I cannot tell you how happy I am at Julian’s release. It is 4.00am and I haven’t been to bed yet. I have spoken to John Shipton but everyone else is on a plane en route to Australia.
The guilty plea is of course coerced in the extreme and nobody should take it seriously. It gives a chance to claim hollow victory to the odious Biden regime, at the cost of a terrible precedent in law classifying journalism in espionage. But the precedent is only in a court of first instance so is not binding.
I should be plain I have always advised Julian and Stella to take a plea deal if offered and get out of jail. I have no doubt this was a life or death choice. I also believe we will be grateful for the still greater contributions Julian’s immense intellect and capacity for radical thought will make to human development in the future.
The Justice Department were further motivated to offer a deal by the fact that they appeared to have painted themselves into a very difficult corner at the next UK extradition hearing in a fortnight, over Julian’s ability as a foreign national acting outside the US to claim constitutional protections, and could have lost the extradition case altogether.
There is so much more to say but if I don’t get some sleep I will not be alive to say it. I am crying with happiness.
Meantime my election campaign in Blackburn continues. We are very seriously out of money. If you can channel your elation into a donation that would be very helpful.
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
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Bitcoin: bc1q3sdm60rshynxtvfnkhhqjn83vk3e3nyw78cjx9
Cryptocurrency donations welcome:
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Alternatively
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
Brilliant news. Thanks for being part of it
Fantastic news Craig.
An extra donation on its way to you.
I just got up 40 mins ago, couldn’t sleep and read this news. Definitely won’t get to sleep now! What a fantastic result for Julian and his family. And for the people in his corner like you Craig. Well done to you. Keep fighting the good fight. Victory must be very sweet. Wonder if the timing has anything to do with taking the spotlight off Starmer in some quid pro quo deal with Biden, as he is likely to be PM by 9 July. Unless an equally great victory occurs and Andrew Feinstein beats him. Anyone got any predictions for what time that result will be on. Will easily out Portillo that moment. Donation on its way.
IDK about Starmer, but what this shows as far as us Americans are concerned is Biden’s desperation over an election he is going to lose.
“Unless an equally great victory occurs and Andrew Feinstein beats him.”
In which case Starmer will be whisked into the House of Lords from where he can be the PM despite not being elected as an MP. He’s already a knight, so why not a lord?
I am so glad Julian Assange is free. I want to say more, but I don’t know what to say. Thank you Mr. Murray for all you have done for Julian Assange. I hope you win your election. I would vote for you if I could.
Indeed. Julian was being held in conditions which amounted to both physical and psychological torture, and were frankly life-threatening; incarceration in the US promised to extend this confinement for a duration of years or even decades. No one can reasonably blame him for accepting a plea deal. However, I hope that he retains sufficient room for manoeuvre to have the machinations of the DPP, the US state department and the Swedish prosecutors interrogated, in the European Court of Human Rights, which may be the ultimate boomerang striking the bonce of the man overwhelmingly likely to be the next Prime Minister (ironic given Julian’s chosen destination).
Yes, it is a very happy day – for Julian, Stella and the kids, the rest of the family, and all those who have worked to Free Julian. I’ll save my vitriol in relation to the UK & US for another day.
On another topic, I have made a TRANSCRIPT of the audio file of “The Meeting” published the other day. I have sent you a link to the draft via your Twitter DM (from La Fleur Productions @LaFleurDelSur) – I have highlighted in yellow the bits that need checking / completing (mostly names). Maybe you have a staff member that could do that for you. Once I get the corrections back, I can finalise the file and create a PDF ready for download and/or publishing. Tell me your preferences re that.
Great news! The US thinks it has won but the whole world knows the truth!!!
Except for “professional journalists” like the mob at the Guardian who happily smeared Mr Assange’s name and could not care less that the real criminals he exposed will never have to go through an ordeal like his.
Whatever will be in the future with Craig, whether Blackburn yes or no – this will stand. It´s historic and will be so always in major part also due to Craig´s unique set of skills and his personality, his empathy, loyalty, honesty.
I have never met the man. But as actions are worth more than a thousand words I don´t need in order to be able to state this.
I don´t want to instrumentalize the news too much, but this sea change of events is the best election recommendation people of Blackburn can have.
Craig even went to prison for this to happen.
What else do voters want as proof?
https://www.nmid.uscourts.gov/newsDetail.php?Criminal-Case-No.-1-24-cr-00014—USA-vs-Julian-Paul-Assange-220
Criminal Case No. 1:24-cr-00014
USA vs Julian Paul Assange
Case information for journalists and interested members of the public about USA vs. Julian Paul Assange, Criminal Case No. 1:24-cr-00014.
