At 12:00pm, this coming Thursday 28 July Canberra For Assange has organised, on the lawns of our national Parliament, a protest in support of the Australian journalist Julian Assange. The most serious threat this protest confronts is the United States Government's efforts to extradite Julian Assange to suffer what many consider a fate worse than death: imprisonment for the rest of his life in total isolation in solitary confinement. The 'crime', for which this penalty is to be imposed, is Julian Assange's revelation, through his Wikileaks news service, of much information about the corrupt and criminal conduct of the United States since the late 20th century, both internationally and domestically.
The poster above asks Australians to "please come and send a message to the government that you want them to bring Julian home." The protest organiser Canberra for Assange and the guest speakers understand that, if newly elected Labor Prime Minister Anthony Albanese chose to, he could very quickly make the British government release Julian Assange and expedite his return to Australia. Anthony Albanese could also, if he chose to, make the United States government desist with its efforts to extradite Julian Assange.
Were either the British government or the United States government not to comply, Anthony Albanese would have recourse to the International Criminal Court (ICC) [1], the United Nations and, above all, global public opinion which overwhelmingly supports Julian Assange against the United States government.
Rather then face the global odium that would ensue, both the United Kingdom and the United States would almost certainly cease their actions against Julian Assange and his illegal imprisonment would come to an end.
Given that this has not happened and that the monstrous treatment of Julian Assange by the United Kingdom and the United States has persisted throughout more than 7 weeks since 21 May, Australians are entitled to be highly skeptical of Prime Minister Albanese's claims that he is working quietly through diplomatic channels to secure Julian Assange's release.
What sort of Parliament refuses to discuss the imprisonment and torture of the most famous and most revered Australian anywhere?
Whilst, for some years, a number of federal politicians on all sides of Parliament have wanted to raise the issue of Julian Assange on the floors of both the House of representatives and the Senate and hold account the previous Liberal/National government for its failure in its duty of care towards Julian Assange, those in control of both the then Labor Opposition and the then Liberal/National coalition government colluded to prevent any discussion on Julian Assange.
This appears not to have changed with the election of the new Labor Government.
It is surely time that the lack of visible progress in Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's ostensible efforts to free Julian Assange in the almost 2 months since it was elected also be subject to proper Parliamentary scrutiny and that the arcane rules, which have, for years, prevented the plight of Julian Assange from being discussed in our Parliament, be scrapped.
For some years, a number of federal politicians, on all sides of Parliament, have wanted to raise the issue of Julian Assange on the floors of both the House of representatives and the Senate and to hold to account the previous Liberal/National government for its failure in its duty of care towards Julian Assange. Those in control of both the then Labor Opposition and the then Liberal/National coalition government, colluded to prevent any discussion on Julian Assange.
This appears not to have changed with the election of the new Labor Government.
It is surely time that the lack of visible progress in Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's ostensible efforts to free Julian Assange, in the almost 2 months since he was elected, also be subject to proper Parliamentary scrutiny. It is also time that the arcane rules, which have for years prevented the plight of Julian Assange from being discussed in our Parliament, be scrapped.
Motions, including Labor MP Julian Hill's foreshadowed motion of 15 June (included below), amongst others, should be put. Whether or not they are carried, at least the facts about Julian Assange, as well as both this and the previous federal government's shameful abandonment of Julian Assange, could finally be put to the floor of our Paraliament. The Australian public would then be able to see, from the votes for and against the motion, which Members of Parliament and which Senators support Julian Assange and which Members of Parliament and which Senators have turned their backs on him.
Julian Hill's foreshadowed motion of 15 June 2021 in support of Julian Assange
This House:
(1) notes that:
(a) the trial and extradition of Mr Julian Assange are inconsistent with international law, and Australian legal standards, and contravene the legal rights and protections for which those laws and standards provide;
(b) the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment has found that Mr Assange 'showed all symptoms typical for prolonged exposure to psychological torture, including extreme stress, chronic anxiety and intense psychological trauma';
(c) several medical reports find that Mr Assange is in ill-health due to prolonged arbitrary confinement, and indeed the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention ruled that the 50-week sentence of Mr Assange for bail violation, which formally ended on 21 September 2019, was punitive and disproportionate given the nature of the offence and the usual sentence;
(d) Mr Assange is facing extradition for an alleged political offence, which is expressly prohibited by Article 4(1) of the Anglo-US Extradition Treaty and an abuse of power; and
(e) Mr Assange is an Australian citizen and, if convicted in the US, faces 175 years in prison, which would be in effect a death sentence;
(2) acknowledges that Mr Assange is a publisher and journalist, as recognised by his 2011 Walkley award and 17 other awards for excellence in journalism and promoting human rights, and that his charges:
(a) are a direct assault on press freedom; and
(b) threaten the protection of others who publish classified information in the public interest; and
(3) calls for Mr Assange to be allowed to return to Australia.
This motion, about the most famous and most revered Australian anywhere, was rejected by the Parliamentary Selection Committee on 17 June 2021, so was never put.
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