Assange's 1st public statement after he was released from prison: 'Pled guilty to journalism'

Video Transcript

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Mr chairman esteemed members of the Parliamentary assembly of the Council of Europe ladies and gentlemen the transition from years of confinement in a Maximum Security Prison to being here before the representatives of 46 Nations and 700 million people is a profound and a surreal shift the experience of isolation for years in a small cell is difficult to convey it strips away one’s sense of self leaving only the raw essence of existence I am yet not fully equipped to speak about what I have endured the Relentless struggle to stay alive both physically and mentally nor can I speak yet about the deaths by hanging murder and medical neglect of my fellow prisoners I apologize in advance if my words falter or if my presentation lacks the Polish you might expect from such a distinguished Forum isolation has taken its toll which I am trying to unwind and expressing myself in the setting is a challenge however the gravity of this occasion and the weight of the issues at hand compel me to set aside my reservations and speak to you directly I have traveled a long way literally and figuratively to be before you today before our discussion or answering any questions you might have I wish to thank pace for its 2020 resolution which stated that my imprisonment set a dangerous precedent for journalists and noticed that the UN special reporter on torture called for my release also grateful for Pace’s 2021 statement expressing concern over credible reports that us officials discussed my assassination again calling for my prompt release and I commend the legal Affairs and human rights committee for commissioning a renowned rapur Suna I daughter to investigate the circumstances surrounding my detention and conviction and the consequent implications for human rights however like so many of the efforts made in my case whether they were from parliamentarians presidents prime ministers the pope un officials and diplomats unions legal and medical professionals academics activists or citizens none of them should have been necessary none of the statements resolutions reports films articles events f raises protests and letters over the last 14 years should have been necessary but all of them were necessary because without them I never would have seen the light of day this unprecedented Global effort was needed because the legal protections of the legal protections that did exist many existed only on paper were not effective in any remotely reasonable time I eventually chose Freedom over unrealizable Justice after being detained for years and facing 175e sentence with no effective remedy Justice for me is now precluded as the US government insisted in writing into its plea agreement that I cannot file a case at the European Court of Human Rights or even a freedom Information Act request over what it did to me as a result of its Expedition request I want to be totally clear I am not free today because the system worked I am free today after years of incarceration because I plad guilty to journalism I plad guilty to seeking information from a source I plead guilty to obtaining information from a source and I pleed guilty to informing the public what that information was I did not plead guilty to anything else I hope my testimony today can serve to highlight the weakness the weaknesses of the existing safeguards and to help those whose cases are less visible but who are equally vulnerable as I emerge from the dungeon of Bel Marsh the truth now seems less discernable and I regret how much ground has been lost during that time period how expressing the truth has been undermined attacked weakened and diminished I see more impunity more secrecy more retaliation for telling the truth and more self-censorship it is hard not to draw a line from the US government’s prosecution of me it’s Crossing Crossing the Rubicon by internationally criminalizing journalism to the chilled climate for freedom of expression that exists now when I founded wikip Peaks it was driven by a simple dream to educate people about how the world works so that through understanding we might bring about something better having a map of where we are lets us understand where we might go knowledge empowers us to hold power to account and to demand Justice where there is none we obtained and published truth about tens of thousands of hidden casualties of war and other unseen Horrors about programs of assassination rendition torture and mass surveillance we revealed not just when and where these things happened but frequently the policies the agreements and the structures behind them when we published collateral murder the infamous gun camera footage of a US Apache helicopter crew eagerly blowing to Pieces Iraqi journalists and their Rescuers the visual reality of Modern Warfare shocked the world but we also used interest in this video to direct people to the classified policies for when the US military could deploy lethal force in Iraq how many civilians could and how many civilians could be killed before gaining higher approval in fact 40 Years of my potential 175e sentence was for obtaining and releasing those policies the Practical political vision I was left with after being immersed in the world’s Dirty Wars and secret operations is simple let us stop gagging torturing and killing each other for a change get these fundamentals right and other political economic and scientific processes will have space to take will have space to take care of the rest [Music] Wikileaks work was deeply rooted in the principles that this assembly stands for our journalism elevated Freedom of Information and the Public’s right to know it found its natural operational home in Europe I lived in Paris and we had formal corporate registrations in France and in iand our journalistic and Technical staff were spread throughout Europe rep published to the world from servers based in France in Germany and in Norway but 14 years