Some points are ‘conveniently ignored’ in discussion about Julian Assange 28/10/2021

Source https://www.skynews.com.au/opinion/alan-jones/some-points-are-conveniently-ignored-in-discussion-about-julian-assange/video/7e053a29da6af2f25709b371bd0eeac9

Sky News host Alan Jones says some points are “conveniently ignored” in all the discussion about WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange.

“He is charged under the US Espionage Act and charged with one count under the US Computer Fraud and Abuse Act,” Mr Jones said.

“He is not accused of hacking, he is the first publisher in history to be charged with espionage, he faces 175 years in prison, all for engaging in regular journalistic activity, basically, exposing what he believed was political corruption.

“What has to be said is that Julian Assange did not hack the US records, nor did he assist Chelsea Manning to hack the US servers.”

According to Mr Jones, all that Assange and WikiLeaks did was “passively receive information” and then “assist in protecting Manning as a source and publish the cables”.

“But because Julian Assange published, as did other media organisations, he is currently in maximum security prison in the UK, Belmarsh, as a prisoner,” he said.

“In the 17 years since Wikileaks was created, the media organisation has disclosed more than 10 million documents revealing corruption and widespread abuse of power.

“The US Government, in the latest development, has promised that if Assange were extradited to trial in America and sentenced, he would be allowed to transfer and serve his sentence in an Australian prison.”

Mr Jones discussed the issue with Nationals MP George Christensen, who has argued that Julian Assange – an Australian citizen – should be allowed to return home.

Mr Christensen said America wants to send Assange back to Australia “in cuffs”.

“That’s just not right, it is not just,” he said.