Editorial: Assange Finally Free From Persecution – 20240628 – English – Daily Ming Pao

Established in 2006, WikiLeaks is described by Assange and his supporters as a non-profit international online media group that aims to ensure that governments, businesses and institutions operate transparently by releasing confidential documents and information provided by anonymous sources and insiders.

Over the years, WikiLeaks has released a wealth of explosive insider information and materials. Among these, the 2010–11 revelation of the US’s diplomatic and military scandals was the most sensational. The group made public hundreds of thousands of confidential papers related to the Afghanistan and Iraq Wars, as well as prisoners at the US military base at Guantanamo Bay, exposing indiscriminate killings, torture towards prisoners and other acts by the US Armed Forces.

US investigators later discovered that some of the confidential military and diplomatic documents released by WikiLeaks had been provided by Chelsea Manning, an intelligence analyst serving in the US Army. The US described such a leak of national security secrets as the largest in the country’s history, stating that the leak had put US military intelligence personnel and local informants in danger and jeopardised US security. It also accused Assange of taking part in helping Manning obtain the documents illegally.

Assange argues that the exposé was aimed at bringing the truth to light, and that it should be protected by the First Amendment of the US Constitution regarding freedom of speech and press. Yet the reality was another story. Even though Assange has always been outside of American soil, Washington capitalised on its enormous influence over allies and pursued him for over a decade.

First, the Swedish authorities suddenly issued a cross-border arrest warrant for Assange over a so-called “sexual assault case”. In the UK at that time, Assange worried that he would fall into the traps of the law and be extradited to the US. He fled to the Ecuadorian Embassy to seek political asylum, and stayed there for seven years, living within the confines of the embassy in a way that was tantamount to house arrest. May 2017 saw a change of government in Ecuador, with the new president reversing his predecessor’s anti-American stance. Later, Assange was expelled and fell into the custody of the British police.

The irony is that the release of Assange now actually also results from political compromise. There have long been voices among Australian politicians to rescue Assange; with the date of his extradition to the US imminent, the incumbent Australian government has intensively lobbied the Biden administration behind the scenes to give Assange mercy. US diplomats would not like the Assange problem to impede Australia’s relationship with the US and the UK, the BBC has reported.

Last August, the US Ambassador to Australia proposed a plea agreement for the first time to resolve the incident. In March this year, the British court processing Assange’s appeal required Washington to make a series of guarantees, including that Assange had the right to invoke the First Amendment of the US Constitution and that he would not face the death penalty. Otherwise, it would allow Assange to continue his appeal against extradition. For Assange, these marked a long-awaited reversal of his fate.

Assange and his actions are controversial in many ways. Nevertheless, the torture he has been subjected to over the past decade or so has left a deep mark on his physical and mental health.

Ming Pao Editorial 2024.06.27: Exposing the evil deeds of the United States will pressure Assange to pay the price for the truth

WikiLeaks founder Assange has finally been freed and returned to his ancestral home in Australia after years of imprisonment.

WikiLeaks was founded in 2006. Assange and his supporters describe WikiLeaks as a non-profit international online media that aims to empower governments, businesses and others by publishing confidential documents and information provided by anonymous sources and insiders. Organizations operate under the sun.

WikiLeaks has released a large number of explosive inside information and materials over the years, among which the US diplomatic and military scandals from 2010 to 2011 were the most sensational. WikiLeaks has released hundreds of thousands of confidential documents about the war in Afghanistan, the war in Iraq, and prisoners at the US military base at Guantanamo Bay, revealing the indiscriminate killing and torture of prisoners by the US military.

U.S. investigators later discovered that some of the confidential military and diplomatic documents released by WikiLeaks came from Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning. The United States described this as the largest leak of national security secrets in U.S. history. The leaked materials put U.S. military intelligence personnel and local informants in danger and jeopardized U.S. security. It also accused Assange of helping Manning illegally obtain relevant documents.

Assange believed that exposing the fraud that day was just to make the truth known to the world and should be protected by the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution regarding freedom of speech and press. However, the reality is another matter. Even though Assange has been outside the United States, Washington has used its huge influence on its allies to pursue Assange for more than 10 years.

First, the Swedish authorities suddenly issued a cross-border arrest order for a so-called “sexual assault case.” Assange, who was in the UK at the time, was worried that he would be extradited to the United States if he fell into a legal trap. He hid in the Ecuadorian embassy and sought political asylum, where he stayed for seven years. The life of being unable to leave the embassy was no different from “house arrest” until the Ecuadorian government changed in May 2017. The new president changed his predecessor’s anti-American line. Assange was later expelled and fell into the hands of the British police.

The irony is that Assange is now free, but it is actually the product of political compromise. Some people in Australian political circles have always advocated rescuing Assange. As Assange’s extradition to the United States is approaching, the current Australian government is secretly lobbying the Biden administration behind the scenes to let Assange go. The British BBC reported that the U.S. diplomatic community does not want the Assange issue to affect Australia’s relations with the United States and the United Kingdom.

In August last year, the U.S. Ambassador to Australia first proposed a “plea agreement” to resolve the incident. In March this year, the British court processed Assange’s appeal application and required Washington to make a series of guarantees, including that Assange had invoked Article 1 of the U.S. Constitution. The amendment rights, as well as not facing the death penalty, would have allowed Assange to continue appealing against extradition. Assange’s fate finally turned around.

Assange’s life and events are not without controversy, but in any case, these more than 10 years of hardship have left a deep mark on his physical and mental health.

■Glossary New Words /

sensational : causing great surprise, excitement, or interest

exposé : an account of the facts of a situation, especially when these are shocking or have deliberately been kept secret

leave a mark (on sth/sb) : to have an effect on sth/sb, especially a bad one, that lasts for a long time

■Suspension of publication: The English version will be suspended from July 1 (next Monday).Editorial Department