🟠 // DONATE DIRECTLY TO JULIAN ASSANGES TEAM

Julian Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks, has been detained in the United Kingdom’s Belmarsh Prison since April 2019, raising serious questions about the legality of his detainment. Assange has been a controversial figure since WikiLeaks began publishing classified documents in 2010, exposing corruption, human rights abuses, and war crimes committed by various governments around the world. His detainment brings to light critical issues regarding freedom of the press, political asylum, and extraterritorial jurisdiction.

Firstly, Assange sought and was granted political asylum by Ecuador in 2012, fearing extradition to the United States, where he could face charges that might lead to the death penalty or life imprisonment. International law recognizes the right to seek asylum, and the United Nations’ 1951 Refugee Convention prohibits the refoulement of a refugee to a territory where his life or freedom would be threatened. Despite this, the Ecuadorian government, under President Lenin Moreno, controversially revoked Assange’s asylum in April 2019, leading to his arrest by British police. This revocation and subsequent arrest are dubious at best, as international law mandates that once asylum is granted, it cannot be arbitrarily revoked.

Secondly, the case against Assange revolves around his role in the publication of classified documents. However, it is crucial to recognize that Assange is a publisher and journalist. The charges against him set a dangerous precedent for press freedom, as they criminalize activities that journalists regularly engage in, such as receiving and publishing classified information. This has led many to argue that the charges against Assange are politically motivated and designed to stifle investigative journalism.

Finally, the extraterritorial application of U.S. law is deeply concerning. Assange is an Australian citizen who operated outside the United States, yet he faces extradition to the U.S. to stand trial for alleged offenses under U.S. law. This raises fundamental questions about jurisdiction and the extraterritorial application of national laws.

In conclusion, the detainment of Julian Assange raises significant legal and ethical concerns. From the revocation of his asylum to the implications for press freedom and the extraterritorial application of U.S. law, there are compelling reasons to argue that his detainment is illegal. It is essential to address these issues to uphold the principles of international law, human rights, and press freedom.

Timeline of Events that Lead to the Illegal Imprisonment of Julian Assange

April 2010: WikiLeaks releases a classified US military video showing an Apache helicopter attack in Baghdad that killed a dozen people, including two Reuters journalists.

July 2010: WikiLeaks publishes the Afghanistan war logs, revealing covert operations and intelligence gathering in the Afghanistan war.

August 2010: Swedish prosecutors issue an arrest warrant for Assange on allegations of sexual misconduct and rape, which he denies. Assange leaves Sweden for the UK.

November 2010: Swedish authorities issue an international arrest warrant for Assange. He fights extradition from the UK.

December 2010: Assange is arrested in London on the Swedish arrest warrant. He is released on bail but fights extradition to Sweden.

May 2012: The UK Supreme Court rules that Assange should be extradited to Sweden. Fearing extradition to the US, Assange takes refuge in the Ecuadorian embassy in London, requesting political asylum.

August 2012: Ecuador grants Assange political asylum.

August 2012 – April 2019: Assange stays in the Ecuadorian embassy in London to avoid arrest and extradition.

April 2019: Ecuadorian President Lenin Moreno revokes Assange’s asylum, stating that he violated the terms of his asylum. British police arrest Assange inside the embassy.

May 2019: Assange is sentenced to 50 weeks in prison by a UK court for breaching bail conditions in 2012.

April 2019 – Present: Assange is detained in Belmarsh prison in London. He fights extradition to the US, where he faces multiple charges related to the publication of classified documents with a possible prison sentence of 175 years – a number to scare any other international journalist to speak out against the United States empire.

The CIA’s Plan to Assassinate Julian Assange

In 2021, Yahoo News reported that the CIA had discussed plans to kidnap or assassinate Julian Assange during the Trump administration. According to the report, senior officials within the CIA and the Trump administration had discussed various options to deal with the WikiLeaks founder, who was at the time taking refuge in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London. The discussions reportedly included proposals for kidnapping, poisoning, and even a shooting in the streets of London. These discussions were part of a broader effort by the CIA to label WikiLeaks as a “hostile non-state intelligence service,” which would then justify more aggressive actions against Assange and his organization.

