I was standing on the street in the rain, speaking to a few dozen people, without a sound system. Remarkably this is captured brilliantly just on an inexpensive phone camera, and my words have already reached several thousand.
Good people cannot just give up and do nothing. We have to continue to try to do what is right. I was touched to see again unacknowledged campaigners I have witnessed pounding the streets for Julian for over a decade. We will never give up the struggle to free him.
————————————————
Forgive me for pointing out that my ability to provide this coverage is entirely dependent on your kind voluntary subscriptions which keep this blog going. This post is free for anybody to reproduce or republish, including in translation. You are still very welcome to read without subscribing.
Unlike our adversaries including the Integrity Initiative, the 77th Brigade, Bellingcat, the Atlantic Council and hundreds of other warmongering propaganda operations, this blog has no source of state, corporate or institutional finance whatsoever. It runs entirely on voluntary subscriptions from its readers – many of whom do not necessarily agree with the every article, but welcome the alternative voice, insider information and debate.
Subscriptions to keep this blog going are gratefully received.
Choose subscription amount from dropdown box:
Paypal address for one-off donations: [email protected]
Alternatively by bank transfer or standing order:
Account name
MURRAY CJ
Account number 3 2 1 5 0 9 6 2
Sort code 6 0 – 4 0 – 0 5
IBAN GB98NWBK60400532150962
BIC NWBKGB2L
Bank address Natwest, PO Box 414, 38 Strand, London, WC2H 5JB
Bitcoin: bc1q3sdm60rshynxtvfnkhhqjn83vk3e3nyw78cjx9
Ethereum/ERC-20: 0x764a6054783e86C321Cb8208442477d24834861a
Subscriptions are still preferred to donations as I can’t run the blog without some certainty of future income, but I understand why some people prefer not to commit to that.
Well done, Craig. You’ve certainly played your part in trying help Assange and awaken minds to what’s going on. You have the ability to draw a crowd and speak off the cuff, so to speak, which sounds very genuine. What’s been done to Assange is utterly disgraceful and the UK authorities have played a big part where Assange has ended up so far.
The fight goes on to free this innocent man; his only crime is reporting the truth.
Quite agree, good for you Craig.
I spy with me little eye… a pair of RTs! Against!
To add insult to injury, Craig is trolling the estabellishment against!
Your point about public perception of this travesty is well made; it’s changing along with perception of the secret state.
I was given a Free Assange wristband at the Feb11th rally in London and I have been surprised by its positive reception both by rightwing family and colleagues and friends, strangers at parties etc.
Hang on, Julian. We’re coming for you!
Well said Craig.
Sickening that Julian Assange is still captive without trial .
Pity hundredths of thousands couldn’t be organised to surround bellmarsh
That surely would put the bejeesus up the English state .
????????????????
You get so much wrong, old fruit, yet you’re right about Assange. Bloody disgraceful it’s been: a stain on our escutcheon.
(Did you ever: WKPD gives one meaning of escutcheon as “the distribution of pubic hair”. That’s not the one I meant.)
Instead of all this piffle about a pseudo-independence for Scotland, why isn’t there a campaign for UK independence from the USA? Must we be perpetual US bumboys like Toni Blair?
Hear, hear!
Thank you, CM.
I really find this very touching and powerful. (less is more…)
Craig Murray, the one-take-wonder 😉
* * *
Jacobin on a new call by the “Squad” to free him:
https://jacobin.com/2023/04/rashida-tlaib-squad-julian-assange-freedom-extradition-wikileaks-first-amendment
(But who are THESE people – re: Congress – if they say such things, as also quoted in Jacobin, from the internal letter to the party:
“I know many of us have very strong feelings about Mr. Assange, but what we think of him and his actions is really besides the point here. The fact of the matter is that the [way] in which Mr. Assange is being prosecuted under the notoriously undemocratic Espionage Act seriously undermines freedom of the press and the First Amendment.” )
Anyway. If it brings about freedom, for God´s sake, Dems, do it. Just make sense once.
How about a mass mail-in for Julian? An organised and consistent deluge of mail and small gifts to Belmarsh?
Great idea Rolf. How about a local election message? Spoil the ballot paper and write:
“murderer Pinochet freed by false justice whilst Julian Assange is being held for calling out collateral murder. Free Julian Assange!”
