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Rep. Tulsi Gabbard: Assange Arrest Sets Dangerous Precedent, Threatens Freedom of the Press

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Press Release,

Washington, DC—Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (HI-02) issued the following statement in response to the arrest of Wikileaks co-founder Julian Assange in London earlier this morning by British police.   “Today’s arrest and indictment of Julian Assange undermines freedom of the press, and seeks to silence whistleblowers and the journalists who publish their information. This sets a dangerous precedent of criminal prosecution of journalists or news organizations who publish information the government doesn’t like, while also opening the door for other countries to extradite US journalists who publish their country’s secrets,” said Rep. Tulsi Gabbard. “We must protect whistleblowers and freedom of the press, and exercise oversight over our law enforcement and intelligence agencies to ensure our Constitutional rights are upheld.”  

Background: Rep. Tulsi Gabbard has been a strong advocate to protect Americans’ privacy and personal freedoms. She cosponsored legislation to reform NSA spying policies as well as called on the USA Freedom Act to do more to address the overreaching surveillance activities allowed by the PATRIOT Act. She led the introduction of the Strengthening Privacy, Oversight and Transparency (SPOT) Act, a bipartisan bill to empower the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board and improve oversight of the intelligence community and criticized the NSA’s warrantless collection of Americans’ emails, voted against its reauthorization, and spoke in favor of court actions to put an end to the practice as well as introduced legislation to the same end.  

About Rep. Tulsi Gabbard: Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard is serving her fourth term in the United States House representing Hawaii’s Second District, and serves on the House Armed Services and Financial Services Committees. She previously served on the House Foreign Affairs Committee and Homeland Security Committee. She was elected to the Honolulu City Council in 2010, and prior to that at age 21, was elected to the Hawaiʻi State Legislature in 2002, becoming the youngest person ever elected in the state. Tulsi Gabbard has served in the Hawaiʻi Army National Guard for 16 years, is a veteran of two Middle East deployments, and continues to serve as a Major. Learn more about Rep. Tulsi Gabbard…

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US has filed secret charges against Julian Assange, reports say

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New York, November 16, 2018–The Committee to Protect Journalists is closely monitoring news reports that the U.S. Department of Justice has secretly filed charges against the founder of WikiLeaks, Julian Assange.

“We are closely monitoring reports that prosecutors have prepared a sealed indictment against Julian Assange,” said Alexandra Ellerbeck, CPJ’s North America program coordinator. “While the charges are not known, we would be concerned by a prosecution that construes publishing government documents as a crime. This would set a dangerous precedent that could harm all journalists, whether inside or outside the United States.”

In 2010, CPJ sent a letter to the Obama administration urging officials not to charge Assange for the publication of classified materials. This year, CPJ reported on experts’ concerns over a civil lawsuit filed by the Democratic National Committee, which argues that Assange and WikiLeaks were involved in a criminal conspiracy to hack the committee’s servers during the 2016 election.

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Julian Assange: Isis and Clinton Foundation are both funded by Saudi Arabia and Qatar

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assange-clinton-foundation‘This is the most significant email in the whole collection’

By Gabriel Samuels,

Wealthy officials from Qatar and Saudi Arabia who donated money to Hillary Clinton’s charitable foundation also provided financial support to Isis, WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has claimed.

In an extended interview at the Ecuadorian embassy in London with documentary maker John Pilger for RT, Mr Assange said the same Saudi and Qatari officials could be seen to be supporting both the Clinton Foundation – founded by Mrs Clinton’s husband Bill – and funding the activities of Isis.

Mr Pilger asked if Mr Assange believed that “this notorious jihadist group, called Isil or Isis, is created largely with money from people who are giving money to the Clinton Foundation?”

“Yes”, Mr Assange replied.

The WikiLeaks founder pointed to an email exchange between presidential hopeful Ms Clinton and her campaign manager John Podesta, leaked by his organisation last month, which he believes “is the most significant email in the whole collection”.

