٠٠:١٢:٠٠Stella Assange, wife of Wikileaks founder Julian Assange, claimed that her husband's life was at risk and that the justice system was being used as a weapon against 'those who tell the truth', during an interview recorded in Perugia on Thursday, March 22.
"We have to be clear about who the criminals are," she stated. "Just because they're using the justice system to imprison him it doesn't mean that justice or the law, international law is on their side. Julian is being persecuted and his life is at risk. Because this case is political, support through an award like the one today, of which Julian is very proud to be a recipient, are so important."
Stella was in Perugia to receive the 'Federico Caffe Award: Economic Policy at the Service of People' on behalf of her husband on Friday. Julian is currently in a UK prison, awaiting a court decision on leave to appeal his impending extradition to the United States.
"The justice system is being instrumentalised, is being used as a weapon against those who tell the truth," Stella continued. "Julian's imprisonment serves a purpose. The purpose is to intimidate, to bully, to discourage journalists from telling the truth and to keeping the public ignorant because an ignorant public is a public that can be manipulated and manipulating the public is essential for furthering war."
"This is the first time that a publisher has been openly accused for journalism," she went on. "It's a game changer and there is no coming back from this unless the US drops the charges against Julian. Whatever happens in Julian's case, unless there is a pardon or dropping the charges, it is catastrophic for the press."
The publisher is wanted by US authorities on 18 charges, following the release of thousands of military and diplomatic documents relating to the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.
"There is no prospect for a fair trial in the United States," Stella alleged. "Julian has been charged under the Espionage Act, this is the first time a publisher has been charged under this act, which is from 1917 during the First World War. The purpose of this act was never meant for publishers, it was never meant in the context of journalistic activity."
"He is accused of receiving information from [whistleblower] Chelsea Manning, possessing it and publishing it to the public and that information was of the highest public interest, involving evidence of state-sponsored criminality," she claimed. "So that means that the United States has charged him under a statute that does not allow a public interest defence."
"This is also the country that has plotted to assassinate Julian, so naturally there is no prospect for either a fair trial or Julian being safe in that country," she added, referring to allegations made in a 2021 media report that the CIA had plotted to kill or kidnap the whistleblower.
The CIA did not comment at the time, while Assange's team brought up the 'real risk of further extrajudicial actions' during the latest court hearings, although the evidence has not yet been tested in court.
Stella also discussed the human toll on her husband.
"Julian has deteriorated physically, his mental health is under a constant strain and it changes from day to day," she said. "Some days are extremely difficult, some days he cannot sleep, so it's impossible to generalise. It is a constant struggle because he is indefinitely in a high-security prison, so far for five years."
The extradition was approved in 2022 by then-home secretary Priti Patel. Assange remains in the UK’s Belmarsh Prison, where he has been held since being dragged from the Ecuadorian Embassy and arrested in April 2019.
During a two-day hearing last month, his legal team sought leave to appeal his extradition to the United States, although the court's decision is still to be announced at time of publication.
"We don't have any indication of when the High Court will deliver its decision," Stella added. "What we do know for a fact is that if the High Court decides that Julian will not have a full appeal, that will be the UK's domestic remedies exhausted and that means that the UK will move to extradite Julian. It could be within 24 hours, but anywhere between 24 hours and 28 days.
She said that they would also appeal to the European Court of Human Rights, although conceded that 'is not a right, it is up to the European Court of Human Rights to decide'.
'His life is at risk' - Stella Assange claims justice system used as weapon 'against those who tell the truth' as WikiLeaks founder faces US extradition
Stella Assange, wife of Wikileaks founder Julian Assange, claimed that her husband's life was at risk and that the justice system was being used as a weapon against 'those who tell the truth', during an interview recorded in Perugia on Thursday, March 22.
"We have to be clear about who the criminals are," she stated. "Just because they're using the justice system to imprison him it doesn't mean that justice or the law, international law is on their side. Julian is being persecuted and his life is at risk. Because this case is political, support through an award like the one today, of which Julian is very proud to be a recipient, are so important."
Stella was in Perugia to receive the 'Federico Caffe Award: Economic Policy at the Service of People' on behalf of her husband on Friday. Julian is currently in a UK prison, awaiting a court decision on leave to appeal his impending extradition to the United States.
"The justice system is being instrumentalised, is being used as a weapon against those who tell the truth," Stella continued. "Julian's imprisonment serves a purpose. The purpose is to intimidate, to bully, to discourage journalists from telling the truth and to keeping the public ignorant because an ignorant public is a public that can be manipulated and manipulating the public is essential for furthering war."
"This is the first time that a publisher has been openly accused for journalism," she went on. "It's a game changer and there is no coming back from this unless the US drops the charges against Julian. Whatever happens in Julian's case, unless there is a pardon or dropping the charges, it is catastrophic for the press."
The publisher is wanted by US authorities on 18 charges, following the release of thousands of military and diplomatic documents relating to the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.
"There is no prospect for a fair trial in the United States," Stella alleged. "Julian has been charged under the Espionage Act, this is the first time a publisher has been charged under this act, which is from 1917 during the First World War. The purpose of this act was never meant for publishers, it was never meant in the context of journalistic activity."
