Christmas Address

Julian Assange gives a Christmas address (video below) from the Ecuadorian Embassy in London, and also marking the 6 month anniversary of his stay.  Text here at Wikileaks.  

 
  
In an almost 13 minute statement, Mr. Assange spoke passionately about the importance of freedom of expression and democracy, summarizing some of Wikileaks' work thus far, and decrying the military industrial complex.  Asserting that the "quality of our discourse is the limit of our civilization," Mr. Assange pointed to its decline amidst efforts by a generation rising to its feet to revolutionize "the way we see the world" --

Our societies are intellectual shanty towns. Our beliefs about the world and each other have been created by [the] same system that has lied us into repeated wars that have killed millions. You can’t build a sky scraper out of plasticine. And you can’t build a just civilization out of ignorance and lies. We have to educate each other. We have to celebrate those who reveal the truth and denounce those who poison our ability to comprehend the world we live in.

Mr. Assange announced Wikileaks' plans to "continue to stand up to bullies" along with the group's possession of an additional one million documents that could be released in the coming year. 

In his closing remarks, audience members began shouting, "The People United Can Never Be Defeated!"

Enemy of the State

 Courtesy of the Herald Sun

Photographer:  Nathan Mawby

Julian Assange supporters protesting 

in Melbourne, Dec. 2010

Commentary coming in on Julian Assange's address yesterday to the U.N. Assembly;  the full transcript at Common Dreams with reference to the Sydney Morning Herald;  from Truthdig, with reference to Glenn Greenwald at the UK Guardian:

Recently declassified Air Force records detail the investigation of an analyst who expressed support for WikiLeaks and its founder Assange. The inquiry was closed when it found no evidence that the analyst had leaked classified material, but the documents reveal that Assange may have been designated an enemy of the United States—the same status as the Taliban and al-Qaida—as the analyst was under investigation for the crime of “Communicating With the Enemy.”

That crime carries a potential death penalty, and its inclusion in an investigation into contact with WikiLeaks suggests that the government now views anyone who publishes classified material that could be seen by anyone considered an enemy as an enemy themselves. The list of candidates for enemy status extends far beyond Assange. Any media outlet, including The New York Times, which has published far more sensitive secrets than WikiLeaks, would become a potential enemy of the state.

Discussion with Michael Ratner, a legal advisor to Mr. Assange, concerning the terminology.  Ecuador is seeking safe passage for Mr. Assange through the U.K. from its London Embassy, and since the asylum issue is resolved in their favor: 

 

U.N. Webcast

Julian Assange is scheduled to address the U.N. Assembly via video broadcast from Ecuador's Embassy in London.  Here is the U.N. live webcast.



UPDATE:

RT video of Julian Assange addressing the U.N. Assembly earlier.   

Whistle Blowers

 Courtesy of RT

Photographer:  Paul Hackett

Supporters of Wikileaks Founder Julian Assange 

gather outside the Ecuadorian Embassy in London

Julian Assange stepped outside to make a statement from a balcony at the Ecuadorian embassy in London Sunday (full video below). U.K. police reportedly entered the embassy illegally a night earlier, but left, deterred by demonstrators keeping vigil outside.   

In dramatic developments, foreign ministers from countries across South America now back Ecuador's decision to grant the Wikileaks founder asylum with a formal announcement at a Union of South American Nations meeting today, "in the face of the threat" to Ecuador's London Embassy.

After Ecuador's Foreign Minister Ricardo Patino finished reading the final declaration from the Union of South American Nations (Unasur) summit, he joined hands with his fellow foreign ministers and raised them aloft.

The BBC's Will Grant said it was a symbolic but important show of unity in a region which considers the UK government's approach over Mr Assange to have been colonialist and threatening.

Ecuador has described a letter from the British government drawing attention to the Diplomatic and Consular Premises Act 1987 as "intolerable" and an "explicit threat".

 Courtesy of PressTV

Foreign ministers of the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR) meet in Ecuador's biggest city Guayaquil on August 19, 2012.

BBC also reports

It is an established international convention that local police and security forces are not permitted to enter an embassy, unless they have the express permission of the ambassador.

That principle was backed by the ministers at the Unasur summit. In their final document, they agreed on a series of general principles, including as "the inviolability of local diplomatic missions and consular offices".