ago the United States military arrested one of our Alle alleged wh whistleblowers private first class Manning a US intelligence analyst based in Iraq the US government concurrently launched an investigation against me and my my colleagues the US government illicitly sent planes of agents to Iceland paid bribes to an Informer to steal our legal and journalistic work product and without formal process pressured Banks and financial services to block our subscriptions and to freeze our accounts the UK government took part in some of this retribution it admitted at the European Court of human rights that had unlawfully spied on my UK lawyers during this time ultimately this harassment was legally groundless President Obama’s justice department chose not to indict me recognizing that no crime had been committed the United States had never before prosecuted a publisher for publishing or obtaining government information to do so would require a radical and ominous reinterpretation of the US Constitution in January 2017 Obama also commuted the sentence of Manning who had been convicted of being one of my sources however in February 2017 the landscape changed dramatically president Trump had been elected here appointed two wolves in Maga hats Mike Pompeo a Kansas congressman and former arms industry executive as CIA director and William bar a former CIA officer as us attorney general by March 2017 Wikileaks had exposed the cia’s infiltration of French political parties it’s spying on French and German leaders it’s spying on the European Central Bank European economics Ministries and its standing orders to spy on French industry as a whole we revealed the cia’s vast production of malware and viruses its subversion of Supply chains its subversion of antivirus software Cars Smart TVs and iPhones CIA director Pompeo launched a campaign of Retribution it is now a matter of public record that under pompeo’s explicit Direction the CIA Drew up plans to kidnap and to assassinate me within the Ecuadorian Embassy in London and authorized going after my European colleagues subjecting us to theft hacking attacks and the planting of false information my wife and my infant son were also targeted a CIA asset was permanently assigned to track my wife and instructions were given to obtain DNA from my six-month-old son’s nappy this is the testimony of more than 30 current and former US intelligence officials speaking to the US press which has been additionally corroborated by record seized in a prosecution fought against some of the CIA agents involved the cia’s targeting of myself my family and my associates through aggressive extrajudicial and extr territorial means provides a rare insight into how powerful intelligence organizations engage in transnational repression such repressions are not unique what is unique is that we know so much about this one due to numerous whistleblowers and to to judicial investigations in Spain this assembly is no stranger to extr territorial abuses by the CIA Pace’s groundbreaking report on CIA Renditions in Europe exposed how the CIA operated secret detention centers and conducted unlawful Renditions on European soil violating human rights and international law in February this year the alleged source of some of our CIA Revelations former CIA officer Joshua Schulte was sentenced to 40 years in prison under conditions of extreme isolation his windows are blacked out and a white noise machine plays 24 hours a day over his door so that he cannot even shout through it these conditions are more severe than those found in Guantanamo Bay but transnational repression is also conducted by abusing legal processes the lack of effective safeguards against this means that Europe is vulnerable to having its Mutual legal assistance and Expedition treaties hijacked by foreign powers to go after dissenting voices in Europe in Michael pompeo’s Memoirs which I read in my prison cell the former CIA director bragged about how he pressured the US attorney general to bring an expedition case against me in response to our Publications about the CIA indeed exceeding to pompeo’s requests the US attorney general reopened the investigation against me that Obama had closed and rearrested Manning this time as a witness Manning was held in a prison for over a year fined $1,000 a day in a formal attempt to coers her into providing secret testimony against me she ended up attempting to take her own life we usually think of attempts to force journalists to testify against their sources but Manning was now a source being forced to testify against their journalist by December 2017 CIA director Pompeo had got his way and the US government issued a warrant to the UK for former Expedition the UK government kept the warrant secret from the public for two more years while it the US government and the new president of Ecuador mve to shape the political the legal and the Diplomatic grounds for my arrest when powerful Nations feel entitled to Target individuals beyond their borders those individuals do not stand a chance unless there are strong safeguards in place and a state willing to enforce them without this no individual has a hope of Defending themselves against the vast resources of that a state aggressor can deploy if the situation if the situation were not already bad enough in my case the US government asserted a danger Dangerous new Global legal position only US citizens have free speech rights Europeans and other nationalities do not have free speech rights but the US claims its Espionage Act still applies to them regardless of where they are so Europeans in Europe must obey us secrecy law with no defenses at all as far as the US government is concerned An American in Paris can talk about what the US government is up to perhaps but for a French man in Paris to do so is a crime with no defense and he may be ex Ed just like me now that one foreign government has forly asserted that Europeans have no free speech rights a dangerous precedent has been set other powerful states will inevitably follow suit the war in Ukraine