Rob Stary slams Australian Gvt. (video) Meeting MP's on Assanges rights. On 2nd March 2011 at 9.15am a meeting was held, organised by Andrew Laming (Liberal Party MP Bowman Qld) at Parliament House Canberra to allow federal parliamentarians who wished to attend, some insights into the matters of Julian Assange facing extradition from the UK to Sweden, and facing (subject to that extradition process) a possible trial in Sweden and another possible extradition to the USA thereafter.
Among others, MPs Andrew Laming, Malcolm Turnbull, Doug Cameron and Sarah Hanson-Young were in attendance, along with parliamentary staff members. Three speakers made themselves available for oral presentations and questions: Greg Barns, barrister from Tasmania; former Australian diplomat Tony Kevin and Peter Kemp, solicitor from NSW.
The latter two made written material available for the parliamentarians, reprinted below with their permission. Written material was also provided by Jennifer Robinson, UK counsel for the Julian Assange. That material is reprinted with permission here. Assange lashes out at 'obscene' government. Quentin McDermott for Four Corners - exclusive Updated Mon 14 Feb 2011, 11:08pm AEDT WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has lashed out at the Federal Government, accusing Attorney-General Robert McClelland of acting in an "obscene" way.
In an exclusive interview with ABC 1's Four Corners filmed in England last month, Mr Assange said he would like to return to Australia but accused the Federal Government of having worked against him. "I'm referring to statements by the Attorney-General that a whole-of-government taskforce had been set up to investigate us that included ASIS, it included ASIO, it included the AFP, it included the Department of Defence and some parts of Cabinet. It's an extraordinary thing," he said. "It included the Attorney-General stating that I could not from the safety of my office publish this material and that the Australian Government and his office would assist any government anywhere in the world to prosecute me.
"But at that time Australia was not a safe place for me. 'Our time has come' Published: 8:55PM Friday February 04, 2011 Source: AAP WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange says the era of the internet generation has arrived and he'll continue to expose "abusive organisations".
Speaking in a recorded message to a public meeting in Melbourne on Friday, Assange said can't wait to be back in his home town and called on Australians concerned about his plight to take action. He compared WikiLeaks' push for more transparent governance to the civil rights movement of the 1950s, the peace movement of the 1960s, feminism movements and the environmental movement. "For the internet generation this is our challenge and this is our time," Assange said.
"We support a cause that is no more radical a proposition than that the citizenry has a right to scrutinise the state. "The state has asserted its authority by surveilling, monitoring and regimenting all of us, all the while hiding behind cloaks of security and opaqueness," Mr Assange told the free speech rally. Gillard, bring me home. Assange calls for help. Gillard, bring me home: Assange.
Open Letter To Gillard; re J.A. The Australian attorney general's response to an open letter to the Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard re Julian Assange [2011-02-02 Open letter to the Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard re Julian Assange] Dear Prime Minister The world notes again your comments on Julian Assange reported in the Sydney Morning Herald, February 2nd 2011.
It is pleasing that you would welcome him back to Australia but your statement that the government cannot do anything to assist him in that regard is not strictly correct and springs from a factual error in you saying “They are charges and they've got to be worked through proper process.” Prime Minister, in brief these are the relevant facts and applicable law: The European arrest warrant is a judicial decision issued by a Member State with a view to the arrest and surrender by another Member State of a requested person, for the purposes of conducting a criminal prosecution or executing a custodial sentence or detention order. Gillard won't make JA's legal problems go away. There's nothing we can do ...
Julia Gillard Photo: Ben Rushton Prime Minister Julia Gillard says she cannot - and will not - make Julian Assange's legal problems go away. But she says the WikiLeaks founder, like any Australian citizen, is welcome to return home once they do. Mr Assange, in London fighting an extradition order to Sweden where he awaits sexual assault charges, has appealed to Ms Gillard to help him return to Australia. Wanted man ... "There's not anything we can, or indeed, should do about that," Ms Gillard told Austereo today. Advertisement. Open letter To Gillard, re J.A. We wrote the letter below because we believe that Julian Assange is entitled to all the protections enshrined in the rule of law – and that the Australian Government has an obligation to ensure he receives them.
The signatures here have been collected in the course of a day-and-a-half, primarily from people in publishing, law and politics. The signatories hold divergent views about WikiLeaks and its operations. But they are united in a determination to see Mr Assange treated fairly. We know that many others would have liked to sign. But given the urgency of the situation, we though it expedient to publish now rather than collect more names. If, however, you agree with the sentiments expressed, we encourage you to leave your name in the comments section. Source: Dear Prime Minister, We note with concern the increasingly violent rhetoric directed towards Julian Assange of WikiLeaks.
“Why isn’t Julian Assange dead?” And so on and so forth.