Case records are available to the public online through the PACER (Public Access to Court Electronic Records) system
The matter has been set for public hearing on June 26, 2024, at 9:00 a.m. ChST. (Saipan)
U.S. District Court
Northern Mariana Islands (Northern Mariana Islands)
CRIMINAL DOCKET FOR CASE #: 1:24-cr-00014-1
Case title: USA v. Assange
Date Filed: 06/25/2024
Assigned to: Chief Judge Ramona V. Manglona
Defendant (1) Julian Paul Assange, represented by Richard C Miller
Banes Horey Berman & Miller, LLC
P.O. Box 501969
Saipan, MP 96950
670-234-5684
Fax: 670-234-5685
Email: [email protected]
(Saipan is a US territory near Guam)
After all the years of being hunted down by US/UK etc. finally some GOOD NEWS for Julian. I am so pleased for him and his family. I hope he will fully recover from his ordeal. Easier said than done, I think.
Thank you Craig for your relentless in-depth reporting on this case, keeping us informed of the real goings on.
What more can I say. Welcome back Julian!
PS. Good luck with your election Craig!
A great day I was not expecting. Well done Craig for all your efforts and for that sound advice on accepting a plea deal. Julian’s years on the cross are over!
(Donation made to election fund. Your voice needs to be heard more than ever.)
The best news I’ve heard in years! It’s only fair that Assange should be released, he never should’ve been banged up in the first place, and thank you Craig and Julian for your truth-telling and bravery. I wish you all the best in the upcoming election, Craig. Starmer and Biden aren’t fit to lick the dirt off your shoes, or Julian’s, and I hope they lose the support of the electorate forthwith (no, that doesn’t make me a Tory or Republican either btw).
Wow. What great fabulous news to wake up to.
A good portent for you – fingers crossed.
I am slipping some tears too and can’t wait to hear him speak freely again soon.
We need his voice to stop the Wars escalating.
I hope he is returned to full health asap and can travel freely.
Yeah, the plea deal amounts to what a Soviet dissident under Brezhnev would do. In terms of “admitting guilt and showing public contrition”, for sins against the people & vanguard party.
So they could stay out of a grim penal colony.
Only the Soviets generally had the decency to keep their jurisdiction within their own borders and citizenry.
Also political prisoners in the late-era U.S.S.R, probably also had relatively more fair & humane treatment, than Assange.
I suppose this miserable farce is fitting considering the rotten state of “mature neo-liberalism”. Exemplified by the senile husk of “President Biden” shi**ing himself in public or wandering off randomly.
Anyway, good work Mr Murray. You’ve spent a lot of time & energy on this issue
Good luck in the election campaign too 👍.
What matters is the result of course, but does this mean the grubby UK justice system can stick its righteous nose in the air and continue its facade of being pure as the driven snow?
This is great news! And full credit to Craig Murray whose hard work played a substantial part in this. I note with interest that they released him when there is a general election campaign in full swing and a football tournament taking place – perhaps they’re hoping that nobody will notice.
Overwhelmingly brilliant news.
Just woken up, still feeling sleepy. What a wonderful surprise, some good news for a change.
Big credit to Craig for all his work on behalf of Assange.
Meanwhile most of my time is being taken up by campaigning to unseat Starmer in Holborn and St Pancras.
See the link from my user name. Also these two links
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:NSH001
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User_talk:NSH001
A little, quiet, ‘well done’ to you, Neil. Just read thru those pages you curate on wiki – so many have played a part.
Will,
Thanks for the kind words. If you want to read even more, you can read through my talk page archives by clicking on the links in the “Archives” box near the top right of the page. You might even find the “fan mail” page amusing!
Neil
see Ukr forum for a few quotes possibly of interest:
https://www.craigmurray.org.uk/forums/topic/ukraine-date-nov-2023/page/24/#post-99079
If anyone wants to re-use my material, feel free to do so, PROVIDED you include a link back to my page (per standard wiki copyright and licensing terms). You are free to copy it in whole or in part, but I imagine most people will only want to copy a small part of it.
I’m off to a hospital appointment in a few minutes time.
Fantastic news
What marvellous news. Julian is a free man after all this time. Well done everyone concerned.
I do pay monthly, but have made a one-off donation from my Ascot winnings – and couldn’t think of a more sensible way to spend it.
Just saw this on zerohedge via ‘Ourfiniteworld’ and came here for confirmation. Short video showed him looking very smart considering what he has gone through.
https://x.com/Stella_Assange/status/1805393089819033890
I am so happy I could sing. Julian Assange is free and Tiger Patel has given up by joining our campaign. We need everyone who can come/ help to do it now. Shall put some of my pension money to good use. Craig has got to be heard in Parliament.