has already seen the criminalization of journalists in Russia but based on the precedent set in My Expedition there is nothing to stop Russia or indeed any other state from targeting European journalists Publishers or even social media users by claiming that their domestic secrecy laws have been violated the rights of journalists and Publishers within the European space are seriously threatened transnational repr cannot become the norm here as one of the world’s two great Norm setting institutions Pace must act the criminalization of news Gathering activities is a threat to investigative journalism everywhere I was formerly convicted by a foreign power for asking for receiving and Publishing truthful information about that power while I was in Europe the fundamental issue is simple journalists should not be prosecuted for doing their jobs journalism is not a crime it is a pillar of a free and informed Society [Applause] Mr chairman distinguished delegates if Europe is to have a future where the freedom to speak and the freedom to publish the truth are not privileges enjoyed by a few but rights guaranteed to all then it must act so that what is happened in my case never happens to anyone else I wish to express my deepest gratitude to this assembly to the conservatives social Democrats liberals leftists greens and independents who have supported me throughout this ordeal and to the countless individuals who have advocated tirelessly tirelessly for my release it is heartening to know that in a world often divided by ideology and interests there remains a shared commitment to the protection of essential human liberties freedom of expression and all that flows from it is at a dark Crossroad I fear that unless institutions like Pace wake up to the gravity of the situation it will be too late let us all commit to doing our part to ensure that the light of Freedom never dims that the pursuit of truth will live on and the voices of the many are not silenced by the interests of the few [Applause] thank you Mr Assange for that contribution tion to our proceedings I will now open the floor to members of the committee I would remind everyone that questions can only be raised by members of the committee of legal Affairs and human rights as I indicated before we began I will allow one question from each member and give the floor back to Mr Assange to reply to each of the questions Mr Assange we’re not entirely familiar with The Plea that you were made to enter into and if there are questions asked which you feel it would not be appropriate to answer please don’t hesitate to indicate and that will be understood uh could I call upon Miss bear uh to ask a question thank you yeah thank you very much uh for for being with us for for sharing your testimony um as far as I understood um neither UK courts nor the the European Court of Human Rights um get got any final decision in your case I on the one hand I would like very personally to know how this feels for you and on the other case I would like to know whether you have any suggestions uh systematically legally how cases like yours could really be settled um in in a in a legal system that works correctly and properly after 14 years detained in the UK including over 5 years in a Maximum Security Prison and facing 175e sentence uh with the prospect of years more in prison before being able to uh have a shot at the European Court of Human Rights I uh accepted uh a plea offer from the United States that would Release Me from prison immediately uh the United States insisted um that I not be allowed to take a case in relation to what had happened to me uh in relation to its extradition proceedings nor that I could even file a Freedom of Information Act request uh on the US government uh to see what was done there will never be a hearing into what has happened um and that’s why um it’s so important that uh Pace acts the uncertainty within Europe as to the defenses that can be used by journalists here to protect themselves from transnational repression and Expedition um if left in its current state will inevitably be abused by other states so Norm setting institutions like P Pace must move to make the situation clear that what happened to me cannot happen happen again thank you uh Miss NOA uh Mr Assange it is great to have you today um at the committee uh meeting um in fact I um I’m I don’t want to ask about the past more or less which P but past is still the um uh the the current yeah it’s not it’s not finished yet of course but I wanted to ask you whether you believe that our proceedings here in the Council of uh Europe in case and hopefully the report pre prepared by sunnaas da is going to be accepted at the plenary session that will reverse the negative impact that your case had on the position of whistleblowers and the uh right to expression uh globally that really you hope for that uh that in in case we the report is um uh is going to be accepted uh um and your visit here to Parliament will in a way will um have this positive um aspect and uh will improve the situation in in this regard of the the rights of journalists and so on but my um but also I would like to add how you visualize your life now after your case I’m not asking very much about your private plans but in general what what do you think what you are planning to do basically thank you well I think that I I am here because I believe is an essential first step for Pace to act uh to get the ball rolling uh to address the problems of transnational repression and also to make it clear that National Security journalism is possible within European borders um as for my re adaptation to the Big Wide World outside of house arrests and Embassy Siege and Maximum Security Prison it sure takes some adjustment um it’s not simply the spooky sound of electric cars they are very spooky um but it’s the it is also the change in the society the where we once produced a important where he once released important war crimes videos um that stirred public debate now every day there are live stream Horrors from the wars