In the email sent on August 17 2014, Ms Clinton asked Mr Podesta, who at that time worked under president Barack Obama, to help put “pressure” on Qatar and Saudi Arabia regarding the countries’ alleged support for the terrorist group Isis.

“We need to use our diplomatic and more traditional intelligence assets to bring pressure on the governments of Qatar and Saudi Arabia, which are providing clandestine financial and logistic support to ISIL and other radical Sunni groups in the region,” Ms Clinton wrote.

Mr Assange noted the US government had never acknowledged governments of Middle East nations had financially supported Isis, instead arguing such support was isolated to “some rogue princes using their cut of the oil money to do whatever they like, although the government disapproves”, according to the WikiLeaks founder.

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The portion of an email from August 17, which Mr Assange believes is “most significant” (WikiLeaks)

According to the Clinton Foundation, the Saudi Arabian government has donated between $10 million and $25million since the foundation was set up in 1997. Last month it was reported the government of Qatar offered to donate $1 million to the foundation in celebration of Bill Clinton’s birthday.

Representatives from the Clinton Foundation have repeatedly denied accusations Ms Clinton has solicited funds and used donations to boost her campaign. There were no donations from Saudi Arabia while she was acting as secretary of state between 2009 and 2013.

Mr Assange also used the interview to dismiss the prospect of a Donald Trump victory in next week’s election, which the polls show will be close.

“My analysis is that Trump will not be permitted to win. Why do I say that? Because he has had every establishment against him. Trump does not have one establishment, maybe with the exception of the Evangelicals, if you can call them an establishment.

“Banks, intelligence, arms companies, foreign money, etc. are all united behind Hillary Clinton. And the media as well. Media owners, and the journalists themselves.”

In October, Ecuador’s government confirmed it had “temporarily restricted” Mr Assange’s internet access at its London embassy, to prevent him “meddling in the election process” in the US.

Source: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/julian-assange-clinton-foundation-isis-same-money-saudi-arabia-qatar-funding-a7397211.html

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UN panel rules Julian Assange arbitrarily detained, entitled to liberty & compensation

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12698678_1305903919426412_4872743309571957127_oA UN panel has ruled that WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has been ‘arbitrarily detained’ in the Ecuadorian embassy in London, calling upon the UK and Sweden to end Assange’s deprivation of liberty.

“The Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (WGAD) … considered that Mr. Julian Assange was arbitrarily detained by the Governments of Sweden and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland,” the statement said.

The group concluded that the WikiLeaks founder “is entitled to his freedom of movement and to compensation.”

“The Working Group considered that Mr. Assange has been subjected to different forms of deprivation of liberty: initial detention in Wandsworth Prison [in London] which was followed by house arrest and his confinement at the Ecuadorian embassy.”

The panel said that it ruled that Assange’s detention “was arbitrary” as he was “held in isolation during the first stage of detention.” Also that “the lack of diligence” by the Swedish Prosecutor in its investigations resulted in the “lengthy detention of Mr. Assange.”
The UN panel also called upon UK and Swedish authorities “to assess the situation” of the WikiLeaks founder and “ensure his safety and physical integrity” and to “facilitate the exercise of his right to freedom of movement in an expedient manner.”
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UN panel ‘rules in Julian Assange’s favour’

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asg.thumbA UN panel has ruled Wikileaks founder Julian Assange has been “arbitrarily detained”, the BBC understands.

Mr Assange took refuge in London’s Ecuadorian embassy in 2012 to avoid extradition to Sweden over sex assault claims, which he denies.

He earlier tweeted he would accept arrest if the panel ruled against him, but called for the arrest warrant to be dropped if the decision went his way.

The Met Police said he will still be held if he does leave the embassy.

A warrant for his arrest remains in place.

In 2014, Mr Assange complained to the UN that he was being “arbitrarily detained” as he could not leave the embassy without being arrested.

The UN’s Working Group on Arbitrary Detention is due to announce the findings of its investigation into the case on Friday.

Its panel of legal experts has taken evidence from the UK and Sweden.

While the BBC understands the panel will find in Mr Assange’s favour, Wikileaks said it was waiting for “official confirmation”.

