Transcript of media conference with Peter Whish-Wilson, Greens Senator for Tasmania, and Andrew Wilkie, independent MHR for Clark, Parliament Lawns, Hobart, 21 April 2022.

Andrew Wilkie

Well grim news out of London overnight that a Magistrate’s Court has ruled that Julian Assange can indeed be extradited to the United States. That’s the end of the court process now in the United Kingdom. And it becomes very much a political issue, and a matter for the British government, whether to allow the extradition to go ahead. Now, it’s grim news that this final court appearance didn’t put an end to this ridiculous issue of an Australian journalist, a real hero, being extradited, or ultimately just speaking truth to power and shining a light on us misconduct and war crimes. But there is some good now in that it’s out of the courts, and politicians can stop it.

I mean, this has always been an intensely political issue. And now it’s only a political issue. Because now it is it is entirely in the domain of the British government and British politicians, whether or not to allow the extradition to go ahead. So politicians, particularly Australian politicians, can stop hiding behind the excuse that the matter is before the court, because it’s now not before the courts. So there’s now no excuse, no excuse whatsoever, for Scott Morrison, and Anthony Albanese to pick up the phone to the British government, and to make the case in the strongest possible terms for Julian Assange, to be released and to be allowed to return to Australia.

Now, you know, the community has been saying that to the Australian Prime Minister for a long time, long time, pick up the phone to Boris Johnson, and to Joe Biden. And to say to those two peers of his that this extradition, this trial in the US, is complete and utter nonsense, based on nothing more than the US being embarrassed and wanting to get even based on nothing more than London and Canberra, wanting to go along for the ride to kowtow to the US government. So Mr Morrison needs to pick up the phone and make the case and stand up for an acclaimed Australian journalist, an Australian citizen who is being denied the most basic justice as he rots in Belmarsh high security prison.

And I’m also taking this opportunity to call on the opposition leader Anthony Albanese, the man who wants to be Prime Minister, he now needs to stop hiding behind the matter being before the court and he needs a front camera today and unambiguously tell the Australian community what he would do if he becomes the Prime Minister. It’s no good whispering behind doors making private assurances to people talking in the Labor caucus. That’s not good enough. The Australian community needs to know. You know, Mr Albanese, what will you do if you become the Prime Minister? You know, will you be a leader? Will you stand up for the rights of Australians in strife overseas? Or will you continue the practice of the current Prime Minister to kowtow to Washington?

Tasmanian Times

If Julian Assange does get extradited, what do you expect would unfold in the USA? I’m just trying to get a sense of what’s at stake here. Is his life in danger?

Andrew Wilkie

If Julian Assange is extradited, and goes to trial, he’s facing 175 years in a US federal high security penitentiary. Now, during the court cases, assurances had been given by US officials, that he wouldn’t be kept in high security, that he might be allowed to return to Australia and serve his prison sentence in Australia. But those promises are worthless. They have no value whatsoever, we have to deal in facts. The facts are Mr Assange is facing a page full of charges for espionage. And if he’s convicted of those, the facts are as I said at the moment, he will go to jail and die there. So this is effectively a death sentence on the table at the moment; how any Australian Prime Minister and any Australian alternative Prime Minister can allow this to go on and on and on with Julian who’s been rotting in Belmarsh for years. I’ve been to Belmarsh, it’s where they lock up the worst of the worst murderers, mass murderers, terrorists. And there’s an Australian journalist as well.

Peter Whish-Wilson

Peter Whish-Wilson.

Julian Assange is an Australian citizen. Julian Assange is an Walkley award winning journalist. He is also a political prisoner. What we heard last night was in this ongoing saga is a a political prosecution of this man, this hero to many Australians. What we saw last night, in fact, is a political persecution of Julian Assange. What the government’s not telling you today is that the ultimate decision now rests with the UK Prime Minister and the UK Foreign Minister and the UK Attorney General. It is a political decision from here on in and only politics can save Julian Assange.

I would ask every Australian out there today to put themselves in Julian Assange’s shoes, rotting in Belmarsh prison for exposing war crimes and the truth. All he’s done is told the truth, he’s embarrassed powerful people. And they’ve come after him with everything they’ve got. He will be facing a virtual death sentence if he’s extradited to the US. He’s already suffered enough. And the Prime Minister can stop this tonight by picking up the phone to Boris Johnson and saying enough is enough. Let this man go free. We want him to come back to Australia. Australians support Julian Assange.

