BSNEWS editor Alison Banville: In 2019 I attended a talk in London by UN special rapporteur on torture, Nils Melzer, who, after visiting Julian in Belmarsh prison, was so shocked by his deteriorated condition that he immediately spoke out declaring that Julian’s life was at risk: “In my view, this case has never been about Mr. Assange’s guilt or innocence, […]
Journalist Charles Glass visited WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange at His Majesty’s Prison Belmarsh in London, where he has been jailed for over four and a half years as the United States government pursues extradition. In a report for The Nation on his prison visit, Glass asked Assange about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and Israel’s assault and siege on Gaza. “Now is an […]
We have lost the greatest journalist of our time. John Pilger has passed away. And what can one possibly say about this great man that will do him justice? Where are the words that can convey how inspirational and important he was? Not only his unparalleled journalism, but the man he was, made John universally admired and respected, because his […]
This is the first of two articles analysing the role of the BBC in the state-sponsored persecution of Julian Assange. It analyses how the British government used the BBC to present Assange as a criminal following his arrest on 11th April 2019. It then examines how the BBC helped to control the narratives around the stripping of Assange’s asylum, a violation […]
Following the criminal incarceration of former UK Ambassador to Uzbekistan, Craig Murray, I asked another former British diplomat and UK Ambassador to Syria from 2003-06, Peter Ford, to comment on the shutting down of voices raised against injustice in the UK and Scotland. Ford has also been a thorn in the side of the imperialist class regarding the ten year […]
Magistrate Vanessa Bararitser walked into Westminster Magistrates Court No.1 at 10.12am this morning with the sunniest smile and most carefree disposition I have ever seen her adopt. Her shoulders appeared visibly lifted. She positively beamed at Clair Dobbin, counsel for the US government, as she invited her to put the case for the prosecution as to why Julian Assange should […]
One of the most imposing features of state-corporate propaganda is its incessant, repetitive nature. Over and over again, the ‘mainstream’ media have to convince the public that ‘our’ government prioritises the health, welfare and livelihoods of the general population, rather than the private interests of an elite stratum of society that owns and runs all the major institutions, banks, corporations […]
The sinister potential of coronavirus lockdown to suppress dissent was on display on Monday as police broke up a small group of protestors outside Westminster Crown Court during a case management hearing for Julian Assange. The dozen protestors, who included Julian’s father John Shipton, were all social distancing at least 2 metres apart (except where living in the same household). […]
Julian Assange will stand next week in the armoured dock, accused of the “crime” of publishing. It is worth recalling that Wikileaks has a 100% record of accuracy. Nothing it has published has ever been shown to be inauthentic. Julian stands accused of the crime of telling the truth – more than that, of telling freely to the ordinary people […]
In conclusion, I fully agree with your interpretation of the law, and that any victim courageous enough to report sexual abuse must be protected, supported and taken seriously. As far as the case of Assange is concerned, however, I stand by my conclusion that the available evidence does not warrant the prosecution’s finding of “rape”.
I am a survivor of rape, gang rape and the abusive police process I was subjected to when I reported it and I am fed up with watching sexual violence being used as a cover for political attacks on Julian Assange, ais colleagues and his supporters.
In the end it finally dawned on me that I had been blinded by propaganda, and that Assange had been systematically slandered to divert attention from the crimes he exposed. Once he had been dehumanized through isolation, ridicule and shame, just like the witches we used to burn at the stake, it was easy to deprive him of his most fundamental rights without provoking public outrage worldwide.
