May 25, 2012
Wikileaks founder Julian Assange made a rare public appearance in London last night, hiding his face behind a mask, as the decision on his extradition case nears.
Assange was on stage at a pre-BAFTAS (British Academy of Film and Television Arts) event to speak of his role in the new documentary Shadows of Liberty, which tackles the disintegration of press freedom in the US.
"This is going to be my last time in public so I thought I should start with a situation where you won't be able to see me anymore. [...]"
"We have a serious commitment to pursuing the work that we are doing. I personally have a serious commitment to pursue the things that I find to be important. I think all of us are at our best when we are pursuing an ideal that we find to be important to ourselves and important to others."
"Given that we only live once, we should make every day count. I feel that I have made my days count so I certainly would not want to exchange days that can be counted for days that cannot."
Shadows of Liberty examines the new media monopoly by corporations in America versus the public battle for truth and democracy.
Appearing in the documentary beside Assange are figures such as Dan Rather, Bob McChesney, Daniel Ellsberg, Danny Glover, Chris Hedges, Norman Solomon and Amy Goodman, among others.
* * *
The International Business Timesreports:
Wikileaks' founder Julian Assange has donned a Guy Fawkes' Anonymous mask in what he claims to be his "last public appearance" at a pre-Baftas event in London.
Less than a week before his extradition ruling, Assange talked publicly about his role in the documentary Shadows of Liberty, which is about press freedom in the US.
"I think all of us are at their best when we are pursuing an ideal that we find to be important to ourselves and important to others. I feel that I've made my days count, so I certainly would not want to exchange days that be counted with days that cannot." - Julian AssangeHe chose to wear a mask which has become associated with the hacking collective Anonymous, which has staged several cyber-attacks to websites of governments and organizations all over the world.
"It's probably my last time in public so I thought I should start with a situation where you won't be able to see me anymore," he said in an interview with Australia's ABC news
Assange could be extradited to Sweden in a month to face sexual assault allegations. He is accused of raping a woman in Stockholm back in 2010.
A panel of seven Supreme Court Judges are set to decide on the issue. He denies the claims and says they are politically motivated for its works with Wikileaks.
"I think all of us are at their best when we are pursuing an ideal that we find to be important to ourselves and important to others," Assange said. "I feel that I've made my days count, so I certainly would not want to exchange days that be counted with days that cannot."
If he loses the UK appeal next week there could be another one at the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg.
"One last avenue of appeal to the European Court of Human Rights and it would be for the courts to determine whether it will hear that appeal but we should get that back very, very quickly if the appeal is filed," human rights lawyer Jennifer Robinson told ABC news.
Assange's lawyers told the judges that the Swedish prosecutor who issued the European Arrest Warrant did not have the authority to do so.
* * *
# # #
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amy goodmanaustraliachris hedgesdaniel ellsbergjulian assangelondonnorman solomonsexual assaultwikileaks
Wikileaks founder Julian Assange made a rare public appearance in London last night, hiding his face behind a mask, as the decision on his extradition case nears.
Assange was on stage at a pre-BAFTAS (British Academy of Film and Television Arts) event to speak of his role in the new documentary Shadows of Liberty, which tackles the disintegration of press freedom in the US.
"This is going to be my last time in public so I thought I should start with a situation where you won't be able to see me anymore. [...]"
"We have a serious commitment to pursuing the work that we are doing. I personally have a serious commitment to pursue the things that I find to be important. I think all of us are at our best when we are pursuing an ideal that we find to be important to ourselves and important to others."
"Given that we only live once, we should make every day count. I feel that I have made my days count so I certainly would not want to exchange days that can be counted for days that cannot."
Shadows of Liberty examines the new media monopoly by corporations in America versus the public battle for truth and democracy.
Appearing in the documentary beside Assange are figures such as Dan Rather, Bob McChesney, Daniel Ellsberg, Danny Glover, Chris Hedges, Norman Solomon and Amy Goodman, among others.
* * *
The International Business Timesreports:
Wikileaks' founder Julian Assange has donned a Guy Fawkes' Anonymous mask in what he claims to be his "last public appearance" at a pre-Baftas event in London.
