Australian journalist and founder of Wikileaks, Julian Assange, is a symbol of the fight for free speech, free press and transparency from governments.
Watch the trailer for this new documentary coming soon, “The Trust Fall”, which was filmed over two years, across three continents and in ten cities.
The documentary provides an in-depth look into Assange’s life and the events surrounding his arrest and potential extradition to the United States. Interestingly, this award winning documentary was produced by former Mareeba resident Natalie Minana.
Whether you know it or not, Julian Assange is a hero. His life has been made a living nightmare. The level of unlawful activity involved in pursuing this Australian citizen should be enough to have the entire case thrown out.
‘If wars can be started by lies, peace can be started by truth.”
https://img.youtube.com/vi/N5O1WmmdXtA/maxresdefault.jpg7201280Senator Malcolm Robertshttps://www.malcolmrobertsqld.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/One-Nation-Logo1-300x150.pngSenator Malcolm Roberts2024-01-24 15:01:402024-01-24 15:01:44Free Speech is our Most Important Freedom!
As the voices grow louder to “Free Assange,” the Wikileaks founder’s family is in the United States to fight against his extradition. They’ve been asking lawmakers there for help, and all hopes are pinned on the meeting between PM Anthony Albanese and President Joe Biden. Australian government officials of all political parties have come to Assange’s defense.
I, along with over 60 members of the House of Representatives and the Senate, signed a letter urging the U.S. to drop their pursuit. On 20 September, a cross-party delegation representing Australia went to the United States to support Julian’s right to come home to his family, including his two sons, who have been growing up without their father.
This has gone on far too long. The huge amount of support from around the world in defense of Julian Assange shows that the value of courageous journalism, truth and social justice is far greater than the US administration’s desire to retaliate in their embarrassment over the war crimes they committed, which Wikileaks revealed.
At this time online censorship and state control over information is on everyone’s mind. The Albanese government has proposed a bill designed to censor Australians online. What Julian Assange stands for is traditional journalism and free speech, which are cornerstones of our democracy. Assange is a political prisoner and deserves our gratitude for bringing the truth to light.
https://i0.wp.com/www.malcolmrobertsqld.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Free-Julian-Assange.png?fit=1079%2C537&ssl=15371079Sheenagh Langdonhttps://www.malcolmrobertsqld.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/One-Nation-Logo1-300x150.pngSheenagh Langdon2023-10-12 09:05:592023-10-12 09:06:03The Persecution of Assange Must End
If the United States’ government is making an example of Julian Assange – an Australian, NOT a US citizen – to dissuade other journalists from publishing the truth about illegal US government activity, then it is the job of the Australian government to protect him.
Whether or not he is found to have committed a crime, it’s terrifying that the rule of law protecting Australians from capricious government action can be trashed in this manner.
Julian has lost 13 years already to confinement, and now the United States is threatening him with life in prison for telling the truth in exposing the murder of innocent civilians during the ironically named Operation Enduring Freedom.
The United States values its relationship with Australia. It values our newly minted deal providing critical access to our mineral wealth. It values its ability to maintain a permanent military presence in the South Pacific through our close and longstanding relationship.
Our government needs to recognise its role in protecting one of our own and lean on the advantages Australia provides to the US to bring Julian Assange home now.
Transcript
As a servant to the people of Queensland and Australia, I note that the treatment of Julian Assange is not acceptable and should not be acceptable in a civilised society like Australia’s.
There are two issues: Australian citizenship and whether he committed crimes. Julian is an Australian citizen.
No matter what he may or may not have done, Julian has the same rights as any other Australian citizen. It’s terrifying that the rule of law protecting Australians from capricious government action can be trashed in this manner. Julian has already lost 13 years to confinement, and now the United States is threatening him with life in prison for telling the truth in exposing the murder of innocent civilians during Operation Enduring Freedom.
Enduring freedom—now, that’s ironic. Perhaps the United States needs a dictionary. ‘Freedom’ means the right to free speech, especially for investigative journalists who have investigated the US government’s illegal actions. Part of every journalist’s duty is exposing illegal behaviour. The US constitution guarantees freedom of speech. American governments have trashed their nation’s constitution. While freedom of speech is not enshrined in our Constitution, I’m advised it is enshrined in High Court rulings. Despite that, it means little, as many, including myself, discovered in COVID.
