[Greens-Media] Easy solution for PM on prejudicial WikiLeaks statements

[Torre, Giovanni (Sen S. Ludlam)]

Easy solution for PM on prejudicial WikiLeaks statements
Australian Greens communications spokesperson Senator Scott Ludlam. Tuesday 9 October 2012.

The Australian Senate will vote today on a motion calling on the Prime Minister to indicate whether she intends to retract prejudicial statements against WikiLeaks, and the Australian Greens have called on the Government to support the motion.

"Our Prime Minister is a lawyer and knows it is inappropriate for the Executive to interfere with legal proceedings.  She should retract the statement she made on the 2 December 2010<http://www.pm.gov.au/press-office/transcript-interview-gary-hardgrave-4bc> and 7 December 2010<http://www.pm.gov.au/press-office/transcript-joint-press-conference-15>," Australian Greens communications spokesperson Senator Scott Ludlam said this morning.

"The simplest and most practical solution is for the Prime Minister to correct the record: vote for this Senate Motion, and make a clear statement acknowledging the work of WikiLeaks as a publishing organisation working in the public interest.

"The Swedish Prime Minister and senior figures in the US Administration have also made statements that seriously jeopardise the potential for any fair trial or hearing for Mr Assange.

"Today the Senate will have a chance to remind the Prime Minister of the resolution it adopted on 21 June 2012 on this matter.

"Instead of throwing this citizen overboard, Mr Assange must be afforded the same political support and diplomatic intervention that Melinda Taylor and Austin Mackell eventually received.  After all, Mr Assange has been found by Ecuador to have legitimate fears of facing persecution and torture at the hands of the US."

Senate motion being voted on 9 October 2012 http://scott-ludlam.greensmps.org.au/content/motions/notice-motion-pm-withdrawing-prejudicial-statements-assange

Senate resolution of 21 June 2012 http://scott-ludlam.greensmps.org.au/content/motions/motion-re-consular-services-mr-julian-assange


Media contact:  Giovanni Torre - 0417 174 302