Less than a week before his extradition ruling, Assange talked publicly about his role in the documentary Shadows of Liberty, which is about press freedom in the US.
"I think all of us are at their best when we are pursuing an ideal that we find to be important to ourselves and important to others. I feel that I've made my days count, so I certainly would not want to exchange days that be counted with days that cannot." - Julian AssangeHe chose to wear a mask which has become associated with the hacking collective Anonymous, which has staged several cyber-attacks to websites of governments and organizations all over the world.
"It's probably my last time in public so I thought I should start with a situation where you won't be able to see me anymore," he said in an interview with Australia's ABC news
Assange could be extradited to Sweden in a month to face sexual assault allegations. He is accused of raping a woman in Stockholm back in 2010.
A panel of seven Supreme Court Judges are set to decide on the issue. He denies the claims and says they are politically motivated for its works with Wikileaks.
"I think all of us are at their best when we are pursuing an ideal that we find to be important to ourselves and important to others," Assange said. "I feel that I've made my days count, so I certainly would not want to exchange days that be counted with days that cannot."
If he loses the UK appeal next week there could be another one at the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg.
"One last avenue of appeal to the European Court of Human Rights and it would be for the courts to determine whether it will hear that appeal but we should get that back very, very quickly if the appeal is filed," human rights lawyer Jennifer Robinson told ABC news.
Assange's lawyers told the judges that the Swedish prosecutor who issued the European Arrest Warrant did not have the authority to do so.
* * *
# # #
Wikileaks founder Julian Assange made a rare public appearance in London last night, hiding his face behind a mask, as the decision on his extradition case nears.
Assange was on stage at a pre-BAFTAS (British Academy of Film and Television Arts) event to speak of his role in the new documentary Shadows of Liberty, which tackles the disintegration of press freedom in the US.
"This is going to be my last time in public so I thought I should start with a situation where you won't be able to see me anymore. [...]"
"We have a serious commitment to pursuing the work that we are doing. I personally have a serious commitment to pursue the things that I find to be important. I think all of us are at our best when we are pursuing an ideal that we find to be important to ourselves and important to others."
"Given that we only live once, we should make every day count. I feel that I have made my days count so I certainly would not want to exchange days that can be counted for days that cannot."
Shadows of Liberty examines the new media monopoly by corporations in America versus the public battle for truth and democracy.
Appearing in the documentary beside Assange are figures such as Dan Rather, Bob McChesney, Daniel Ellsberg, Danny Glover, Chris Hedges, Norman Solomon and Amy Goodman, among others.
* * *
The International Business Timesreports:
Wikileaks' founder Julian Assange has donned a Guy Fawkes' Anonymous mask in what he claims to be his "last public appearance" at a pre-Baftas event in London.
Less than a week before his extradition ruling, Assange talked publicly about his role in the documentary Shadows of Liberty, which is about press freedom in the US.
"I think all of us are at their best when we are pursuing an ideal that we find to be important to ourselves and important to others. I feel that I've made my days count, so I certainly would not want to exchange days that be counted with days that cannot." - Julian AssangeHe chose to wear a mask which has become associated with the hacking collective Anonymous, which has staged several cyber-attacks to websites of governments and organizations all over the world.
"It's probably my last time in public so I thought I should start with a situation where you won't be able to see me anymore," he said in an interview with Australia's ABC news
Assange could be extradited to Sweden in a month to face sexual assault allegations. He is accused of raping a woman in Stockholm back in 2010.
A panel of seven Supreme Court Judges are set to decide on the issue. He denies the claims and says they are politically motivated for its works with Wikileaks.
"I think all of us are at their best when we are pursuing an ideal that we find to be important to ourselves and important to others," Assange said. "I feel that I've made my days count, so I certainly would not want to exchange days that be counted with days that cannot."
If he loses the UK appeal next week there could be another one at the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg.
"One last avenue of appeal to the European Court of Human Rights and it would be for the courts to determine whether it will hear that appeal but we should get that back very, very quickly if the appeal is filed," human rights lawyer Jennifer Robinson told ABC news.
Assange's lawyers told the judges that the Swedish prosecutor who issued the European Arrest Warrant did not have the authority to do so.
* * *
# # #
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