Julian Assange spoke publicly for the first time about his political imprisonment at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE). He said that he finds the climate of journalism and free speech worse than ever and it is hard to disagree with him.
Assange accused the U.S. Justice Department under President Trump of using a “radical and ominous interpretation of the U.S. constitution” to prosecute him. The prosecution, he said, was led by “two wolves in MAGA hats,” Mike Pompeo and William Barr, both former CIA. Wikileaks had embarrassed the CIA by exposing oh-so-many violations.
Assange was subject to terrifying abuse but he says that he is still not quite ready to speak out about his fellow prisoners who are still being abused. One shutters to think. He did, however, speak out about former CIA and Wikileaks whistleblower Joshue Shulte, who was sentenced to 40 years of prison under extreme isolation. Assange says that the windows of his cell are blacked out and a “white noise machine plays 24 hours a day over his door so that he cannot even shout through it.” He says that this is “more severe” than the conditions found at Guantanamo Bay.
Incidentally, Shulte was prosecuted by the same prosecutor who is currently prosecuting Diddy and New York City Mayor Adams, Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York. That guy is busy.
Assange said that Europe is vulnerable to having its mutual legal assistance hijacked by foreign powers (the U.S.) to go after dissenting voices. I’ll say!
It is worth noting that the Obama administration declined to pursue Assange but the wolves of the Trump administration were able to. The Trump campaign should absolutely be pressed about this.
