GUEST BLOG: Alan Preston – Continued non-reporting on the case of Julian Assange by NZ media

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The British High Court has just given the U.S.A. leave to appeal to pursue the extradition of award-winning Australian journalist Julian Assange in a trial which will be heard at the High Court in London on 27 and 28 October 2021.
 

We note that Radio and Television New Zealand is still not reporting on or investigating the case of the ongoing arbitrary detention of and repeated attempts by the United States to extradite Julian Assange.

( similarly we note , there was no coverage by Radio NZ National on the recent jailing of U.S. military drone whistleblower Daniel Hale ).
The Protected Disclosures ( Protection of Whistleblowers ) Bill is at the 2nd Reading Stage in New Zealand’s Parliament ( videos of speeches by MPs are here ).

In 2010 Julian Assange published evidence of breaches of the Geneva Convention by U.S. and U.K. forces in the Afghan War Logs and the Iraq War Logs

The United Nations has deemed that Julian Assange’s treatment by the U.K. authorities amounts to tortureand that  this is a case of ‘Intimidation and Reprisal’ by the states who stand implicated by the evidence published, against the whistleblower/publisher of that evidence.  ( The Afghan War Diary 2004-2010 ) ( The Baghdad War Logs ).
 
It is extremely concerning that New Zealand’s state-owned media organisations are continuing to deny the people of New Zealand any insight into this case as it has major implications for our own media to pursue stories that hold power to account.  ( e.g. see MediaWatch, RNZ Challenged on turning stolen data into news 2021-08-15 ) – especially when investigating the behaviour of our allies and trading partners.
New Zealand’s Minister of Foreign Affairs , Hon. Nanaia Mahuta has affirmed that “New Zealand is a strong proponent of the international rules based system” but with our media not reporting or doing any investigation to bring attention to this case , public awareness is limited and consequently there has been no expression of concern that could be translated into pressure to apply diplomatic pressure.
By omission, Radio New Zealand National is contributing to a grave injustice that will have a chilling effect on not only its own professional journalists and to journalists all over the world, but anyone carrying out investigations into the workings of their own or of foreign governments.  
That transparency is guaranteed as a precondition to ensuring accountability is a foundation of a functioning democracy.
2010 – Julian Assange interviewed by David Frost on the likelihood of his being extradited to the U.S.
For more background on the case of Julian Assange, go to : www.aotearoa4assange.nz
 
Here are some suggestions for other possible interviewees who have been involved in the case of Julian Assange.
 
Nils Melzer ( U.N. Special Rapporteur on Torture Contact :  sr-torture@ohchr.org )
about to be released book : The Case of Julian Assange – interviewed by Randy Credico on 2021-08-10 on Live on the Fly by Randy Credico
Rebecca Vincent : Director of International Campaigns @ Reporters Without Borders
https://rsf.org/en/media-center

Rebecca Vincent : rvincent[at]rsf.org  UK Bureau Director  London  :
See video on : https://www.dw.com/en/the-case-of-julian-assange-rule-of-law-undermined/a-57260909 

Nicky Hager : A very good interview with Nicky Hager NZ investigative journalist talking about Julian Assange and Wikileaks with ( 0:21:46) Lois and Martin Griffiths on Plains FM’s Earthwise program( Christchurch ) Nicky has met Julian Assange and has worked with Wikileaks. Nicky testified in support of Assange at the extradition trial in London

Published: 10/19/2020 9:00:00 PM  Nicky Hager can be contacted by email to nhager@actrix.co.nz

John Shipton ( Julian Assange’s Father  Contact possibilities : Northern Rivers NSW for Assange  ( on Facebook ) – currently on a nationwide tour of Australia promoting his son’s release from Belmarsh Prison in London. Organisers are intending to take the tour to the United States on the 20th of June 2021.

 

Stella Moris-Smith Robertson ( Julian Assange’s partner Assange have two sons, Gabriel, born in 2017, and Max, born in 2019,
 
Kristinn Hrafnsson  (Wikileaks Editor in Chief )
 
Noam Chomsky : https://chomsky.info/about/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RYdDp4mHDRY 

John Pilger : UK-based Australian journalist, writer, and documentary filmmaker.
http://johnpilger.com/contact
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_w8hWXoD6k&t=6s

 

Scott Ludlum : former Greens MP from Western Australia..

TDB Recommends NewzEngine.com

Despair and Defiance – Senator Scott Ludlam in Conversation with Julian Assange

Contact @ scottludlam.org.au

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Nga mihi nui . Naku noa na

 

Alan Preston @

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3 COMMENTS

  1. The whole history of Julian Assange is quite sufficient to doubt the integrity of any of our Western governments and legal systems. The freedom we think we have from tyranny that wars have been fought for and many have died for were for nothing. When the chips are down and the leaders are embarrassed they all protect each other in every western country. Truth and civil rights be damned. The system isn’t fit for purpose.
    D J S

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