That’s a brilliant idea.
It’ll really stick it to the single ballot-counter who will then stick it in the subsequently ignored pile of “spoilt votes”.
And that will be the only person who ever sees it or knows anything about it, apart from an invigilator who might by chance happen to notice it at the time.
A really good use of the vote people died to permit as a right to common folk.
People are still dying so we can have the chance to vote on imaginary dreams at the doorstep, glenn.
The votes will be counted as spoiled, and all agents will gather round the massive spoiled box and squabble whether they can have that vote. And if it is done by hundreds and some parties only need 6/50/150 votes to get their candidate in, then this will hurt, democratically.
Conceivably, in most marginal seats in very rare circumstances, some ballots are disputed.
They most certainly will not be sitting around pondering any message scrawled on the ballot, and taking due note. I have been an invigilator in elections, and can assure you this never happens.
One is far better off voting for an outside candidate with views most aligned with your own.
I was present when the Labour candidate lost to the Tory by fewer votes than the socialist candidate received – there was much wailing and gnashing of teeth about that!
Hi, Glenn nl. I was agent to Green Party and, since leaving them, to two Independent candidates and can only attest what I have seen with my own eyes and heard.
They were squabbling amongst themselves and interpreting 4 crosses and 1 tick, as the tick getting the vote due to the fact that it stood out from the 4 crosses. I have seen a smudged dot interpreted as a vote for Labour. 36 votes out of 110 that were counted as spoiled, were left after they squabbled, with the two main parties agreeing to each other’s interpretations but never to that of smaller parties or Independent candidates.
I shall leave it at that.
What is the legal situation right now for Assange? How can he be held indefinitely like this year after year?
Australia’s disgraceful treatment of their own citizen is breathtaking, the only party that perhaps could get him free is Russia through a swap with the held WSJ journalist in Russia.
Assange after all, had a brief show aired on RT back in the days.
And Russia would score quite a propaganda win to help once again, a western dissident. However Assange must be free after such possible swap and not be left stuck in Russia like Snowden.
I second this. Last I heard, Assange was cleared for extradition to the USA. So why hasn’t it happened? What, exactly, is the hold-up?
I gathered he’s made an appeal against their winning of their appeal.
Does the USA really want a public trial of this, would it be public? Apparently when their helicopter machine-gunned that van because people got out to attend to wounded, inside the van was “a four-year-old girl with gunshot wounds and embedded windscreen glass wounds and an eight-year-old boy with multiple wounds, including brain damage arising from shrapnel damage to his right temporal lobe.” US military first response was apparently, “Ah damn. Oh well!” and permission was refused to take them to a medic.
Just seen a recent film Mass, two sets of parents meet in a nice church building to come to terms with a mass shooting in the school.
Granted Ape
Thanks, I found this link from last year:
Julian Assange appeals to European court over U.S. extradition
https://www.reuters.com/world/julian-assange-appeals-european-court-over-us-extradition-2022-12-02/
In the link it say that his appeal will be dealt with early this year: Well it is high time then…
The link also say that Assange appealed to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) – but they are, most likely being deliberately passive about this very case.
It’s well worth being reminded of the facts about Julian Assange, clearly and powerfully expressed as they are on this video, yet I remain pessimistic that like the pre-Iraq war protests these protests will fail to achieve the sought results. The USA propaganda machine is currently segueing Assange with anti-Russian sentiment and there are journalists across the collective west that are at risk of being prosecuted on one pretext of another for not swallowing its lies hook, line and sinker. There is not just the Spanish journalist being held in Poland but I gather that 14‒15 Latvian journalists are being prosecuted for articles that in some strange way are breaking EU sanctions. The UK justice system appears to be in tatters, not just because of Julian Assange, and it will take more than a Starmer to sort it out.
A year or two of Starmer and we’ll be looking back on today’s UK justice system with misty eyes. There is no more vindictive rightwing authoritarian this side of Texas.
Great stuff Craig! The lucidity you bring to this horrific case of injustice is moving in itself. Thanks
At the time Assange went into the Embassy, although I did not think he had done anything wrong, I did have a negative view of him, roughly that narcissist. It took some time to realise, as you say, that this was because I believed what was written about him. Now I always ask – is this shooting the messenger of some truth? – and mostly it is.