in Ukraine and the war in Gaza hundreds of journalists have been killed in Gaza and Ukraine combined the impunity seems to mount and it is still uncertain what we can do about it my readaptation to the world of course includes some positive but still tricky things becoming a father again to children who have grown up without me becoming a husband again even dealing with a mother-in-law these are trying family issues no she’s she’s a very lovely woman I like her I like her very [Laughter] [Applause] much thank you Mrs Assange uh could I call upon Mr Klein vaker please yes thank you Mr President uh back to a SAT issue um how well in your experience does political Asylum really work in today’s world political Asylum is an absolutely essential relief valve for human rights abusers within states that people can leave a state that is persecuting them not only saves individual lives it provides a mechanism where journalists can continue to report on their societies after they have been hounded out and ultimately the threat of people leaving a state uh is what in the final analysis controls its be Its Behavior um we have seen examples in history of states that made it difficult or impossible for people to leave and we can see how the situation for people living there collapse there must be competition between states to be good places for people to live and to work the assault on Asylum through means of transnational repression is another matter in my case it was difficult to find a state that would give Asylum that I was able to get to there is a big gap in the Asylum system for [Music] people who are not fleeing their own state by fleeing an ally of that state or or any third state that was my case Asylum law does not easily cover the case where say an Australian is fleeing persecution by the United States or we could imagine a kazakhstani fing persecution by Russia or China I was not able to apply for Asylum within the UK of course the UK has its own particular political angle it might have been difficult to convince the courts to give me or in fact anyone asylum in relation to the United States in the UK but there wasn’t even a chance because citizens from third States uh under the 1951 Convention as it’s implemented in most European States cannot apply for Asylum thank you Mr Assange uh Mr hono would you like to ask a question please thank you very much um Mr um I’m so happy to see you here to see Stella as well um and thank you for reminding what uh Pace did in the last four years um starting with the hearing we had in January 2020 with your father John chipton uh with Neil Mela the UN General rapporter on torture and very uh important other persons and three times uh I think this assembly made a clear position calling for the prompt release uh and I think uh um this assembly can a bit be proud of it because it failed in other internet AAL State organizations there were attempts as well in the European Union parliament in the OS but none of those could uh um had had enough courage to to to make a clear statement um not enough geopolitical diversity sorry perhaps not enough geopolitical diversity maybe maybe maybe um that’s so I’m I’m I’m very happy um uh maybe a question um on uh the extra jurisic jurisic uh um repression uh you you talked about in the end because this is one of the most shocking for me that there is a law in the US on freedom of speech which is not uh for uh other citizens but there are laws that can be applied to other citizens what could we do as parliamentary assembly or uh as uh Council of Europe of European states to counter this thank you Mr hun Mr range in the final UK high high court case uh which I won and the US uh appealed against I W under the basis of nationality discrimination that is in the UK Expedition act you’re not meant to discriminate on uh at trial or during a penalty phase against someone on the basis of the nationality the US tried different tricks to get around that in the UK system and it was uncertain whether we whether I or the United States would ultimately Prevail however there is nothing in the European Charter that prevents nationality in relation to extradition so this is a small protection it was hard to use within the UK Expedition act but it’s not clear that it exists in most European States thank you uh Miss uh mckinon thank you Mr chair and thank you Mr aans that you are here uh Bas has done work on transnational repression where States go after someone in another state in this case in your case uh there are these very troubling allegations about the CIA monitoring and even considering assassination can you comment more on those and um how do you yourself see your status uh were you a political prisoner the first part of your question was about the CIA the second part was about do I see myself as a political prisoner um answer the first one first yes I was a political prisoner the political basis uh for the US government’s retributive acts against me was in relation to publishing the truth about what the US government had done then in a formal legal Sense Once the US proceeded with its legal retribution uh it used the Espionage Act a classic uh political offense uh in relation to the cia’s um campaign of transnational repression against Wikileaks uh we felt that something was going on at the time there were there were many small signs that came together but uh having a ominous feeling and some subtly put tips from a whistleblower in one of the um security contractors that this CIA had contracted didn’t give me the full and disturbing picture which later emerged it is a interesting example where an intelligence organization has targeted an investigative organization Wikileaks um as a result of our investigations a criminal case in Spain and in particular work done by us journalists which under the precedent that has been established in my case might well now be themselves criminal um detailed information about the actions that the CIA took came out um those details involved the testimony of more than 30 current or former US intelligence officials