The revelations about the CIA’s plans to assassinate Assange raised serious concerns about the lengths to which the US government is willing to go to silence its critics. It also raised questions about the legality and ethics of such actions. Many human rights organizations and legal experts have argued that the assassination of Assange would have been a clear violation of international law and an affront to the principles of democracy and freedom of the press.

The reports about the CIA’s plans to assassinate Julian Assange are deeply troubling and highlight the need for greater oversight and accountability within the intelligence community. It is essential that governments around the world respect the principles of international law and the rights of individuals, regardless of their actions or opinions.

Read Full Story at Yahoo News

Alexei Navalny is a Russian lawyer, anti-corruption activist, and opposition leader. He gained prominence in Russia and internationally for his investigations into corruption by Russian officials and his criticism of Russian President Vladimir Putin and his government.

Navalny started his career as a lawyer and began blogging about corruption in 2008. In 2011, he started the Anti-Corruption Foundation, an organization dedicated to investigating and exposing corruption in Russia.

He has been arrested multiple times for his activism and has spent time in jail on several occasions. In 2013, he ran for mayor of Moscow and came in second with 27% of the vote, a remarkable achievement for an opposition candidate in Russia.

In 2020, Navalny was poisoned with a nerve agent while on a flight from Tomsk to Moscow. He was treated in Germany and made a full recovery. He returned to Russia in January 2021 and was immediately arrested upon arrival. He was subsequently sentenced to two and a half years in prison for violating the terms of a suspended sentence from a 2014 fraud conviction, a case that he and his supporters argue was politically motivated.

Navalny’s poisoning, arrest, and imprisonment have drawn international condemnation and have led to protests in Russia and around the world. His courage and determination have made him a symbol of resistance against the Putin regime and a key figure in the Russian opposition movement

Alexei Navalny Timeline of Events

1998-1999: Studied Russian law and securities and exchanges at Yale University.

2008: Started blogging about alleged corruption in Russian politics.

2011: Started the Anti-Corruption Foundation (FBK).

2013: Ran for Mayor of Moscow and came in second with 27% of the vote.

2014: Placed under house arrest for embezzlement charges, which he claimed were politically motivated.

2017: Announced his intention to run for President of Russia in the 2018 election but was barred from running due to his criminal conviction.

2018: Organized a series of nationwide protests against the government of Vladimir Putin.

2020: Poisoned with a nerve agent in August and spent several months in a coma.

2021: Returned to Russia in January and was immediately arrested. Sentenced to 2.5 years in prison in February.

2021: Went on a hunger strike in prison to demand proper medical treatment.

2023: As of my last update, Navalny is still imprisoned in Russia and just had 19 years added to his 3.5 year sentence for

🟠 // Support David McBride Directly

David McBride, lawyer and whistleblower. He served in the Australian Defence Force (ADF) and completed two tours in Afghanistan. He is best known for leaking classified documents to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) that exposed alleged war crimes committed by Australian special forces in Afghanistan.

The documents, known as the “Afghan Files,” were the basis for a series of investigative reports published by ABC in 2017. The reports alleged that Australian special forces had killed unarmed civilians and prisoners in Afghanistan, and that these incidents were covered up by the ADF.

McBride was charged with multiple offences, including theft of commonwealth property, unauthorized disclosure of information, and breach of the Defence Act. He admitted to leaking the documents but argued that he did so in the public interest, as he believed that the ADF and the Australian government were engaged in a cover-up.

His case has raised important questions about the balance between national security and the public’s right to know, and has sparked debate about the need for stronger whistleblower protections in Australia.

As of September 2021, David McBride’s trial was ongoing, and he faced the possibility of a lengthy prison sentence if convicted. Please note that I am unable to provide any updates on his case or any other events that have occurred since that time

Timeline of Events in the David McBride Saga

As of my last knowledge update in September 2021, here is a timeline of key events involving Australian whistleblower David McBride:

2014: David McBride leaked classified documents to ABC journalists.

2017: ABC published a series of reports based on the leaked documents, known as the “Afghan Files”.

2018: McBride was arrested and charged with multiple offences, including theft of commonwealth property and unauthorized disclosure of information.

2019: McBride was committed to stand trial in the Australian Capital Territory Supreme Court.

2020: McBride’s legal team argued that the charges against him should be dropped on public interest grounds, but this argument was rejected by the court and is now facing 50 years to life in prison