I am reminded of a comment by Thoreau: “To be awake is to be alive. I have never yet met a man who was quite awake. How could I have looked him in the face?” The Assange case was my awakening.
The media interest in the hunt for, then subsequent arrest, over the recent leak of Pentagon papers, rather than the contents themselves, once again illustrates why Assange felt the need to create WikiLeaks in the first place. How messed up are the mainstream media’ priorities when some 21 year old (with top security clearance) and his arrest, are more important stories than the information contained within the leaked papers?
The guardian newspaper ignored the actual leaks and informational content therein – some of which pertains to the UK. Like the revelation that among Ukraine’s western allies, the UK is operating the largest contingent of special operations forces (SOF) in Ukraine: up to 50 personnel. Whether these forces are concerned solely with technical training and operational planning, or are seeing actual active frontline combat, and are involved in sabotage missions behind enemy lines, who knows? Even the UK’s Defence Select Committee isn’t briefed on these matters, because, uniquely among western countries, there is no democratic oversight of special forces in the UK. I suppose if KIA’ed they simply become ‘Aid’ workers?
Bellingcat – the ‘open source intelligence’ (OSINT) outfit, that ostensibly welcome & encourage leaks ‘in the public interest’ but ONLY insofar as they pertain to the non-Anglosphere – here, in this case, proudly following the digital trail to hunt down the leaker(s). What genuinely independent OSINT outfit would join the digital hunt to reveal someone who could be described as a whistleblower? They’re encouraging whistleblowers from adversary countries to make contact? What clearer admission than they aren’t independent and work directly for the security establishment, than this?
Addendum
It’s strange how the MSM floodgates have now opened on reporting the actual contents. It’s as if the MSM have been given the green light from the intel agencies. Take today’s stories about China’s seeming willingness to provide Russia with arms if certain criteria are met – this in intel obtained via communication intercepts.
I doubt the leaks were planted(?) because they’re so extensive, but when stories like this appear; stories that seem to bolster the US’s anti-China foreign policy positions, this, coming at a time the EU and Macron are urging a more cautious approach vis-a-vis provoking China into precipitous action over Taiwan. You have to wonder whether the leaks are really leaks at all – i.e. not deliberately planted information?
an interesting article on this subject.
https://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2023/04/larry-johnson-and-other-former-insiders-debunk-air-guardsman-as-pentagon-leaker-story-as-press-cheers-arrest.html
My suspicion is that this recent leak was actually officially sanctioned, for misdirection purposes, and that the arrest is a pantomime. But I could be wrong.
Agreed. To obtain public agreement for any illegal action it is necessary to first plant ‘evidence’ to justify your actions – corruption 101. Attacking China, exiting Ukraine, these leaks are all part of the fake evidence.
Stevie Boy
Yeah, that’s what I was thinking; these leaks may serve to prepare the ground for a winding down in support for a ‘losing’ Ukraine? Or just aid in changing the US stance on negotiations.
The US has a presidential campaign coming up in 2024 and the Democrats are already fearful of how this ongoing war and unpopular open-ended, hundred billion plus in support, will play against a likely Republican candidate, a candidate who’ll likely be highly critical of Biden’s handling of both.
Many Democrats already want Biden to announce he’s not standing, due to his age-related health concerns. They surely believe Biden + open-ended Ukraine military and financial support, would be a liability in the Presidential TV debates. A hard sell against Trump or whomever it is the Republicans choose.
Tom 74
It seems to be the case that the counter to the Russian ‘ Spring Offensive ‘ is off.
I read that Tanks/expensive equipment is being sent in small numbers but only for PR purposes.
A lot of it ( allegedly over 60% of light arms ) are ending up on the black market – maybe true – maybe not.
It seems to be that the West can send Tanks/equpiment but the shells and the missiles can’t be supplied until 2024 on.
Picking on a Journeyman 21 year old forward cable layer for passing on information is cowardice.
The patriotic lad may have been showing off to his peers but someone somewhere passwed him the main information.
The job of our intrepid journalis is to find out who or whom gave hime the info.
In fact watrching a US Press Corps many of the intrepid journalists wer begging not to be told the secrets.