If there’s anything positive to come from the news last night, it’s that we can now make this an election issue. We have four weeks to go to get in there and fight for Julian Assange’s freedom, and let both Anthony Albanese know and let Scott Morrison know that they’re complicit in this egregious abuse of power. The worst abuse of power that I’ve ever seen, where one of the greatest nations not just on the planet at the moment, but in the history of humanity is throwing everything they’ve got at one man for exposing their war crimes and embarrassing powerful people. It’s got to stop. And it’s got to stop tonight.

Journalist – Sarah Maunder

Have you spoken to Mr. Assange?

Andrew Wilkie

No, no, I haven’t spoken to Julian since I visited him to just before the pandemic.

Peter Whish-Wilson

Unfortunately, Andrew and I don’t get to I don’t get to speak to Julian directly. It’s extremely difficult with security procedures in place. But what we do have next week is Julian’s father, John Shipton and Julian’s brother Gabriel Shipton in Tasmania, in Hobart and Launceston. Andrew and I will both be at a screening, a premiere screening of a film about John’s campaign, you know, the obstacles he’s faced to have his son released to free Julian Assange. John’s just, he’s just a father who loves his son. And Julian, of course, is a hero to many people, but he certainly is important to John. So we’ll be speaking to John next weekend. I would urge all Tasmanians to come along to those film screenings and meet John and meet Gabriel. And they’ll be able to give us an update on how Julian’s feeling and what comes next.

Andrew Wilkie

Just a little footnote to that. Although I haven’t been able to speak to Julian for some time, several weeks ago I did get to speak with his new wife, Stella. And it’s a reminder of the intensely personal dimension of this. You know, it’s more than just a headline and a political controversy. You know, there’s a family, they’re recently married. They have two young children together. And those little kids are watching their dad rot in Belmarsh prison and facing extradition for life in jail in the US. You know, if Australian politicians don’t care about Julian can they at least care about the family? And just care about the fact that this has just gone on long enough.

I have met a number of members of the community in recent months, who are not fans of Julian Assange. Never they’ve never met him, they don’t particularly like him. They even believe some of the disinformation and misinformation that circulates around him, but they’re now changing their mind. They’re now saying to me, ‘Look, hasn’t this gone on long enough? You know, how much longer are we going to be spending on this? Just bring him home.’ You know, that’s what regular Australians are saying. After what was it seven years or so in the Ecuadorian Embassy? A few years in Belmarsh prison, all of the energy and resources and time that’s being sucked into this. They’re saying it’s gone on long enough, just let him come home.

Tasmanian Times

I remember, there was fairly broad support to get Peter Greste out of a prison in Egypt, where he was imprisoned just for doing his job as a journalist. Why is it so different with Julian Assange?

Peter Whish-Wilson

Of course we’ve helped a number of political prisoners over the years including Peter Greste. I think Julian Assange has made some very powerful enemies. You know, Peter Greste obviously was in a country and he had run afoul of the authorities there. But Julian Assange has exposed for many years now, not just war crimes, but systematic corruption in many countries, including our ally and friend the United States. And he’s a threat. He’s a threat to the most powerful nation in this world, because he exposes the way they operate. Rather than dealing with explaining why they operate like that, they’ve decided to silence a whistle-blower, and a publisher. And could I just remind us remind everyone that May 3 is International Press Freedoms Day. And there will be a series of actions all around the world to free Julian Assange, if the US, if Joe Biden, if Boris Johnson and Scott Morrison think this is over, think again. This issue is not going away. It’s just going to build in action and it’s going to build in strength.

Andrew Wilkie

And I would add, I think the reason the Australian government is acting or behaving, the way it is, is simply because the Australian government puts our bilateral relationship with the United States ahead of all else. The Australian government thinks that our relationship with Washington is more important than the rights of Australian citizens. I think it’s that simple. And that’s a really ugly situation to be in.

Peter Whish-Wilson

Just to support what Andrew saying. We only found out a few months ago, that Mike Pompeo and Scott Morrison had each other on speed dial. Now, Mike Pompeo was the head of the CIA at the time. And he was the instigator of this political persecution of Julian Assange. And when the head of the CIA and the Prime Minister have got each other on speed dial that just shows you how close this relationship is.

You know, it’s long overdue that we stopped being lickspittles for the United States, and actually stood up and had an independent foreign policy. By all means, we should be friends with our allies, as we have been for many, many generations. But we’ve also got to be independent and we’ve got to think independent. And that means standing up for an Australian citizen, and this gross abuse of power and injustice that’s been going on for way too long.