Very interesting report, @Poster123 - thanks for sharing it!
Ms Fairbanks’ explosive testimony would appear to support to position that Mr Assange’s prosecution has a political dimension
Holy cow - who could possibly have guessed eh??
From following the excellent reporting by Craig Murray, it has become obvious that Obama, after initially trying to throw the book at Assange, decided to drop the case upon being advised that it was essentially a non-starter, and it was only under Trump’s direct orders that the whole thing started again. Did you read Jennifer Robinson’s evidence at the trial? Here is the relevant bit:
Jennifer Robinson is a lawyer who has advised Julian Assange since 2010. She represented him in his Swedish legal issues. On 15 August 2017 he asked her to join him for a meeting in the Ecuadorean Embassy in London with US Congressman Dana Rohrabacher and an aide Charles Johnson. Rohrabacher had stated he was acting on behalf of President Donald Trump and would report back to Trump on his return to Washington.
Rohrabacher said that the “Russiagate” story was politically damaging to President Trump, was damaging to US interests and to US/Russian relations. It would therefore be very helpful if Julian would reveal the real source of the DNC leaks. This would be in the public interest.
Julian Assange had put the case for a full pardon for Chelsea Manning and for any indictment against himself as a publisher to be dropped on First Amendment grounds. Rohrabacher had said there was an obvious “win win solution” here and he would investigate “what might be possible to get him out.” Assange could reveal the DNC source in return for a “pardon, deal or arrangement”. Assange had however not named any source to him.
Pardon, in return for naming sources. Which, as a principled journalist, Assange refused to do. How many others would have had the same level of dedication to protecting a source, 5 years into what was a very strict form of “house arrest”?
A serious question to all the folk who read and post here - what can we do to be of any assistance to this process? Seriously - open to all suggestions.
Cheers
PP
Trump is the embodiment of Hypocrisy; he campaigned on the slogan of “draining the swamp”, yet he goes after the man who more than anybody ever has, exposed the swamp monsters; and the main charge that he tries to jail Assange for is for putting “sources” in danger, yet Assange so believes in protecting sources that he refuses to gain his freedom and help Trump, by exactly refusing to reveal a source.
As what we as individuals can do, it quite frustrating; I think UK based people should show solidarity & support in Public, especially getting down to the Old Bailey; apart from that, and what I have been doing online for years now is countering the false narrative about the Assange & the case whenever I find it, but also, and again literally for years now, have been publicly demanding of Corbyn why if he is so anti-war that he doesn’t speak-up for Assange, the man who more than anybody else, has a proven ability to put spokes in the war machine, and although it’s a little too late, but better late than never, I saw only yesterday that Corbyn finally put his name on a document in support of Assange;; why it took him so long, especially when he could have used the diabolical treatment of Assange in Belmarsh to hassle the Government, and could have even made it an Election issue, is as mysterious as it is damning.
Yes, he is the embodiment of hypocrisy.
A really good point. The biggest disappointment about Corbynism for me, was Corbyn himself. And I speak as someone who was out in the rain, last election, knocking on doors to get people to vote for him.
The disenfranchisement of the public in our society is basically complete…
Thanks for your thoughts P123
PP
Yes, I like to think that Corbyn’s failures, such as on going along with AS smears, not sticking up for people like Williamson, Livingstone etc, promoting his actual enemies (!), silence on Assange, etc, are explained by him thinking that getting elected was more important, as all these other issues could be looked at then, but I fear that I’m only kidding myself.
BTW & funny enough, from just this morning, here’s my latest online correcting attempt with yet another cowardly smear merchant, who as they always do, quickly blocked me rather than engage;
I think at some point we could have several threads on Corbyn’s failures. I’m definitely not ready for it yet, though. I’m still mourning…
Cheers
PP