They will go far and earn a good salary.
Good work Craig – keep it up.
Facts.
Nations are psychopaths, not just some nations but all nations. In particular all 5 of the anglophone 5 eyes nations of the Five Eyes collective, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, The UK and the USA. All are agreed that releasing information on activities of any of them that show evidence of their psychopathy is unforgivable and those who do so must be punished severely and must be seen to have been punished.
In addition those 4 nations that are not themselves the USA are in fact tributary states of the US Empire and completely in thrall to it. Do not expect principled behaviour from any of them.
Here’s some concrete evidence of the political witch-hunt nature of Julian Assange’s UK persecution and criminal imprisonment whenever neither judged nor being prosecuted for a perverse act of wilful misinformative criminal intent ‽ ……. https://cryptome.org/2023/04/Assange-Hilton-2023-0410.pdf
And such is verging on proof-positive undeniable evidence that, in the UK, the law and order and justice and political systems are able to be easily subverted and perverted, thus to be charged and convicted as being institutionally corrupt ‽
In 1917 the US Congress passed the Espionage Act. It was used to prosecute Americans opposed to the colossal, industrial slaughter of WW1. It outlawed all dissent concerning US warmaking. Many were sentenced to long prison terms, the most celebrated being the Socialist presidential candidate, Eugene Debs.
Debs was found guilty on three counts and sentenced to 10 years. He appealed and in 1919 the SCOTUS confirmed the sentence. The court found expressing sympathy for men who resisted the draft made Debs himself guilty of the same offense. The Washington Post (ever the mouthpiece of the American political establishment) declared,
“His activities in opposition to the war preparation were dangerous. His conviction… serves notice to all that disloyalty and sedition, even though masquerading under the guise of free speech, will not be tolerated.”
The law was never repealed and Julian Assange faces 17 counts under the Espionage Act and one count of conspiracy to commit computer intrusion with a possible tariff of 175 years detention.
Imagine footage emerging of a Russian helicopter doing the same thing to Ukrainian civilians as the US helicopter did in the “collateral murder” video to Afghan civilians. The procurer of said footage would be hailed to a much greater degree by the WaPo and the restof the shills, than the ( minimally? )reckless, feckless Gershkowitz.
Consider, in 2008 Jeff Epstein received an 18 month stretch in a countryclub jail, after pleading to one misdemeanour – not even a crime. He only slept there, 12 hours of the day he was free to “pursue” his own “interests” and ALL co-conspirators were rendered non-prosecutable. The police officer who led the investigation said he had found at least 80 young girls who had been trafficked, from Florida alone. They were recruited by Ghislaine Maxwell, in a vast pyramid pimp scheme, involving girls aged thirteen thru to seventeen – mainly school friends. The Virgin Islands authorities are now saying they have found victims as young as 12 years old. They are also saying that gangs of enforcers were employed on the Virgin Islands to return escapees to the custody of Maxwell and Epstein. All reminiscent of Doctor No and SPECTRE in the James Bond story – except this is NO fiction.
I agree with AG – “Craig Murray, the one-take-wonder ?”. Your performance brought the following words to my mind, from one of my favourite sf novels.
“You may not have this man, oh Death, for he belongs to the world, and we of the world will defend him…I do not actively contest. I merely defend. Mine is the power of passive opposition. Mine is the power of life, as yours is the power of death. While you can destroy anything I send against you, you cannot destroy everything, oh Death. Mine is the power of the shield, but not the sword. Life will oppose you…”
Lord of Light Roger Zelany
Is it reasonable to expect the US arrest and prosecution and persecution of John Young [Cryptome] for his hosting and sharing of “Leaked Classified Documents, April 13, 2023 (Updated with 4chan/4chan-2, 24MB)” …..https://cryptome.org … the sharing of which has 21-year old Jack Teixeira charged Friday [April 14] with violating the Espionage Act ….. https://www.zerohedge.com/political/alleged-pentagon-leaker-charged-under-espionage-act-boston-court
Indeed, such appears to be something John Young himself reckons might be appropriate, as he has freely shared such a view regarding an extremely similar, if not even practically and virtually identical matter, highlighting and opposing the treatment and incarceration of Julian Assange …….
