[Greens-Media] Government must reveal what it knows of the campaign against WikiLeaks - Greens

[Torre, Giovanni (Sen S. Ludlam)]

Government must reveal what it knows of the campaign against WikiLeaks -
Greens
Media Release: Senator Scott Ludlam, Tuesday October 25th, 2011

Australian Greens spokesperson for communications, Senator Scott Ludlam,
has called on the Government to reveal its hand on the campaign against
whistle-blowing site WikiLeaks. 

Senator Ludlam has formally asked the Government what assurances it has
secured that, if extradited, WikiLeaks' Australian chief Julian Assange
will face the charges of which he is accused in Sweden and will not be
subject to the temporary surrender mechanism that could see him
extradited to the United States.

"What does our Government knows about any attempts by the US Government
to extradite Mr Assange - an Australian citizen, or about any moves to
charge him under the US Espionage Act?

"Does the Government define Mr Assange's work in his capacity as Editor
in Chief of Wikileaks as 'having implications for Australia's foreign
relations', thereby triggering the application of the Intelligence
Services Act 2001? 

"The Australian Federal Police found that Mr Assange had not committed
any crime under Australian law in his capacity as editor in chief of
WikiLeaks - will they guarantee that if Mr Assange returns to Australia
he will not be extradited to the United States? These are critical
questions."

Senator Ludlam said any attempt to drag Julian Assange to the United
States to face legal proceedings under a draconian, First World War-era
Act would be part of a broader campaign to destroy WikiLeaks.

"The US Government has been embarrassed by a number of revelations made
public by WikiLeaks - including evidence of American soldiers in Iraq
deliberately targeting civilians and journalists - and is hell bent on
revenge. Washington has successfully pressured companies including Visa,
Mastercard, PayPal and Western Union to block donations to WikiLeaks to
strangle the site - despite the donations funding perfectly legal
activity.

"WikiLeaks is pursuing litigation via regulatory bodies around the world
- including in Australia - to end the blockade. The Australian
Government must rule out any attempt to thwart this legal action."


http://www.aph.gov.au/Senate/work/notice/snpf_059.pdf - (Questions re:
Julian Assange begin on page 77)


Media Contact: Giovanni Torre - 0417 174 302