um a there are two um resulting processes a criminal case in Spain with a number of victims including my wife my son people who came to visit me at the embassy lawyers journalists uh and a civil suit in the United States against the CIA in the United States the CIA has in response to that civil suit declared formly by the CIA director and the Attorney General State Secrets privilege to knock out the case the claim is that the CIA may have a defense but that defense is classified and uh so that the case the civil case cannot go forth so it’s complete impunity uh within the US system thank you uh Mr rakan could I invite you to ask a question Mr Assange if you could go back in time would you do everything the same and if not what would you do differently I’m not asking just in the terms of personal cost that you suffered but also in terms of Effectiveness or impact of what you try to do thank you this is a very deep question about Free Will um why do people do things when they do them looking back we were often constrained by our resources a number of Staff by secrecy uh that was necessary to protect our sources and if I could go back and have a lot of extra resources of course uh political approaches media approaches uh could have maximized even further the impact of the revelations that we made um but I suppose your question is is trying to say or were there any knobs that could be turned in hindsight uh of course thousands of small things um I was not from the United Kingdom I had a good friend in the United Kingdom Gavin mcfadin who is an American journalist um a very good man but it took me time to when I once I was trapped in the United Kingdom it took me time to understand what UK Society was about who you could trust who you couldn’t trust the different types of um Maneuvers that are made uh in that society and uh there are different Media Partners that uh perhaps we U could have chosen differently uh thank you uh Mr chope could I invite you to you were the subject of a European arrest warrant issued by Sweden to what extent do you think think that European arrest warrants are being used as tools of repression and to what extent do you think the rules could be changed so that they can no longer be used for that purpose the European arrest warrant system was introduced post September 11 with the political rationale that it would be used for the fast transfer of Muslim terrorists between European States the first European arrest warrant that was issued was issued by Sweden for a drunk driver we must understand that when we pick a disfavored group uh Muslims at that time and say well this repressive legislation it’s only going to be for them uh inevitably um bureaucrats elements of the security state will seize upon those measures and apply them more broadly Injustice to one person spread soon enough to most people I don’t know the statistics on how often restuants are abused um I was there was an attempt to exodite me without any charge from the United Kingdom by Sweden um the UK government subsequently changed the law to prevent Expedition without charge but in its Amendment uh to the Expedition legislation it included a writer to make sure that it didn’t apply to me [Music] uh thank you uh Mr crookton could I invite you to uh address uh a question to Mr Assange thank you thank you very much thank you very much Mr Assange for uh all the answers to many of our questions uh I am like many of my colleagues here very happy to see you here and uh knowing you out of prison uh you were in prisoned you said rightly for doing your job the job that we all here expect you to do namely being a journalist you investigated and you published your findings but it is shocking to me and to many of us to see how long the arm of Us justice is that can get a grip on you even here in Europe and of course this raises questions that we will address tomorrow in Mrs Eva’s excellent report but um can I ask you a personal uh question were you aware before um uh all this were you a aware of how little you your basic rights as a citizen but also as a journalist were protected uh in Europe and what if I may add another question what do you think will be the effect on journalism as a whole uh from your case thank you we performed a legal analysis to understand what the for publishing documents from a number of different countries including the United States um we understood that in theory article 10 uh should protect um journalists in Europe similarly looking at the US First Amendment to its Constitution um that no publisher had ever been prosecuted for publishing classified information from the United States either domestically or internationally um I expected some kind of harassment legal process I was prepared to fight for that I believe the value of these Publications was such um that is okay to have that fight and that we would Prevail because we had understood um what was legally possible my naivity was believing in the law um when push comes to shove laws are just pieces of paper and they can be reinterpreted for political expediency um they are the rules made by the ruling class more broadly uh and if those rules don’t suit what it wants to do it reinterprets them or hopefully uh changes them which is clearer um in the case of the United States um we angered one of the constituent powers of the United States uh the intelligence sector the security State the secrecy state it was powerful enough to push for a reinterpretation the US Constitution us con the US First Amendment seems pretty black and white to me it’s very short uh it says that Congress shall make no law uh restricting speech or the Press how however that was uh that that the US Constitution those precedence relating to it um we just uh reinterpreted away and yes perhaps ultimately if I it got into the Supreme Court of the United States uh and I was still alive in that system um I might have won depending on what the makeup was of the US Supreme Court but in the meantime um I had lost 14 years on the house arrest Embassy Siege and Maxim security