{"id":37580,"date":"2024-06-30T08:05:54","date_gmt":"2024-06-30T08:05:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kede.com.br\/news\/australias-quiet-campaign-to-bring-wikileaks-founder-home\/"},"modified":"2024-06-30T08:05:56","modified_gmt":"2024-06-30T08:05:56","slug":"australias-quiet-campaign-to-bring-wikileaks-founder-home","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kede.com.br\/news\/australias-quiet-campaign-to-bring-wikileaks-founder-home\/","title":{"rendered":"Australia\u2019s quiet campaign to bring Wikileaks founder home"},"content":{"rendered":"


\n<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n
\n

\n

By\u00a0Tiffanie Turnbull,\u00a0<\/span>BBC News, Sydney<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n
\"ReutersReuters<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Julian Assange pumped his fist into the air when he landed<\/figcaption><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n
\n

When Julian Assange stepped onto Australian soil for the first time in 14 years, he emotionally embraced his wife and raised his fist in triumph.<\/p>\n

A handful of supporters waved and cheered as he drove away from the air base.<\/p>\n

But this was no hero’s welcome – there were no large crowds or champagne in sight. <\/p>\n

Look closely though, and you will see signs of just how hard Australia’s government has worked to get the WikiLeaks founder back.<\/p>\n

Out of shot of the cameras, he was followed off the plane by former prime minister Kevin Rudd, who is now the country’s ambassador to the US, and Australia’s High Commissioner to the UK, Stephen Smith – who was Rudd’s foreign minister between 2007 and 2010.<\/p>\n

And minutes after Assange landed, the current Prime Minister Anthony Albanese addressed the nation, giving him a subdued welcome back.<\/p>\n

“I am very pleased that this saga is over, and earlier tonight, I was pleased to speak with Mr Assange to welcome him home,” he said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

This is a far cry from the mood back in 2010, when Assange first found himself in hot water.<\/p>\n

He had released thousands of unredacted US documents on the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq \u2013 including footage of a US helicopter firing on civilians \u2013 embarrassing Washington and allegedly endangering their informants and operatives.<\/p>\n

Shortly afterwards Swedish authorities began chasing him over allegations he sexually assaulted two women – claims he said were politically motivated.<\/p>\n

There was little sympathy for Assange in Canberra, so much so that he famously said the Prime Minister of the day had \u201cbetrayed\u201d him.<\/p>\n

“Let’s not try and put any glosses on this\u2026 information would not be on WikiLeaks if there had not been an illegal act undertaken,\u201d Julia Gillard had said.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd then we’ve got the common sense test about the gross irresponsibility of this conduct.\u201d<\/p>\n

Far from offering to advocate on his behalf, her government said it was providing ”every assistance” to US authorities and asked Australian officials to investigate whether he had broken any of the country\u2019s laws as well.<\/p>\n

They would later temper their language, but Gillard maintained \u201cthere\u2019s not anything we can, or indeed, should do\u201d.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n
\"GettyGetty Images<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Julia Gillard was openly critical of Assange when she was PM<\/figcaption><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n
\n

Outwardly at least, little would change for a decade.<\/p>\n

After trying to unsuccessfully challenge Sweden’s international arrest warrant – which he alleged was a ploy to send him to the US – Assange fled to the Ecuador embassy in London where he lived for almost seven years.<\/p>\n

In 2019 he was forced out of the embassy and imprisoned while he fought to block his extradition to the US.<\/p>\n

As the case dragged on and Assange’s health declined, support for his release grew across Australia’s political spectrum. But it continued to stop short of the country\u2019s highest offices.<\/p>\n

The only prime minister to make big waves with comments about Assange\u2019s freedom was Scott Morrison, when Baywatch actress Pamela Anderson toured the country to lobby on the WikiLeaks founder\u2019s behalf in 2018.<\/p>\n

“I’ve had plenty of mates who have asked me if they can be my special envoy to sort the issue out with Pamela Anderson,” Morrison told a local radio station, remarks Anderson called \u201csmutty\u201d and \u201cunnecessary\u201d.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\u2018Window of opportunity\u2019<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
\n

However with the election of Labor Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in 2022, Assange\u2019s circle told the BBC they hoped for change<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Swedish prosecutors had dropped the rape investigation, saying time had weakened the evidence. Documentaries began glamorising Assange\u2019s work, calling him a valiant campaigner for truth, while also exposing his ill health and treatment in prison. <\/p>\n

Then came the news he was a father to two young boys \u2013 conceived while he was in the Ecuadorian embassy and left to their mother to raise on her own.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n
\"GettyGetty Images<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Stella Moris married Julian Assange inside Belmarsh prison in 2022<\/figcaption><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n
\n

National animosity or ambivalence towards Assange was turning to pity. A poll from earlier this month indicated a large majority of Australians – 71% – said the US and UK should be pressured to close Assange’s case.<\/p>\n

