To journalists at Radio New Zealand.
Kia ora
“Julian Assange is to take part in a hearing, organised by the Legal Affairs Committee of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe in Strasbourg, beginning at 8.30 a.m. CEST on Tuesday 1 October. The following day, on Wednesday 2 October, the Assembly is due to hold a plenary debate and vote on this topic, based on a report by Thorhildur Sunna Ævarsdóttir (Iceland, SOC). Mr Assange is expected to be watching from the public gallery.”
This will be broadcast live on YouTube through this link :
During the years 2021-2024 that New Zealanders For Julian Assange were advocating for his release, we unsuccessfully ( no acknowledgement was ever recieved ) tried to draw New Zealand media and elected representatives’ attention to the pronouncements by United Nations Special Rapporteur On Torture , Prof. Dr Nils Melzer AND the United Nations Human Rights Councils Working Party on Arbitrary Detention that Julian Assange’s detention in Belmarsh Maximum Security Prison was indeed ‘arbitrary’, that the conditions in which he was being held amounted to ‘pychological torture’ , that he did indeed have the right to publish what he published – and that he had( and still has ) the right to be compensated ( despite – under duress – having signed a contract waiving that right – see below ).
In February 2021 New Zealand , along with the United Kingdom and 51 other nations signed the Agreement Against Arbitrary Detention in State To State Relations – but our continuous attempts to get our Minister of Foreign Affairs to lodge a diplomatic protest over the UK government refusing to abide by this international agreement went unacknowledged.
Section 134 of the U.K. Criminal Justice Act prohibits all forms of torture by its agencies – including its prisons. Again our attempts to get compliance with this law went nowhere.
Perhaps New Zealand media will care enough about its own role as the guardian of transparency and accountability – to provide its audience with some coverage of this important event.
Alan William Preston for New Zealanders For Julian Assange.
( facebook group : 591 members @ https://www.facebook.com/
Full announcement and practical information on the hearing:
More on the committee’s position:
Full report by Ms Ævarsdóttir:
Documents for the plenary debate:
( The agreement signed under duress of being sent back to Belmarsh )
” The Defendant agrees and covenants that he and any person or entity acting on his behalf including as applicable successors and assigns ( the releasing parties ) hereby irrevocably waive all rights, claims, demands, suits, causes of action , expenses, damages, judgements, orders and liabilities arising directly or indirectly at law, contract or equity out of the United States’ Department of Justices’ criminal investigation, extradition and or prosecution of the defendant, or in connection thereto which he may now or any future time be entitled to bring before any competent authority in Australia, the United Kingdom , The United States or worldwide – and or any court , tribunal or other judicial body in Australia, The United Kingdom, The United States or worldwide.
The defendant on behalf of himself and the releasing parties hereby releases and forever discharges all and or any actions, claims, rights, demands and set offs, whether in this jurisdiction or any other and whether in law or equity that he ever had , may have, or hereafter can , shall or may have, against the United States, arising out of, or connected with the United States Department of Justice criminal investigation extradition and or prosecution of the defendant. ”