Writes Ginny Garner:
Lew,
The Council of Europe’s Parliamentary Assembly passed a resolution recognizing that Julian Assange was a political prisoner when he was held in the UK, with 88 votes in favor, 13 against and 20 abstentions:
https://pace.coe.int/en/votes/39978
Parliamentarians from 46 Council of Europe member states debated and voted on a draft resolution entitled “The detention and conviction of Julian Assange and their chilling effects on human rights,” Wikileaks reports.
Here is Assange’s full statement at the assembly as well as the Q & As:
“The mere fact of Mr Assange being indicted under the Espionage Act contributes to the creation of a chilling effect. He is, in fact, the first ever publisher to be convicted under this legislation which was designed to punish spies and enemies of the state. The biggest threat is not just that journalists will now be prosecuted under the Espionage Act – editors and publishers will start discussing whether they can publish classified information that contributes to public debate. The climate of self-censorship must be avoided at all costs so that our societies can remain free and hold their governments to account” – Ms Lesia Vasylenko, Ukraine