prison so I I think this is an important lesson that when a major power faction wants to reinterpret the law it can push to have the element of the State uh in this case the US Department of Justice do that um and it doesn’t care too much about what is legal um that’s something for a much later day in the meantime uh the deterrent effect that it seeks the retributive actions that it seek seeks um have had their effect uh thank you uh Mr Lee could I invite you to put a question to Mr Assange thank you obviously there’s very considerable sympathy uh for your plight in this room I’d like to ask you about the position of the UK government about the allegation that you were effectively a political prisoner but presumably the the first your your first difficulty with the European arrest warrant was not on political grounds with Sweden I’d like to ask you with your your comment on the quality of treatment of the extradition treaties between the UK and the us and whether the UK is in fact Bound by them uh and whether we have very little freedom of maneuver and I’d like to ask you about your treatment at bmarsh prison there’s an allegation of torture which is very serious nobody denies a b Marsh is an extremely unpleasant place but I’d like to know a bit more about the evidence for that and the US UK Expedition treaty is one-sided um nine times more people are exited to the United States from the UK than the other way around the protections for US citizens being exed to the UK are stronger uh there is no uh need need to show a primery case or Reasonable Suspicion even when the United States seeks to expedite from the UK it’s a allegation exibition system the allegation is alleged you do not even have a chance to argue that it is not true all the arguments are based simply upon is it the right person does it breach human rights that’s it that said I do not think in any way that UK judges are compelled to exodite most people and particularly journalists uh to the United States um some judges in the UK found in my favor at different stages in that process other judges did not but all judges um whether they are finding in my favor or not in the United Kingdom showed extraordinary difference to the United States um engaged in astonishing intellectual back flips uh to allow the United States to have its way um on my Expedition and in relation to setting precedence that occurred in my case uh more broadly that’s a to my mind a function of the selection of UK judges the narrow section of British Society from which they come their deep engagement with the UK establishment and the UK establishment’s deep engagement with the United States um whether that’s in the intelligence sector Bae the which is now the largest arms Manu largest manufacturer in the United Kingdom a weapons company BP shell um and some of the major Banks the United Kingdom’s establishment is made up out of people who have benefited from that system for a long period of time um and almost all judges are from it um they don’t need to be told explicitly what to do U they understand what is good for that cohort and what is good for that cohort is keeping a good relationship with the United States government Bel thank you uh I Mr Mr Lee as I indicated earlier one question from each member of the committee thank you uh uh Mr afteron statue F statue F statue I apologize I’m very glad and very happy seeing you free man and um I think that one of the major lessons learned from your experience and the treatment you had is that um the misuse of a legal process the arbitrary application of a legislation May render it uh a mean or a tool of repression or a an initation to silence can I have uh your comments on that please I didn’t quite hear you can you please repeat the question and raise your hand I can’t see you yeah I mean what uh comes out from your experience and the treatment you received is that um the misuse the arbitrary misuse or manipulation of a legal process can or may render the application of a legislation or the process a a tool a mean of repression and incitation to silence instead of uniform application of of law in a rule of law Society can I have your comments [Music] that lawfare is the use of the law to achieve ends um that would normally be achieved in some other form of conflict we’re not talking about simply litigating to protect your rights um but rather picking laws uh to get your man or to get the organization you want to get uh not Justice seeking its resolution in law we’ve seen a lot of cases like that and obviously experienced ourselves ourselves in many different domains um I’m not sure precisely what can be done about it there is a anti-s slap movement in Europe um which I commend uh slap is strategic lawsuits against public participation um there is good legislation in California to deal with slap suits uh and to reverse liabilities at an early stage uh and to make um abusive lawsuits more expensive to conduct but I I think we should understand a bigger picture which is that whenever we make a law we create a tool that self-interested bureaucrats companies and the worst elements of the security state will use and will expand the interpretation uh in order to achieve control over others and that’s why law reforms are constantly needed uh because laws are abused and expanded and so it needs uh constant vigilance but also great care in making laws in the first place because they uh will be seized upon and abused thank you uh Mr bosich could I invite you to address a question to Mr Assange thank you thank you chair Mr Sange uh your appearance here is very important for the case you are symbolizing but it is also very important for the Council of Europe to show itself as the independent institution and institution that promotes really human rights and CS you represent I wonder uh how do you assess uh support you got from the newspapers journalists associ ations journalist associations and how does that how does that what’s the message about the freedom of press in your case the support from um other Publications journalist