….. and what does all of that tell the world and his dogs on the street whenever John Young’s bold request is ignored ‽ .
Perhaps now we see the purpose of these ‘leaks’. John Young’s position is to be compared to Julian Assange’s.
Trying to point out these inconsistencies and the ridiculous misuse of the Espionage Act to bring a case against Assange; the risks to a free press more generally, is sadly never going to win any arguments with those deciding Assange’s fate. Because this was never about anything Assange has actually done, or justice. It’s about the threat he and his celebrity status represented. Pompeo likened WikiLeaks to a “hostile intelligence service” – It’s all about the symbolism involved here for the elite, and sending a message to anyone else who may seek to become the face of an organisation similar to WikiLeaks. The cruel torture of Assange, is simply to intimidate others.
A modern day version of Gibbeting, which was the practice of locking criminals in human-shaped cages and hanging them up for display in public areas as a warning to others.
Hark at the US presstitutes on Russian free speech
The USA held a conference on the limitation of freedom of speech in Russia, but something went wrong…
“Do you have any idea how stupid we look to the rest of the world?
We have Julian Assange in prison for four years and we’re here talking about
journalism.
Ukraine is doing everything you’re accusing Russia of doing. They’ve banned the
Russian language. They’ve outlawed political parties”
https://twitter.com/munassar2011/status/1646874580701552648
[hat-tip to sashimi on Lifeboat News]
Let’s not forget the restrictions on free speech during the covid chaos. There was only one narrative allowed all others were deemed fake news. We even had that horse faced, goofy, bint in New Zealand stating that the government was the only source of truth. When corruption reigns nothing can ever be free.
You’re talking about the half-witted morons going around saying it was all a hoax, while drinking bleach and eating horse medication?
Restrictions on free speech? They never shut up for a moment with their idiotic BS!
Glen. Thank you for explaining to everyone what I was talking about. It’s always entertaining and a pleasure to read your helpful, balanced, deeply thought out views. Thanks again, big hugs.
Don’t worry Stevie, I knew where you were coming from. Same when I see you scorning the NHS or the state pension or defending royal nonces. You’re an anti establishment iconoclast!
Oh that was nice, and icing on the cake is when they shut down the couragous lady…. another guy with splendid questions kicked in! Awesome!
I saw a bit of similar couragous act some weeks back:
Video: Chinese journalist put the UN up against the wall with question on US occupation in Syria
https://twitter.com/Kanthan2030/status/1640905573280665600
Why on earth is a UN spokesman so eager to defend a US occupation one wonders…
In my opinion, the best journalism today is done by non-westerners and couragous western civilians in our midst that will not be silent. Western journalists today are the most lazy has-beens there ever was.
Here are btw Syrians attacking US occupation in Syria with stones but apparently there are no americans inside Syria according to the UN:
Video https://twitter.com/Kanthan2030/status/1640939933585248256
Marvellous adlib speech on one of the great scandals of our time, one that exposes all the Our Values posturing of our politicians and media for what it is.
Another fine recent explainer, Assange: the truth they are hiding from you
https://youtu.be/oyekPpdjAaU
Poor Julian Assange. So much cruelty inflicted him and his family.
It is difficult to believe that for four years a man has been locked up in a maximum security prison, that he hasn’t committed or been charged with any serious crime in this country, or arguably anywhere else, and that the reason he is there is because he blew the whistle on a war crime committed elsewhere by a country that invaded another country illegally. Not only that but his case against extradition has been hopelessly compromised by actions taken by the state with a grievance against him that make any fair judgement by our courts look impossible. In addition reporting on the case has been muddied by allegations of sexual impropriety that look to have no basis in fact. The behaviour of the press in ignoring the political aspect of his plight while delighting in the lurid details of the impropriety allegation is a study in character assassination worthy of Goebbels.
Where is this case being reported? The four year anniversary of his jailing was mentioned on Bavarian radio last night; they asked why the case was not being mentioned in our press – good question that could only be explained by our not having a free press worthy of the name.
Well, the topic of Mr. Asssange’s imprisonment doesn’t seem to be of interest to some of the regular commentators on this site, as well as the topic of the legality of this imprisonment, or the issue of freedom of journalism, or the more general topic of freedom of speech in developed democracies of the first world 🙂 Not surprising, but so no less amusing.