Clearly the US government is making an example of Julian Assange to dissuade other journalists from publishing the truth about other illegal US government activity.
Let’s connect the point about freedom of speech and COVID. We’re now seeing remarkable facts emerging about big pharma, big government and big tech. Imagine if Julian had been free during COVID and WikiLeaks was functioning properly. All the documents it has taken years to start prising out of the hands of big government and the big pharma state showing the most egregious and inhuman breaches of truth and decency may have been brought to light much earlier. Instead, we had compliant mouthpiece media that repeated the talking points of the pharmaceutical state.
Government has three roles: to protect life, to protect property and to protect freedom. Successive Australian and American governments are taking lives, killing people in unauthorised state sanctioned killings, stealing property, transferring wealth from ‘we the people’ to big pharma, removing freedom and imprisoning journalists, thereby destroying the nation’s freedom and every person’s freedom.
For serving the country, Julian has suffered 13 years of deprivation of liberty. Opponents say he jeopardised American soldiers and spies. Now, a court can decide that.
Do you remember the weapons of mass destruction claims? The perpetrators admitted they had no evidence. Who held them accountable? Not one member of parliament. Not one member of congress. They got away with it.
To anyone who thinks Julian Assange deserves the treatment he’s getting, I say: remember the wisdom of the words of St Francis of Assisi, who said, ‘There but for the grace of God go I.’
Our government needs to use our close relationship with America to bring Julian Assange home now.
Senator Malcolm Roberts met with Julian’s father, Mr John Shipton, and his brother, Mr Gabriel Shipton in Parliament at the last sitting.
They met in Parliament at a meeting attended by Members of the House and Senators with their staff and members of Julian’s supportive campaign team.
Those attending were brought up to date with Julian’s situation. Julian Assange is an Australian citizen. He is currently in Belmarsh Prison in England, a High Security Prison. He has not been convicted of any offence.
He is currently set to be deported to the United States to face espionage charges related to the release of documents through Wikileaks.
His legal team are appealing the most recent British decision to deport him.
His family have implored the Albanese government to intervene on his behalf and have the deportation decision rescinded. His family want to Bring Julian Assange home.
Senator Roberts supports bringing Julian Assange home.
Before the election, as opposition leader, Anthony Albanese said that Assange’s incarceration had gone on long enough and he wanted him freed. Now as Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese must live up to his word and return Julian Assange to Australia.
He’s made equally as extraordinary interventions to keep the Bilo family in Australia, there’s absolutely no reason he shouldn’t do at least the same if not more for an Australian citizen, Julian Assange.
The Albanese Government is sitting back and allowing the United States to persecute an Australian citizen.
This is contrary to the role of the Australian Government, which is tasked with ensuring the welfare of Australian citizens overseas.
Julian Assange should not be treated differently from any other Australian.
Julian’s action in releasing the Iraq War Logs is not fundamentally different from the information released by Daniel Ellsberg in 1971 which became known as the Pentagon Papers.
In an era where journalism still existed, the Pentagon Papers were detailed by the New York Times and Time Magazine.
Ultimately the release was supported as being consistent with the First Amendment and a matter of public interest by a 6-3 ruling of the United States Supreme Court.
The United States should take this ruling into consideration and be mindful that any prosecution of a journalist for releasing documents that deserve to be in the public domain is fraught with peril.
Further, with the benefit of many years passing, the allegation that the Iraq War Logs placed lives at risk is not supported.
After 1000 days of imprisonment without trial, the Australian Government must now act.
https://i0.wp.com/www.malcolmrobertsqld.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/thumbs_b_c_20539d574bb0a8d531379c875422a404.jpg?fit=864%2C486&ssl=1486864Senator Malcolm Robertshttps://www.malcolmrobertsqld.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/One-Nation-Logo1-300x150.pngSenator Malcolm Roberts2022-06-21 09:13:312022-06-21 13:17:35Labor Government must do even more to get Australian citizen Julian Assange home than they did to keep the Bilo family in Australia
