
Its about time we considered a full-scale PETITION to have Australia bring back Julian Assange (Freedom Fighter) back to Australia.
I request my good and noble friend Mr Julian Burnside, QC to draft a Petition and I will personally gather as many people to work night and day for the next few weeks to pile up a truck load of Signatures to support Julian’s liberty.
He has suffered enough in a self-imposed “gaol” all these years.
Has the Australian Government the “Guts” to act for their own????
Time will tell.
Hon. Mr Morrison, please show some courage to bring back Julian Assange to Australia.
I drafted a petition to Parliament House tonight 22 October 2018. I will post a link when it is approved.
Please continue the fight to bring Julian Assange Home. This is urgent. Our democracy depends upon this issue.
Julian Assange stands as an example of real journalism, not govt sponsored propaganda. His disclosure of war crimes should be applauded, not the lies and deceptions currently taking close to another war. Long live thre whistleblowers.
It has been suggested to me that if I wish to secure Julian Assange’s release that I need to file an application to the High Court of Australia seeking orders that the Defendant, General David Hurley, the Governor-General, take all necessary steps, including the issuing of a Writ of Habeas Corpus, to secure the release of Julian Paul Assange from custody in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
Julian Burnside, I would be grateful for your comment on this proposal.