 

Appearing before a cheering crowd, Mr. Assange expressed his appreciation to the many supporters, including Ecuador's President Correa, Foreign Minister Ricardo Patino, the Ecuadorian People, and the Union of South American Nations - naming each one.  He spoke on behalf of pardoning several whistle blowers including Private Bradley Manning, describing him as a hero, role model, and "one of the world's foremost political prisoners," decrying his captivity and treatment, and calling for his release.  Mr. Assange also called upon the U.S. to do the right thing and to reaffirm the revolutionary values it was founded upon, and to end its war on whistle blowers:

As WikiLeaks stands under threat, so does the freedom of expression and the health of our societies.  We must use this movement to articulate the choice that is before the government of the United States of America. Will it return and reaffirm the values - the revolutionary values - it was founded on.  Or will it lurch off the precipice, dragging us all into a dangerous and oppressive world, in which journalists fall silent under the fear of prosecution and citizens must whisper in the dark. I say it must turn back.  I ask President Obama to do the right thing. The United States must renounce its witch hunt against WikiLeaks. The United States must dissolve its FBI investigation. The United States must vow that it will not seek to prosecute our staff, or our supporters. The United States must pledge before the world that it will not pursue journalists for shining a light on the secret crimes of the powerful. There must be no more foolish talk about prosecuting any media organization, be it Wikileaks or be it the New York Times. The U.S. administration's war on whistle blowers must end.

Courtesy of Musicians For Freedom

 People demonstrate outside the UK’s embassy in Quito, Ecuador. 

Courtesy of BBC

The South American ministers embracing 

after their announcement of solidarity

with Ecuador

Empires

Long-time activist and whistle-blower Daniel Ellsberg expresses appreciation to Ecuador for standing up to self-anointed empires and monarchs.  Legal analysts for Julian Assange state that Swedish authorities could easily settle allegations in London, thereby freeing Mr. Assange to leave the U.K. for Ecuador.  Alternatively, a lengthy stand-off seems likely since the U.K. cannot simply "storm" Ecuador's embassy without first legally abolishing the embassy's status altogether.

 

Expectation

Now that the Olympics are over, Ecuador's president Rafael Correa is expected to announce a decision on political asylum for Julian Assange.

 

window

wikileaks announces a window of opportunity for donors formerly blocked by visa and mastercard, and via carte bleue. 

The French credit card system, Carte Bleue, is coupled with the VISA/MasterCard system globally. VISA and MasterCard are contractually barred from directly cutting off merchants through the Carte Bleue system. The French non-profit FDNN (Fund for the Defense of Net Neutrality- Fonds de Défense de la Net Neutralité) has set up a Carte Bleue fund for WikiLeaks.

WikiLeaks advises all global supporters to make use of this avenue immediately before VISA/MasterCard attempts to shut it down.

also, the australian reports today that australian officials have at last responded (in part) to a 6/30/2012 10 page letter from julian assange's legal team. in that letter, barrister burnside requests information on australian government communications with the u.s. government, including whether an indictment has already been prepared by the u.s.  the paper reports australian officials stating yesterday that u.s. officials had not given them any indication (one way or the other, i gather) whether mr. assange would be extradited and charged.

julian assange asserts that the case is about freedom of speech and the press.  he expresses fear that if he were extradited to the united states from sweden, he would be charged with espionage and terrorism related offenses and held under the same deplorable conditions as bradley manning;  he could also be held punishable under the death penalty where capital punishment may still apply to espionage charges in the united states. 

mr. assange has requested asylum in ecuador.  he is presently staying at equador's embassy in london while ecuador considers his request.

below, bewareofyak shares a live update on private manning's case from court reporter alexa o'brien.

letter

today's opinion piece is a letter released by prominent americans urging equador to accept julian assange's asylum request.

published by common dreams and just foreign policy, the letter is signed by over 83 individuals ranging from film directors michael moore, oliver stone, and danny glover;  well known t.v. and media hosts, constitutional attorneys, political activists, writers, university faculty, heads of prominent human rights and social justice organizations, artists, and foreign policy and economics experts.  truthout reports the letter accompanied by a petition signed by 4,000 americans also urging president rafael correa to approve julian assange's asylum request.

Adding that the US government "has made clear its hostility to WikiLeaks", it says he could face the death penalty in the US if he was charged and found guilty under the Espionage Act.

"We also call on you to grant Mr Assange political asylum because the 'crime' that he has committed is that of practicing journalism," says the letter, which is addressed to Correa.

It concludes: "Because this is a clear case of an attack on press freedom and on the public's right to know important truths about US foreign policy, and because the threat to his health and well-being is serious, we urge you to grant Mr Assange political asylum."

below, a youtube released by michael moore's channel showing robert naiman hand delivering the letter to a representative for ecuador's embassy in london, yesterday, june 25, 2012.

 

ecuador

julian assange seeks asylum in ecuador.  he is presently in equador's london mission where he will remain while the equadorian government considers his application.  per huffpost, equador's foreign minister reports that assange argues that

"the authorities in his country will not defend his minimum guarantees before any government or ignore the obligation to protect a politically persecuted citizen."

Assange said it was impossible for him to return to his homeland because it would not protect him from being extradited to "a foreign country that applies the death penalty for the crime of espionage and sedition," Patino said in a reference to the United States.

Assange, 40, claims the U.S. has secretly indicted him for divulging American secrets and will act on the indictment if Sweden succeeds in extraditing him from Britain.