What a great day.
Rightly or wrongly I have a limited opinion of Julian Assange as an individual (although I have never met him and my negative opinion might be whole undeserved).
However, if we locked up everyone I had a negative opinion of, a broad swathe of media and politicians would be behind bars and the US prosecution was an outrageous abuse of process from start to finish.
I have a slight fear that the moment Assange steps on US soil he will be arrested for something else. But the Australian High Commissioner is accompanying him and for the US to renege on the spirit of the deal would be a massive slap in the face to Australia.
Things I would be interested in, if Assange ever makes a comment on them:
1. It looked like someone from Porton Down has leaked something to him regarding the Skripals poisoning (which drove the UK Tories cabinet ministers wild….). It would be interesting to know what it was.
2. I am pretty sure the Podesta emails were intercepted by the FBI or the Pentagon (probably by menacing Bernie Bros who originally took them) and genuine damaging emails were slightly tampered with to fail authenticity tests. Wikileaks appear have removed most (but not all) of these tampered emails. It would be interesting to hear more about this strange episode.
3. Also someone appeared to have contacted Wikileaks about Michael Hastings, although that contact may have been intercepted by Jen Robinson.
I would like to hear more about these, but am not anticipating that I will. I won’t speculate as to why; having two young children would probably be sufficiently motivating I imagine.
Still, congratulations to all those involved in his release.
Sean, I share your reservations about Julian’s path back to Australia. I have a lingering suspicion that the US may be saying one thing and doing another – they have form . My full-throated response to Julian’s freedom will wait until he clears Customs in (presumably) Sydney.
Morning coffee, blurry eyes and KAPOW! What a welcome surprise! Times two, with Tiger Patel endorsing your campaign.
Grim reality will return by tomorrow no doubt, but this is weight lifted.
This brings back the elation I felt when it was announced that The Birmingham 6, The Guildford 4, Judith Ward and Nelson Mandela were all to be released. It was 1989.
It feels good again to be alive and free…_
Thank you for sharing this poignant moment with us Craig.
We celebrate and share your joy.
Any chance of organising massive celebratory parties for all those who participated in the Free Assange campaign, at appropriate US and UK locations?
Outside Langley may be?
With little funny hats and free muffins for every agent in the parking lot.
Better than “inside” Langley in the underground swimming pool, with water board and goggles
A Brit comedian, years ago got a troupe of fifty oldskool dancers, like ballroom dancers, with sequins and feathers and invaded various places like the reception lobbies of fossil fuel companies and the foyers of weapons companies etc etc filming it for his TV show. He was a Welsh guy, Mark Thomas was his name. He did one where he got a economically down mining village in Wales to send a petition to the Argentinian Embassy in London asking to become a part of sovereign Argentina if they seceded from Britain.Most people in the village played along for the lolz but when they delivered the petition to the Embassy the Argentines were not happy. It was very funny
As the Roman soldier said to Brian “RIGHT. NOW DON’T DO IT AGAIN!”
I hope Julian gets a pardon, if he applies for one.
it’s the war crimes that are being done again.
all the war criminals have been pardoned.
not even pardoned. rewarded and greatly celebrated.
the Queen bestowed Tony Blair with the highest honour it was in her power to grant.
George W Bush and Alastair Campbell are cherished national treasures.
Netanyahu, a wanted war criminal, is going to receive dozens of standing ovations from the uniparty in Washington.
This is great news. I think we are all very grateful to Craig for his tremendous efforts for the freeing of Julian.
I’m sure the success in the appeal against extradition a week or two back was a factor in the reaching of a deal with the US. They could no longer be sure of a successful extradition.
Excellent news. However, hold off the celebrations until he’s actually free. He still has to be signed off by a USA court. Probably tomorrow/Wednesday.
That’s right.
Better still, let’s see if President Biden finds it appropriate to exercise his presidential pardon privilege after sentencing. A plea deal is good, but that still leaves you a convicted felon.
In any case, a great relief for journalism and freedom of speech.
Dear Mr. Murray, so many thanks for keeping the general public informed, that is the people who really want to listen and to find out what’s really going on. Here in the Netherlands we were almost totally deprived of any news about Julian. Categorically 99% of the journalist here did not report from the very first start. It a is a bloody shame.
Only now this morning in the newscast of the main news agency, the NOS, cared to have a newsreader speak some words, completed with a resounding misjudgement. His imprisonment was called detained on remand, yeah, yeah sure.