In a world plagued by escalating conflicts and geopolitical crises, Julian Assange’s story stands as a powerful symbol of the fight for sovereignty, free speech, and press freedom. On October 1, 2024, Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks, made his first significant public appearance after being released in June following 14 years of persecution by the American and British governments. His words at a hearing organized by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) carried deep implications for global justice, individual rights, and the dangerous precedents set by powerful states to silence dissent.

While Assange’s release marked a significant moment, his freedom is far from absolute. Rather than receiving true justice, he was forced into accepting a plea deal that required him to acknowledge guilt for crimes he didn’t commit. His freedom is conditional and incomplete, with legal barriers preventing him from holding those responsible for his persecution to account. As Assange stated in Strasbourg, he was forced to choose “freedom over unrealizable justice.” The terms of the plea deal prevent him from filing a case with the European Court of Human Rights or submitting a Freedom of Information Act request in the US, effectively insulating those responsible for his torment from any form of accountability.

Assange’s story is not merely one of personal suffering but a stark illustration of how powerful states act to suppress those who expose their wrongdoing. WikiLeaks, under Assange’s leadership, brought to light some of the most egregious aspects of US foreign policy, especially in the Middle East. The relentless persecution he has faced since is not just an attack on one man, but a direct assault on press freedom, dissent, and the sovereignty of nations that dare to challenge Washington’s overreach.

During the Council of Europe’s debate on Assange’s treatment, there was formal recognition of what many have long known: he is a political prisoner. The US government’s attempts to paint him as a criminal are rooted in his alleged violations of the 1917 Espionage Act-a law passed during World War I. This outdated statute, meant to target wartime spies, has instead been used to punish someone for revealing the truth. Assange’s incarceration wasn’t about lawbreaking; it was about silencing a voice that dared to expose state secrets, particularly those that revealed war crimes, human rights abuses, and misconduct by the US military and intelligence agencies.

The significance of Assange’s plight becomes clearer when considering the global ramifications of his work. Through WikiLeaks, Assange exposed US war crimes in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as the CIA’s expansive cyber-espionage operations through the release of the Vault 7 documents. His 2010 release of the “Collateral Murder” video provided stark evidence of US military personnel killing civilians and journalists in Baghdad. This footage, and the subsequent releases of detailed accounts of US black site torture programs and rendition practices, significantly eroded Washington’s moral authority on the global stage.

These revelations highlighted the US government’s blatant disregard for international law, human rights, and the sovereignty of other nations. Assange became the target of harsh retribution not because he broke laws, but because he dared to reveal inconvenient truths. In response, the US national security apparatus, as Assange himself noted, began a campaign of retribution. This campaign included isolation, imprisonment, and even discussions of assassination, with CIA Director Mike Pompeo-under the Trump administration-allegedly proposing plans to kidnap or kill Assange while he was sheltered in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London.

Assange’s case is not just about individual persecution; it is deeply intertwined with the broader struggle for sovereignty in a world dominated by US hegemony. The US government’s attempts to prosecute Assange under the Espionage Act raise critical questions about the reach of US legal authority. By applying this law to a non-US citizen for activities conducted outside US territory, Washington effectively claims the right to prosecute anyone, anywhere, for exposing its secrets. As Assange astutely remarked in Strasbourg, “Only US citizens have free speech rights; Europeans and other nationalities do not.”

This dangerous precedent-that Washington can dictate the limits of free speech and sovereignty around the globe-threatens not only journalists but entire nations. If countries cannot protect their citizens from US overreach, they cede part of their sovereignty to a foreign power. Assange’s case underscores the growing power of the US to maintain control over the global narrative and suppress dissent, setting a chilling example for other governments seeking to quash whistleblowers and journalists.

The persecution of Assange is also deeply connected to the West’s imperialist ventures, particularly in the Middle East. The wars in Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, and beyond have left devastation in their wake, often driven by the very crimes Assange helped expose. His revelations about the torture of prisoners, the killing of civilians, and the broader human rights abuses in these conflicts played a critical role in turning public opinion against these wars. For that, Assange became a marked man.

As the Council of Europe’s debate underscored, the stakes of Assange’s case go far beyond his personal freedom. His persecution has had a chilling effect on journalists and whistleblowers worldwide. The message from Washington is clear: anyone who exposes the crimes of the powerful, particularly the US, will be hunted down and silenced. This precedent poses an existential threat to investigative journalism. If Assange can be prosecuted for publishing truthful information, what does that mean for the future of free speech and press freedom?

The suppression of free speech, particularly when it comes to revealing government wrongdoing, is not unique to the US. In Western countries, laws like the Espionage Act are increasingly used to target journalists, activists, and whistleblowers, even as these governments continue to preach the virtues of democracy and freedom of expression. The hypocrisy is staggering, and Assange’s case highlights the growing gap between Western nations’ rhetoric and their actions when their geopolitical interests are at stake.

Julian Assange’s fight for freedom is emblematic of a broader struggle-the fight for the right to speak truth to power, to hold governments accountable, and to challenge the notion that some states, particularly the US, are above the law. The persecution of Assange should be a wake-up call to the world. If we allow one of the most important journalists of our time to be silenced, we are all complicit in the erosion of freedom and sovereignty.

History will remember Assange not just as a whistleblower or a journalist but as one of the most important political prisoners of the post-Cold War era. His work through WikiLeaks changed the landscape of journalism, exposing the dark realities of state power and revealing the brutal consequences of empire. However, his struggle is far from over. Even in his “freedom,” Assange remains a symbol of the ongoing fight for press freedom and national sovereignty in a world increasingly dominated by surveillance, secrecy, and state suppression.

Julian Assange’s case stands as a stark reminder that the battle for truth and justice is never-ending. His courage in the face of overwhelming power will continue to inspire those who believe in justice, sovereignty, and the fundamental rights of all people.

The post Julian Assange’s fight for freedom and press sovereignty continues appeared first on BLiTZ.

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Source: Weekly Blitz :: Writings