Summary
- A resolution was passed in favor of Julian Assange in Strasbourg.
- The WikiLeaks founder spoke for the first time since his release from prison.
Today, an important figure in the Bitcoin and crypto community, journalist Julian Assange, saw justice in Strasbourg, France.
Julian Assange Was a Political Prisoner
On October 2, The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe passed a resolution stating that Assange was a political prisoner.
Wikileaks, the nonprofit media organization, founded in 2006 by Julian Assange, also shared the results via their X account.
According to them, the disproportionately severe charges brought against him by the US, and the heavy penalties foreseen under the Espionage Act for engaging in acts of journalism, fall within the criteria set out in Resolution 1900 – 2012: The Definition of Political Prisoner.
As noted by Assange’s team who also worked on the documentary called The Trust Fall: Julian Assange, the resolution calls for the following:
- The US to reform the 1917 Espionage Act
- The US to conduct thorough, impartial, and transparent investigations into alleged war crimes and human rights violations disclosed by Assange and WikiLeaks
- The UK to conduct an independent review of the treatment of Julian Assange
WikiLeaks Founder Speaks for 1st Time Since Release
As noted by ABC News, Assange offered evidence about his years spent incarcerated in a high-security UK prison, after the US charged him under the Espionage Act.
This was his first public appearance since he was released from prison and returned to Australia.
Assange criticized the US and its allies regarding the way in which his case was handled. He stated that he is not a free man today because the system worked, but because he pleaded guilty to journalism.
Assange addressed Europe’s leading human rights organization, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) in Strasbourg, France, which was investigating his detention and conviction ahead of the final vote.
Assange highlighted freedom of expression and the criminalization of news-gathering activities which became a threat to investigative journalism everywhere. He said that journalists should not be prosecuted for doing their jobs, because journalism is not a crime, but a pillar of a free and informed society.
WikiLeaks started accepting Bitcoin and crypto donations in 2010, according to The Times, and back in 2014, Assange called Bitcoin the most interesting thing on the Internet.