Media Release: 12 December 2022
'STOP THE EXTRADITION' PROTEST
BRITISH HIGH COMMISSION, CANBERRA
12.30pm, Tuesday 13th December
"He's committed acts of journalism, disclosed war crimes, and thus embarrassed the US government. For the ‘crime’ of exposing these truths to the world, Julian Assange has so far spent 3 years in high security detention in Belmarsh prison outside London, after 7 years confined in the Ecuadorian embassy. The UK government may agree to the USA application to extradite him. The result would be appalling, devastating, an assault on press freedom and democracy, and an indictment against all of us who stood by and passively watched this unfold," said Kathryn Kelly, co-convenor of the Alliance Against Political Prosecutions.
"The Prime Minister has said ‘enough is enough’ in relation to Assange’s ongoing detention. We are echoing that call, and this is the time for the UK Government to act.
"The extradition request for Assange is clearly for a ‘political offense’, as his lawyer Jennifer Robinson described so clearly at her recent National Press Club address. The UK Extradition Treaty Article 4 states, “1. Extradition shall not be granted if the offence for which extradition is requested is a political offence.”
"Freedom of the press, including stopping the intimidation of journalists as is happening with this extradition request, requires that this ‘matter to be brought to a close’, as PM Albanese has requested. At the time of his response to Monique Ryan's question in parliament, the British High Commissioner, Victoria Treadell, was reportedly in the visitors' gallery accompanied by the UK Minister for the Indo-Pacific, Anne-Marie Trevelyan, so they cannot be unaware of the Australian government's call.
There is some talk that the US might not object to the case being brought to an end by a UK government refusal of the extradition. We call on UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, or Home Secretary, Suella Braverman, to refuse the extradition and put an end to this sorry saga.
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CONTACT: Kathryn Kelly, 0417 269 984
Kathryn Kelly
Co-convenor, Alliance Against Political Prosecutions
0417 269 984
PO Box 549, Curtin, ACT 2605
https://www.facebook.com/Dropwhistleblowerprosecutions/
Twitter: @DProsecutions
Media Release, 25 April 2022
Protests around Australia demand the dropping of whistleblower prosecutions and a strong ICAC
The Alliance Against Political Prosecutions condemns the ongoing prosecutions of Bernard Collaery, ADF whistleblower David McBride and ATO whistleblower, Richard Boyle, by the Commonwealth Department of Public Prosecutions (CDPP) and the Government. The prosecutions must be dropped! Protests will be held at
Canberra 9 am, Tuesday 26 April, in front of the ACT Supreme court
Perth 10 am, Tuesday 26 April, in front of Michaelia Cash’s office, 44 Outram St, West Pert
Melbourne 5 pm, Tuesday 26 April, at the State Library, Swanston St
Brisbane 8 am, Thursday 28 April, King George Square
Sydney 12.30 pm, Thursday 28 April, next to Federal Court, 184 Phillip St. “These prosecutions represent a disturbing trend by the CDPP and the Australian Government of punishing truth tellers and of destruction of our open justice system,” said Kathryn Kelly, co-convenor of the AAPP.
“We also demand that the Government make representations to the UK and US Governments to stop the imminent extradition of Julian Assange to the US and free him and bring him home. He has committed no crime, but has already spent 3 years in a high security jail in the UK,” she continued.
“We need a strong Independent Commission Against Corruption with teeth, to investigate the origins of these prosecutions. What are they trying to hide?”
CONTACT: Kathryn Kelly 0417 269 984
Co-convenor of the AAPP
https://aapp.ipan.org.au/
https://www.facebook.com/Dropwhistleblowerprosecutions/
Twitter: @DProsecutions
Updated 1.08 pm 25.4.22
Pressure mounting for AG to drop prosecutions of whistleblowers, McBride and Boyle
A group of 17 international whistleblowing organisations have written to AG Dreyfus asking that he halt the prosecutions of whistleblowers, former ADF lawyer David McBride and ex ATO officer, Richard Boyle. They state that Australia's reputation is being harmed by the prosecutions.
Come along to a Rally to support David McBride, 9am Thurs 27 October at ACT Courts
Speakers:
Dr Monique Ryan MP,
Bernard Collaery, lawyer and former ACT Attorney-General, prosecuted for standing up for Timor-Leste,
Tosca Lloyd, Media & Democracy Campaigns Director from GetUp,
Greens Senator David Shoebridge,
Kieran Pender , senior lawyer, Human Rights Law Centre, Mary Kostakidis, journalist and former SBS news presenter.
Former military lawyer, Major McBride is being prosecuted for disclosing classified documents exposing alleged war crimes in Afghanistan to the ABC resulting in the 2017 ABC TV program, The Afghan Files.
The goverment’s Brereton Report has since validated his revelations.