By Jessica D’Souza and Michaela Cullen in Strasbourg
The Council of Europe has passed a resolution declaring Julian Assange a ‘political prisoner’ over his prosecution, detention and conviction by the US and UK governments.
Addressing the Council’s Parliamentary Assembly (PACE) on Tuesday in France, Assange made his first public appearance since his release from Belmarsh Prison in London.
Following a guilty plea deal with the US in June, Assange told PACE he chose freedom over “unreliable justice”.
“I want to be totally clear, I am not free today because the system worked, I am free today after years of incarceration because I plead guilty to journalism,” the Wikileaks founder said.
“My naïveté was believing in the law.”
If we shy away from telling the truth in this subject matter, I fear that we lose all credibility.
Assange gained worldwide attention in 2010 after releasing leaks provided by a former US Army soldier, including a 2007 video showing an American Apache helicopter attack in Baghdad, resulting in the deaths of 11 people, including two Reuters journalists. This led to a criminal investigation by the US government.
After facing sexual assault allegations in Sweden, charges that were later dropped, Assange sought refuge in the Ecuadorian embassy in London to avoid extradition to the US.
He stayed in the embassy for nearly seven years before being arrested in 2019 after Ecuador withdrew his asylum. The US then requested his extradition, charging him with stealing military files, facing up to 175 years in prison if convicted.
Icelandic politician and Rapporteur for the draft resolution, Thorhildur Sunna Ævarsdóttir, released a report detailing the “chilling effects” of Assange’s case on human rights.
“We are a standard setting party of human rights, and if we shy away from telling the truth in this subject matter, I fear that we lose all credibility,” said Ævarsdóttir.
The report urges the US to investigate war crimes and human rights abuses exposed by Assange and WikiLeaks.
It also calls on the UK to conduct an impartial review into the treatment Assange received while in detention, and review their existing laws to protect whistleblowers and political prisoners from extradition.
The report criticised the “disproportionately severe charges” he faced under the Espionage Act, warning that these penalties align with the criteria for a political prisoner, as outlined in a 2012 Assembly resolution.
According to the Council, a political prisoner is defined as a person whose detention violates their basic freedoms, who has been unfairly detained for political reasons, or whose detention is disproportionate to their alleged crime for political reasons.
What does this case say to those who risk their lives to report on corruption, war crimes and human rights abuses.
Paul Gavan, one of the Republic of Ireland’s representatives in PACE, addressed Assange’s case as a “textbook political offence”.
“Please let us reject, in the strongest terms, this attempt to deny that Julian’s incarceration and torture were not politically motivated,” he said.
“As an Irish republican, I will also point out that Britain unfortunately has a long history of denying political prisoners.”
The final resolution vote passed on Wednesday, with 88 out of 121 countries voting in favour.
“We must ask ourselves, what does this case say to those who risk their lives to report on corruption, war crimes and human rights abuses,” said Ævarsdóttir.
“It says that if you dare to publish the truth, you may face the full wrath of the law; however archaic and unjust the law is. It says that in the struggle between power and truth, power will prevail.”
The Council of Europe has been criticised by Reporters Without Borders for its inaction during Assange’s conviction, as RFS Director of Campaigns, Rebecca Vincent, said it “did far too little during Assange’s period of detention”.
“We hope that his statement in the Palais and the damning details of the report will serve as a wake-up call on the need for concrete action to ensure that such a case cannot happen in Europe again,” she said.
Mr Gavan also made reference to the limited action the Council and other European bodies took over Assange’s case.
“One of the most frustrating things over the last five years is that a large chunk of the body politic, both here and across Europe, chose to bury their heads in the sand,” said Gavan.
“They chose to be silent in relation to this outrageous series of acts against this fine man.
“It’s disappointing to note today, this is the shortest list of political speakers for any debate this week, what does that tell us about the continuing silence?”
Main image screenshot from PACE.
