After 15 months in Belmarsh high security prison, mostly spent in solitary confinement, WikiLeaks publisher Julian Assange faces the first week of an extradition hearing over 17 counts of espionage that the United States have laid against him.
During the decade since he revealed evidence of US war crimes given to WikiLeaks by Chelsea Manning, the world’s corporate press have for the most part given him no support, and even supposedly liberal outlets such as The Guardian have continually printed smears and even lies to denigrate him.
As part of their basis for extradition, US prosecutors have now stated that the First Amendment does not apply to publishers outside the country, which opens all journalists to the possibility of extradition and incarceration if they publish anything the American state deems harmful.
On 22nd February, campaigners marched from the Australian Embassy to Parliament where they heard speeches from a range of supporters, including WikiLeaks editor-in-chief Kristinn Hraffnson, DIEM25 founder Yanis Varoufakis, former ambassador Craig Murray, rapper Lowkey, journalist Tariq Ali, musicians Brian Eno and Roger Waters, and fashion designer Vivienne Westwood.
This short film ties together a common thread among speakers that the corporate media has badly let Assange down.
Music by Chrissie Hynde.
Last month Real Media released exclusive footage from a closed session meeting at The Frontline Club.
