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Julian Assange

From ProleWiki, the proletarian encyclopedia
Julian Assange
Born
Julian Paul Hawkins

3 July 1971
Townsville, Queensland, Australia
NationalityAustralian


Julian Paul Assange (born 3 July 1971) is an Australian editor, publisher, and activist who founded WikiLeaks in 2006. His publishing work for WikiLeaks has helped expose the recent crimes of imperialism, notably during the Afghanistan and Iraq wars, as well as the crimes of the US corporate media in supporting those wars.[1] Latin American leaders Lula, AMLO, Kirchner, Petro, Maduro, Ortega, Morales, and Zelaya have all called for his freedom.[2]

In 2013, Assange voiced support for reactionary Statesian politicians Ron and Rand Paul, claiming that the Tea Party was the only avenue for progress in the Empire.[3]

Arrest and imprisonment

In 2012, Assange took refuge in the Ecuadorian embassy in the UK until being dragged out and arrested by British police in 2019.[4] British authorities locked him in Belmarsh Prison in London and tortured him.[5]

False charges which later collapsed were brought against Assange,[6] The imperialists tried to extradite him to the US,[7] where he could have been imprisoned for up to 175 years under the Espionage Act.[8][5]

In March 2022, Assange was denied permission to appeal his case to the US Supreme Court.[9] In June 2022, the British government authorized Assange's extradition to the United States,[4] where he would likely have been be "suicided."[10] Mexican president Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO) offered sanctuary to Assange.[11] AMLO also called Assange the 'best journalist of our time.'[12]

Release

In June 2024, Assange was freed and returned to Australia under a plea deal with the U.S. Department of Justice.[13]

References

  1. "Every war in past 50 years a result of media lies" WikiLeaks revelations only tip of iceberg – Assange on RT
  2. Ben Norton (2022-12-06). "‘Free Julian Assange!’ say Latin America’s leftist leaders: Lula, AMLO, Petro, Maduro, Ortega, Kirchner, Evo, Zelaya" Multipolarista. Archived from the original on 2022-12-08. Retrieved 2022-12-09.
  3. Tom Watson (2013-08-17). "Assange's Emerging Politics: Rand Paul And Libertarian Wing of GOP Represent 'Only Hope'" Forbes. Archived from the original on 2024-04-14.
  4. 4.0 4.1 Caitlin A. Johnstone (2022-06-20). "Assange is doing his most important work yet" Monthly Review. Archived from the original on 2022-06-20. Retrieved 2022-06-20.
  5. 5.0 5.1 Morgan Artyukhina (2021-04-14). "Activists outside Justice Department demand Julian Assange be freed on second anniversary of his arrest" Liberation News. Archived from the original on 2022-12-25.
  6. Julian Assange: Sweden drops rape investigation (2019-11-19).
  7. John Rees (2021-07-21). "The Assange Case Is Collapsing – But it Remains a Travesty of Justice" Tribune Magazine.
  8. Stansfield Smith (2022-08-09). "The United States has many political prisoners. Here’s a list" Multipolarista. Archived from the original on 2022-08-10. Retrieved 2022-08-11.
  9. Richard Medhurst (2022-03-14). "BREAKING: Assange Denied Permission to Appeal to Supreme Court"
  10. Chris Hedges (2021-10-29). "Why the Julian Assange case is the most important battle for press freedom of our time" Salon.com.
  11. Steve Sweeney (2022-06-25). "Mexico to offer Assange sanctuary as Amlo calls for charges to be dropped" Monthly Review.
  12. Ben Norton (2022-06-23). "Mexico's President AMLO demands freedom for Julian Assange, ‘best journalist of our time’" Multipolarista.
  13. Benjamin Zinevich (2024-06-26). "Whistleblower of U.S. war crimes Julian Assange freed" Liberation News. Archived from the original on 2024-06-27.