The panel’s ruling will not have any formal influence over the British and Swedish authorities and the UK Foreign Office said it still had an obligation to extradite Mr Assange.

Swedish prosecutors dropped two sex assault claims against Mr Assange last year. However, he still faces the more serious accusation of rape.

Australian Mr Assange was originally arrested in London in 2010 under a European Arrest Warrant issued by Sweden.

He claimed asylum inside the Ecuadorian embassy in Knightsbridge after the UK Supreme Court ruled the extradition against him could go ahead.

His Wikileaks organisation posted secret American government documents on the internet, and Mr Assange says he believes Washington will seek his transfer to the US if he is sent to Sweden.

In the statement, published earlier by Wikileaks on Twitter, Mr Assange said: “Should the UN announce tomorrow that I have lost my case against the United Kingdom and Sweden I shall exit the embassy at noon on Friday to accept arrest by British police as there is no meaningful prospect of further appeal.

“However, should I prevail and the state parties be found to have acted unlawfully, I expect the immediate return of my passport and the termination of further attempts to arrest me.”

Last October, Scotland Yard said it would no longer station officers outside the Ecuador embassy following an operation which it said had cost £12.6m. But it said “a number of overt and covert tactics to arrest him” would still be deployed.

 

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Sweden offers to question Assange in London over rape allegations

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STOCKHOLM – Agence France-Presse

REUTERS Photo.

REUTERS Photo.

Swedish prosecutors on March 13 offered to question WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange in London over rape allegations, providing a possible breakthrough in the long-running case.

One of Assange’s lawyers welcomed the offer saying it would be a first step in clearing his client who has been holed up in the Ecuadorean embassy in London since 2012.

“He will accept” to be questioned in London, attorney Per Samuelsson told AFP, adding that his client was “happy” about the breakthrough.

“We are cooperating with the investigation,” he said.

Up to now, Swedish prosecutors have refused to go to London to question Assange over the allegations.

But on Friday, the prosecutor in charge of the case said she was changing her stance as the statute of limitations on some of the alleged crimes will become effective in August.

“Marianne Ny has today made a request to Julian Assange’s legal representatives whether Assange would consent to being interviewed in London and have his DNA taken via a swab,” her office said in a statement.

“My view has always been that to perform an interview with him at the Ecuadorian embassy in London would lower the quality of the interview, and that he would need to be present in Sweden in any case should there be a trial,” Ny said.

“This assessment remains unchanged,” she said. But “now that time is of the essence, I have viewed it therefore necessary to accept such deficiencies to the investigation and likewise take the risk that the interview does not move the case forward,” she said.

Sweden issued an arrest warrant for Assange in 2010 over charges made by two women of rape and molestation.

A lawyer for one of the women who has levelled the accusations against the WikiLeaks founder welcomed the prosecutors’ offer.

“Assange did not make himself available to be interviewed in Sweden… That’s why it is necessary to change the location of the interview,” her attorney Elizabeth Fritz told AFP in an email.

Assange, 43, has refused to return to Sweden to answer the allegations, which he has vehemently denied.

He says he believes that Stockholm would extradite him to the US to be tried for his role in WikiLeaks’ publication of classified US diplomatic, military and intelligence documents.

WikiLeaks has been targeted by the US authorities since its release in 2010 of 500,000 secret military files on the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and 250,000 diplomatic cables.

A former army intelligence analyst, Chelsea Manning, is currently serving a 35-year prison term for leaking classified documents to WikiLeaks.

In 2012 Assange took refuge in Ecuador’s embassy in London, where he has been since at a cost of 11,000 euros ($10,300) each day, according to his lawyers.

The situation has remained essentially stagnant since Assange arrived, and after a lower Swedish court rejected in November his appeal of the 2010 warrant for his arrest, Assange’s attorney took the motion to Sweden’s Supreme Court in February.

“We are asking the court to give us access to the phone text messages that the two plaintiffs exchanged, and which (prosecutors) possess,” Samuelsson said,saying he was certain contents of the messages would prove Assange’s innocence.

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