鈥淭he US case against Julian effectively redefines investigative journalism as espionage,鈥 journalist Mary Kostakidis told a forum recently. 鈥淓xtradition will cost Assange his freedom indefinitely and quite likely his life as well.鈥
鈥淪aving Julian Assange: It鈥檚 now or never鈥 was the theme of a special Politics in the Pub on January 29 at the Harold Park Hotel in Sydney.
Professor Stuart Rees spoke alongside journalist and former SBS news presenter Kostakidis, NSW Greens Senator David Shoebridge, former surgeon and NSW MP Dr Arthur Chesterfield-Evans and Joe Lauria from Consortium News.
Kostakidis outlined the case of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. He faces his final British Supreme Court appeal hearing before a possible extradition to the United States to face 鈥渆spionage charges鈥 over WikiLeaks鈥 revelation of US war crimes in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Assange has been held in solitary confinement in Britain鈥檚 high-security Belmarsh Prison for almost five years.
Kostakidis said the US government鈥檚 鈥渁ssurances鈥 that Assange鈥檚 health would be looked after in the US were 鈥渘ot worth the paper they鈥檙e written on鈥.
His health has deteriorated, including having suffered a possible minor stroke.
Shoebridge said the prospect of Assange being held in indefinite detention in Britain and the US is 鈥渃hilling鈥.
鈥淭he lesson is that US law will persecute you and hunt you down for the 鈥榗rime鈥 of telling the truth about the real war crimes of the US military.鈥
Shoebridge said the cross-party delegation of MPs who visited the US Congress at the end of last year had received a positive reception from both major parties.
He also noted the recent letter by Australian politicians to the British Home Secretary calling for the release of Assange, with a sharp focus on his declining health.
Chesterfield-Evans explained Assange鈥檚 medical challenges in the context of the enormous stress from his indefinite imprisonment and the threat of extradition.
Lauria spoke about the turbulent global political situation, suggesting that President Joe Biden may find that 鈥渓eniency to Assange could win back come credence to the US in the midst of a world highly critical of the US鈥 international role鈥.
A moving tribute to Assange by recently deceased journalist John Pilger was also played.
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