unions freedom of expression um organizations uh was different at different stages the those who saw the threat to everyone else and understood the case first um were the lawyers involved in major Publications like lawyers for the New York Times um freedom of expression NGS uh were the next to see the threat of the larger media organizations unfortunately many of them went with their political or geopolitical alignment so it was easy to gain support um from media organizations in neutral States uh and obviously States hostile to United States um allies of the United States took longer media organizations within the United States um the journalists there not the lawyers but the journalists uh took longer still it is a concern and I I can see a similar phenomenon happening uh with the journalist being killed in Gaza uh and Ukraine that the political and geopolitical alignment of media organizations uh causes them to not cover those victims or cover only certain victims this is a breach of journalistic solidarity uh we all need to stick together uh to hold the line a journalist censored anywhere spread censorship which can then uh affect us all similarly journalists being killed or targeted by intelligence agencies um need our firm uh commitment in writing or in broadcast um sometimes there’s uh a debate about whether someone is a journalist or an activist I understand that debate um I’ve tried in my work uh to be rigorously accurate I believe accuracy is everything primary sources are everything um but there is one area uh where I am an activist and all journalists must be an activist journalists must be activists for the truth [Applause] Journal journalists must be activists for the ability to convey the truth and that means standing up for each other and uh making no apologies about it thank you now could I invite any other member of the Parliamentary assembly who is not a member of the committee to indicate if they wish to ask a question and I can see two hands in the air could I invite you first of all to give your name uh and then to ask your question Mr Assange thank you thank you chair my name is Andy Christ I’m I’m a Romanian MP and I’m also the general reporter for Science and Technology of this house um I’m also the reporter on the so-called metaverse and Mr Assange I would like to ask you how do you see this new technology Oles uh connected to what you have presented so far thank you I’m very interested in technology um I was a computer scientists from a young age and studied mathematics and physics uh cryptography and it’s with that cryptography that uh we said about our system to protect sources and protect our own organiz Iz ation um I am um enthused about some of the developments that are happening with cryptography some of those developments provide alternatives to what we see as huge Media power and concentration in the hands of a few billionaires they are still embryonic other technology emerged out of the campaign against Mass surveillance uh the and the Big Bang was the Snowden Revelations that radicalized engineers and programmers uh in many places who saw themselves as agents of History uh in including algorithms to protect uh people’s privacy uh including the communications between journalists and the sources um on the other hand as I emerge from prison I see that artificial intelligence uh is been used to create Mass assassinations where before there was a difference between assassination and warfare um now the two are conjoined when where many perhaps the majority of targets uh in Gaza um are bombed as a result uh of artificial intelligence targeting the connection between artificial intelligence and surveillance uh is important important artificial intelligence needs information to um come up with targets or ideas or propaganda and when we’re talking um about uh the use of artificial intelligence to conduct Mass assassination um surveillance data from telephones internet uh is key to training those algorithms so there’s um a lot has uh changed some things have remained the same there’s a lot of opportunity um and a lot of risk uh I’m still trying to understand where we are but hopefully we’ll have something more useful to say in due course thank you Mr Assange now there was an indication from another member of the assembly could you please introduce yourself by name H thank you yes uh thank you Mr chair my name is s d and I’m from Germany um member of the Foreign Affairs someone who knows Julian since 2012 from the Ecuador Oran Embassy as the first Member of Parliament who has visited him so Julian I’m very happy to see you as a free man now in Europe welcome and um I uh was just going to ask you about the war crimes the US war crimes that you p uh published are still unpunished still till today the journalists are dead and now there are presumably new war crimes in the proxy war Wars such as in Gaza and currently in Lebanon so my questions are how would you advise a journalist to deal with this current situation first and the second is uh what do you think is the role of parliamentarians in this regard thank you Mr Assange I’m sorry I’m getting a bit tired but uh Kristen perhaps you want to take the the one what’s journalist do about the well what can be done when we have horrible stories about uh targeted killings where we have now have evidence of that in in in in in the wars it is the reality of uh reporting on Wars is more severe than ever before and it was bad it was bad in Iraq now it is even worse it is a horror story it is hard to give out advice for these journalists how they can deal with that situation the only thing we can call out at least is for an outcry and and condemnation that this should be going on because we need information we need this information uh there are no tools to uh to secure individuals in Gaza that are being followed by drones and uh are being targeted in Mass bombing uh there is a little defense on that but uh the outcry and the condemnation should be there we should not be silent when this happen thank you [Music] [Applause] [Music]