And Mr Albanese was viewed as an ally. He had long said he didn\u2019t support many of Assange\u2019s actions, but that \u201cenough is enough\u201d.<\/p>\n

After taking office Mr Albanese reaffirmed his position, but stressed “not all foreign affairs is best done with the loud hailer”.<\/p>\n

Many of Assange\u2019s supporters believed the alignment of a Labor government in Australia and a Democratic administration in the United States was a window of opportunity, says political scientist Simon Jackman.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut we’re coming up on election in the United States, the window for getting this done was starting to close,” the Honorary Professor of US Studies at the University of Sydney told the BBC.<\/p>\n

“And so I think that was adding a little bit of energy… a little further impetus on the Australian side.”<\/p>\n

During a state visit to the US late last year, Mr Albanese confirmed he raised Assange\u2019s plight with President Biden directly.<\/p>\n

And in February the Australian parliament \u2013 with the prime minister\u2019s support \u2013 voted overwhelmingly to urge the US and the UK to allow him to return to Australia.<\/p>\n

In the US, the case had long been considered \u201ctroublesome\u201d for the Department of Justice and for successive presidential administrations, former CIA chief of staff Larry Pfeiffer told the BBC.<\/p>\n

Add the pressure from Australia and frustration in the UK at the lengthy nature of proceedings there \u2013 friction in two important relationships \u2013 plus the passage of time and the prospect of yet another appeal, and the US had become very keen to resolve the case.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think there were people within the Justice Department who said, \u2018Hey, you know, the guy did it to himself largely, but he’s pretty much done his time\u2019,\u201d Pfeiffer said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n
\"GettyGetty Images<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Albanese raised Assange with Biden at a meeting in October<\/figcaption><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n
\n

But getting the deal over the line is credit to Australia, he adds.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is testament to how quiet diplomacy can work.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Still a polarising figure<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
\n

In the hours after the plea deal was announced, Stella Assange said people had come to see her husband differently.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe public climate has shifted and everyone understands that Julian has been the victim,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

In reality, he is still an extremely polarising figure in Australia.<\/p>\n

Alexander Downer \u2013 a former Australian foreign minister and its High Commissioner to the UK between 2014 and 2018 \u2013 has long argued Australia should not intervene in the saga.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat he did was a criminal offence, and it was a terrible thing to do, morally as well, and endangering people\u2019s lives in that way,\u201d he told BBC\u2019s Radio 4 programme.<\/p>\n

\u201cJust because he\u2019s Australian doesn\u2019t mean he\u2019s a good bloke,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

On the other hand, Greens Senator Peter Whish-Wilson said Assange was persecuted for \u201ctelling an awful, inconvenient truth about war crimes\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe persecution of Julian Assange has shone a light on a broken legal system, one in which an innocent man must plead guilty to be free,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Others sit in the grey middle.<\/p>\n

Barnaby Joyce has long been one of the MPs leading calls for Assange\u2019s release \u2013 arguing his treatment has been horrific and that the extraterritorial aspect of the case is worrying.<\/p>\n

But he always clarifies in the next breath that he doesn\u2019t believe what Assange did was right.<\/p>\n

\u201cI’m a former serving member of the Defence Force\u2026 I’m not here to give a warrant to his character,\u201d he told the BBC News Channel.<\/p>\n

Some have spoken in support of his freedom, but voiced discomfort at his characterisation as a hero and journalist. Others pointed to concern over claims of election interference \u2013 even the characterisation by US officials that WikiLeaks is \u201ca nonstate hostile intelligence service\u201d.<\/p>\n

Even Mr Albanese trod a delicate line: “Regardless of your views about his activities, and they will be varied, Mr Assange’s case has dragged on for too long,\u201d he said in parliament on Wednesday.<\/p>\n

With his feet now firmly on Australian soil, it appears Assange will finally be able to get on with his life \u2013 starting with his 53rd birthday next week, which he\u2019ll celebrate alongside his family for the first time in 14 years.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n


\n
Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

4 days ago By\u00a0Tiffanie Turnbull,\u00a0BBC News, Sydney Reuters Julian Assange pumped his fist into the air when he landed When Julian Assange stepped onto Australian soil for the first time in 14 years, he emotionally embraced his wife and raised his fist in triumph. A handful of supporters waved and cheered as he drove away […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":37581,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[41],"tags":[5770,739,2360,4578,257,7433,13588],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kede.com.br\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37580"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kede.com.br\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kede.com.br\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kede.com.br\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kede.com.br\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=37580"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/kede.com.br\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37580\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":37582,"href":"https:\/\/kede.com.br\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37580\/revisions\/37582"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kede.com.br\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/37581"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kede.com.br\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=37580"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kede.com.br\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=37580"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kede.com.br\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=37580"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}