"He is accused of receiving information from [whistleblower] Chelsea Manning, possessing it and publishing it to the public and that information was of the highest public interest, involving evidence of state-sponsored criminality," she claimed. "So that means that the United States has charged him under a statute that does not allow a public interest defence."
"This is also the country that has plotted to assassinate Julian, so naturally there is no prospect for either a fair trial or Julian being safe in that country," she added, referring to allegations made in a 2021 media report that the CIA had plotted to kill or kidnap the whistleblower.
The CIA did not comment at the time, while Assange's team brought up the 'real risk of further extrajudicial actions' during the latest court hearings, although the evidence has not yet been tested in court.
Stella also discussed the human toll on her husband.
"Julian has deteriorated physically, his mental health is under a constant strain and it changes from day to day," she said. "Some days are extremely difficult, some days he cannot sleep, so it's impossible to generalise. It is a constant struggle because he is indefinitely in a high-security prison, so far for five years."
The extradition was approved in 2022 by then-home secretary Priti Patel. Assange remains in the UK’s Belmarsh Prison, where he has been held since being dragged from the Ecuadorian Embassy and arrested in April 2019.
During a two-day hearing last month, his legal team sought leave to appeal his extradition to the United States, although the court's decision is still to be announced at time of publication.
"We don't have any indication of when the High Court will deliver its decision," Stella added. "What we do know for a fact is that if the High Court decides that Julian will not have a full appeal, that will be the UK's domestic remedies exhausted and that means that the UK will move to extradite Julian. It could be within 24 hours, but anywhere between 24 hours and 28 days.
She said that they would also appeal to the European Court of Human Rights, although conceded that 'is not a right, it is up to the European Court of Human Rights to decide'.
Stella Assange, wife of Wikileaks founder Julian Assange, claimed that her husband's life was at risk and that the justice system was being used as a weapon against 'those who tell the truth', during an interview recorded in Perugia on Thursday, March 22.
"We have to be clear about who the criminals are," she stated. "Just because they're using the justice system to imprison him it doesn't mean that justice or the law, international law is on their side. Julian is being persecuted and his life is at risk. Because this case is political, support through an award like the one today, of which Julian is very proud to be a recipient, are so important."
Stella was in Perugia to receive the 'Federico Caffe Award: Economic Policy at the Service of People' on behalf of her husband on Friday. Julian is currently in a UK prison, awaiting a court decision on leave to appeal his impending extradition to the United States.
"The justice system is being instrumentalised, is being used as a weapon against those who tell the truth," Stella continued. "Julian's imprisonment serves a purpose. The purpose is to intimidate, to bully, to discourage journalists from telling the truth and to keeping the public ignorant because an ignorant public is a public that can be manipulated and manipulating the public is essential for furthering war."
"This is the first time that a publisher has been openly accused for journalism," she went on. "It's a game changer and there is no coming back from this unless the US drops the charges against Julian. Whatever happens in Julian's case, unless there is a pardon or dropping the charges, it is catastrophic for the press."
The publisher is wanted by US authorities on 18 charges, following the release of thousands of military and diplomatic documents relating to the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.
"There is no prospect for a fair trial in the United States," Stella alleged. "Julian has been charged under the Espionage Act, this is the first time a publisher has been charged under this act, which is from 1917 during the First World War. The purpose of this act was never meant for publishers, it was never meant in the context of journalistic activity."
"He is accused of receiving information from [whistleblower] Chelsea Manning, possessing it and publishing it to the public and that information was of the highest public interest, involving evidence of state-sponsored criminality," she claimed. "So that means that the United States has charged him under a statute that does not allow a public interest defence."
"This is also the country that has plotted to assassinate Julian, so naturally there is no prospect for either a fair trial or Julian being safe in that country," she added, referring to allegations made in a 2021 media report that the CIA had plotted to kill or kidnap the whistleblower.
The CIA did not comment at the time, while Assange's team brought up the 'real risk of further extrajudicial actions' during the latest court hearings, although the evidence has not yet been tested in court.
Stella also discussed the human toll on her husband.
"Julian has deteriorated physically, his mental health is under a constant strain and it changes from day to day," she said. "Some days are extremely difficult, some days he cannot sleep, so it's impossible to generalise. It is a constant struggle because he is indefinitely in a high-security prison, so far for five years."
The extradition was approved in 2022 by then-home secretary Priti Patel. Assange remains in the UK’s Belmarsh Prison, where he has been held since being dragged from the Ecuadorian Embassy and arrested in April 2019.
During a two-day hearing last month, his legal team sought leave to appeal his extradition to the United States, although the court's decision is still to be announced at time of publication.
"We don't have any indication of when the High Court will deliver its decision," Stella added. "What we do know for a fact is that if the High Court decides that Julian will not have a full appeal, that will be the UK's domestic remedies exhausted and that means that the UK will move to extradite Julian. It could be within 24 hours, but anywhere between 24 hours and 28 days.
She said that they would also appeal to the European Court of Human Rights, although conceded that 'is not a right, it is up to the European Court of Human Rights to decide'.