Truly Right View: Advocating for Free Speech in the Age of Political Censorship

Introduction: What is Free Speech Today?

In a world where political discourse is dominated by big tech, cable news, and social media influencers, free speech is constantly under threat. From censorship of conservative viewpoints to the silencing of dissent on controversial issues, we are witnessing an alarming trend of restrictions on the most fundamental rights of any citizen in our Constitutional Republic: the right to speak freely.

But what does free speech truly mean in today’s context? Are we protecting it, or are we allowing authoritarian ideologies like socialism, communism, fascism, and dictatorships to erode it?

The Constitutional Perspective: Why Free Speech is Non-Negotiable

The First Amendment of the United States Constitution is crystal clear: “Congress shall make no law… abridging the freedom of speech.” The Founding Fathers understood the importance of free speech in preserving a free society. Without it, the ability to challenge government, expose corruption, and advocate for truth would be crushed.

Yet today, under the guise of protecting people from “misinformation” and “hate speech,” powerful institutions are curbing our ability to express ideas that do not conform to their narratives.

Do we not see this as a slippery slope toward authoritarianism?

Shouldn’t we, as citizens, be the ones who decide what we can or cannot hear, not a centralized body or corporation?

Social Media and Cable News: Platforms or Gatekeepers?

Social media was once hailed as the bastion of free speech. It allowed ordinary individuals to share their thoughts, advocate for causes, and hold the powerful accountable. However, over the years, major platforms like Twitter (now X), Facebook, and YouTube have become gatekeepers rather than facilitators of free expression.

Algorithms favor certain ideologies, while alternative viewpoints—especially those with a more conservative or constitutional slant—are shadow-banned, demonetized, or outright censored.

Does this not resemble the tactics of monarchies, communistic or fascist regimes that control what their citizens can see and hear?

Shouldn’t a true democracy allow the free flow of ideas, even if those ideas challenge the status quo?

Social Media Influencers: Fighters for Freedom or Puppets of Censorship?

Many social media influencers, especially those aligned with constitutional values, have become modern-day warriors for free speech. Yet, they face intense backlash, censorship, and de-platforming for voicing opinions that challenge globalist or left-leaning narratives.

How many times have we seen influential voices banned simply for questioning government policies, election results, or health mandates?

Isn’t it concerning that only a select group of elites can decide what is “acceptable” discourse?

While some influencers fall in line with these restrictive policies, others have emerged as champions for free speech, using their platforms to resist censorship and uphold constitutional rights. The question is: Will we support these voices, or will we allow them to be drowned out by corporate and governmental censorship?

The Dangers of Socialism, Communism, and Fascism: A Threat to Free Speech

At the heart of socialism, communism, and fascism lies a common tactic—control over speech. These ideologies have historically sought to suppress dissent, limit expression, and create a monolithic narrative that favors those in power.

Look no further than authoritarian regimes past and present, where dissenters are imprisoned, media is state-controlled, and free speech is criminalized. Can we really ignore the striking similarities between these oppressive ideologies and the current state of political discourse in America?

Is the suppression of speech today not a precursor to more draconian measures tomorrow?

Should we not fight to preserve the right to freely express political, social, and economic ideas?

The Truly Right View: Defending Freedom in the Digital Age

At Truly Right View, we believe in the unwavering defense of free speech as enshrined in the U.S. Constitution. We reject the encroaching influences of socialism, communism, fascism, and any form of dictatorship that seeks to undermine this fundamental right.

Our platform is dedicated to bringing you uncensored news, analysis, and commentary from a truly constitutional perspective. We provide a space where voices that have been silenced or marginalized can be heard, and where you—the citizen—can engage in the free exchange of ideas.

Join the Fight: Sign Up for Our Channel and Newsletter

Do you value free speech?

Do you believe that the right to express your thoughts, opinions, and beliefs should never be compromised, no matter how controversial they may be?

If so, we invite you to join the fight for free speech by subscribing to the Truly Right View channel and newsletter. Stay informed on the latest developments in free speech advocacy, political commentary, and constitutional rights. Together, we can stand against the creeping influence of censorship and authoritarianism.

Why wait for others to defend your rights?

Become part of a movement that fights for the truly free society envisioned by our Founding Fathers.

Will You Speak Up or Stay Silent?

In the end, the future of free speech rests in our hands. We can either stand idly by as it is eroded by corporate and governmental overreach, or we can take action to protect and preserve it.

Will you speak up for your rights, or will you allow them to be taken away piece by piece?

The choice is yours.

Subscribe to the channel for Truly Right View today, and support our patriots shop together, let’s ensure that free speech remains the bedrock of our Constitutional Republic.

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Assange’s 1st public statement after he was released from prison: ‘Pled guilty to journalism’

Truly Right View: Advocating for Free Speech in the Age of Political Censorship

Introduction: What is Free Speech Today?

The Constitutional Perspective: Why Free Speech is Non-Negotiable

Social Media and Cable News: Platforms or Gatekeepers?

Social Media Influencers: Fighters for Freedom or Puppets of Censorship?

The Dangers of Socialism, Communism, and Fascism: A Threat to Free Speech

The Truly Right View: Defending Freedom in the Digital Age

Join the Fight: Sign Up for Our Channel and Newsletter

Will You Speak Up or Stay Silent?

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