Mr Murray’s speech is as expected strong as ever, and thanks for this video that made me want to visit Scotland one day. Unfortunately, the airports in my region are closed due to the war. But I can dream of one day flying to visit your music festival or other public event.
I congratulate believers on the holiday of Easter. I wish all visitors to this site a peaceful sky over their heads. Life goes on despite all the horrors and despair, there’s hope and there’s light ahead – it seems my nephew is getting married this summer and there’ll be a new baby in our family in the late autumn 🙂
Not that we here in Russia breed like rabbits (© Pigeon English); just young people complete their education and start families.
Have a niciest ever weekend, friends!
Tatyana,
Many of us are like minded – and here is my contribution for Mr. Assange:-
https://blog.effectivelearning.net/a-speech-for-julian-assange/
Mentioning my comment for a second time out of context is inappropriate.
Enjoy the Resurrection
Regards from the Degenerate!
The DoJ probably has the audio/video of the deliberations that took place in NY when starmer as head of CPS flew over to explain to the yanks UK legalities over assange extradition. That compromat should be enough to turn starmer into a very pliable poodle, anybody who votes Labour in the upcoming GE may actually be voting for war.
The anniversary of Julian Assange’s incarceration was also marked by a lengthy and sympathetic interview of John and Gabriel Shipton by Del Bigtree on The Highwire, on 13th April. There was even a cameo appearance by Mr. Murray during a clip from the Embassy illegal video.
I didn’t know about Julian being refused facilities for the last year in the embassy, and I did think the long hair and beard would make a bad impression on a certain sort of person. When I read the allegations of how he had been “choosing” to live I did not believe them, as I have experienced this sort of treatment myself.
Well Done Craig..Good on you.. A great Speech..Standing in the rain..Well done the Lady holding an umbrella above you..The speech really gets the Human soul of Julian Assange across to us..And the UK / US Criminality in the Horrific Degradation, dehumanising, and Torture of Julian.
Hardly a day goes by that I don’t think of Julian being tortured in that grotesque evil hell.. I’m a wee bit spoiled for majestic sights to gaze at..and I often think what Julian would give to be Free and able to look upon these wide open scenes..or on a clear night gaze up at stars like I do.
Here is a very good piece by Caitlin Johnstone –
US Moral Authority Is Dead And Buried – 16th April 2023 –
” The US is the only government on earth who has spent the 21st century killing people by the millions in wars for geostrategic dominance, who’s been strangling populations with starvation sanctions and blockades around the world, who is circling the planet with hundreds of military bases with the goal of global domination, and who’s been continually increasing the risk of nuclear armageddon with its rapidly escalating agendas geared toward securing unipolar hegemony. Assange’s case just makes its complete lack of moral standing much clearer.
“This will all still be the case even if Assange is released. The US empire will still have spent years imprisoning a journalist for the crime of good journalism, will still be the world’s worst warmonger, and will still be the world’s most egregious violator of human rights. Its moral standing is dead and buried, and the world should stop following its lead in creating a just and ethical world. It simply does not have the qualifications to do so. In fact, no power structure on earth is less qualified.”
The Full article is @ –
https://caitlinjohnstone.substack.com/p/us-moral-authority-is-dead-and-buried?
Two criminal regimes – US and UK – interesting how Julian’s false imprisonment has placed a glaring spotlight on how entrenched and deep the criminality is – not just the government, but the judiciary, and media. Its rotten fingers are everywhere. Those of us who were bought up on British tribal history are probably as sickened as I am. I’m still hoping Julian will get out of this soon and I hope he is keeping his spirits up knowing of the support by Craig and people around the world. It’s true, I think the support is growing fast. There is much more talk about him in various forums than there was and this is thanks to Craig, heads of state, and others. The atrocity of his detention is hidden no longer from the world.
• Binoy Kampmark.
• Craig Murray, of course.
• Glenn Greenwald.
• Greg Palast.
• Jonathan Cook,.
• Juan Cole.
• Phillip Weiss.
• Tony Greenstein.
Use Google to find them, some have websites, others blogs, for some (Binoy Kampmark and Jonathan Cook) their articles pop up all over the internet.