The arguments used to justify a case for wrongdoings committed by Julian Assange and the subsequent arrest and forthcoming trial are based on myths, on illusions. These unrealities have been spread by the government and mainstream media propaganda tentacles that wrap themselves around the consciousness of most people in the world. People should know the reality of the situation so as to undo the spell on the minds.

_Source

Myth #1 - The U.S. is Prosecuting Assange for Hacking, and is Not Disrespecting His First Amendment Freedom of the Press

The main charge being brought against Assange to justify his arrest to the world, is for allegedly breaking U.S. laws. Specifically, for being involved in a conspiracy to aid Chelsea Manning to hack. This was bludgeoned for months and years as part of the now defunct and debunked "Russia-gate" hysteria.

Assange was purported to be involved with Russian hackers. But that went bust. So they still have the ties to Chelsea Manning's leaks of classified U.S. information which WikiLeaks received. But that doesn't make him a hacker, or involved in a conspiracy. It just makes him the recipient of documents, which he may have encouraged a leaker to get, just as other journalists encourage their sources to leak as well.

Yet, many in the government and media will continue to attempt to disqualify Assange as being in any way a journalist or any kind. That's despite the numerous journalistic awards the he and WikiLeaks have won. Go figure. They are willfully blind and ignorant as to what journalism is apparently.

To negate the argument of a right to freedom of the press, they need to disqualify him as a journalist, which they fail to do. Only them and their politically-attached yuppies swallow the drivel they pedal.

In the one hand they want to make it about being a co-conspirator to hack the U.S. government, and in the other they want to show how he's not a real journalist because he broke some made-up rules that they are using to attempt to disqualify him as one.

The indictment against Assange is trying to criminalize what many journalists already do. As the Washington Post mentioned:

"using encryption, making efforts to protect a source’s identity, and source cultivation"

The New Yorker also mentions them:

"encrypted messages, cultivating sources, and encouraging those sources to provide more information"

This would make many journalists part of a criminal conspiracy, as they allege Assange was. Trevor Timm of the Freedom of the Press Foundation said:

"A core part of [the indictment’s] argument would criminalize many common journalist-source interactions that reporters rely on all the time. Requesting more documents from a source, using an encrypted chat messenger, or trying to keep a source’s identity anonymous are not crimes; they are vital to the journalistic process. Whether or not you like Assange, the charge against him is a serious press freedom threat and should be vigorously protested by all those who care about the First Amendment."

And the Electronic Frontier Foundation wrote:

"While the indictment of Julian Assange centers on an alleged attempt to break a password—an attempt that was not apparently successful—it is still, at root, an attack on the publication of leaked material and the most recent act in an almost decade-long effort to punish a whistleblower and the publisher of her leaked material. Several parts of the indictment describe very common journalistic behavior, like using cloud storage or knowingly receiving classified information or redacting identifying information about a source. Other parts make common free software tools like Linux and Jabber seem suspect."

The Center for Constitutional Rights mentions how the government is trying to criminalize exposing their "corruption and wrongdoing":

"The arrest sets a dangerous precedent that could extend to other media organizations such as The New York Times, particularly under a vindictive and reckless administration that regularly attacks journalistic enterprises that, just like WikiLeaks, publish leaked materials that expose government corruption and wrongdoing. This is a worrying step on the slippery slope to punishing any journalist ..."

It should be clear with all the rights advocates and journalistic organizations explaining, that what Assange did is what many of them do. Assange and WikiLeaks are a journalistic organization who broke no laws in helping a whistleblower expose the corruption and immorality. Those are public services to be praised.

Myth #2 - Assange Will Get a Fair Trial

No, not likely. Where was Assange charged? And where is the secret grand jury? In what 14-year CIA officer John Kiriakou calls the "Espionage Court". A court dedicated to the deep state intelligenstia, upset about the leaks published by WikiLeaks, thanks to Assange, are going to give hima fair trial? Right...

"Assange has been charged in the Eastern District of Virginia — the so-called “Espionage Court.” That is just what many of us have feared. Remember, no national security defendant has ever been found not guilty in the Eastern District of Virginia. The Eastern District is also known as the “rocket docket” for the swiftness with which cases are heard and decided. Not ready to mount a defense? Need more time? Haven’t received all of your discovery? Tough luck. See you in court."

"I have long predicted that Assange would face Judge Leonie Brinkema were he to be charged in the Eastern District. Brinkema handled my case, as well as CIA whistleblower Jeffrey Sterling’s. She also has reserved the Ed Snowden case for herself. Brinkema is a hanging judge."

Brinkema is an intelligence dog who played legal games through abuses of power to prevent Kiriakou from defended himself, denying 70 motions for declassifying classified documents to defend himself. She even said: "Mr. Kiriakou, I hate this plea. I’ve been a judge since 1986 and I’ve never had an 11C1C. If I could, I would give you ten years." Assange stands little chance of getting anything close to a fair trial.

Myth #3 - We Must Protect America’s National Security

As many have mentioned, including myself, this case is about revenge, it's about punishing someone who spread the truth of government immoralities and humiliated the U.S. government and deep state. Scott Shane, a New York Times’ national security reporter has tweeted:

"Given the nature of the charge — a discussion 9 years ago about an unsuccessful attempt to figure out a password — I think it’s fair to debate whether this is a figleaf for the government punishing someone for publishing stuff it doesn’t want published."

The admitted reason the U.S. is trying to go after Assange-WikiLeaks, and not American-based journalists or organizations is because it's "easier", according to U.S. Attorney General Michael Mukasey:

"The distinction I’m drawing is that it is easier, from a policy standpoint, to prosecute Assange. There’s a clearer case with respect to Assange. With regard to the Times, I think, just as a matter of discretion, I would hold back."

They get to pick and choose the easier targets. And Assange-WikiLeaks is the easiest. Not American-based, politically disliked by both parties, and even many media organizations are joyful at the prospect of seeing him behind bars or dead.

The government and their branches like the FBI and courts are running around with power that they like to abuse, trying to criminalize people who are exposing fraud, corruption and immoral actions. In the authoritarian power structure, a good reporter is akin to a terrorist that threatens the government's dominance.

Myth #4 - Assange is a Rapist, He Deserves to be in Prison

Is he now? This refers to the cases in Sweden where two women allege Allege raped them. At least one of the charges against him has already been shown to be false.

One woman produced a condom she said Assange ripped open intentionally before they use it. Yet, reports of the DNA test shows that is did not contain any of Assange's DNA.

The whole case was also being pushed bt the U.K. onto Sweden to not abandon, despite the issues it had. Sweden was going to give up the case in 2013, but the British Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) kept pressuring them to keep it alive, with one lawyer telling Sweden not to drop it by saying: "Don’t you dare get cold feet!!!".

Accusations of rape are just that. Are they the reality of what happened? Maybe he did, maybe did didn't. Maybe he did have sex with them, maybe he didn't. But the British sure wanted to keep the case alive even when Sweden was ready to give it up. Why? Because the plan was always to get Assange arrested as a pretext to have him eventually extradited to the U.S. for his show trial and punishment for embarrassing the government.

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References:

• 4 Myths About Julian Assange DEBUNKED
• Traditional journalists may abandon WikiLeaks’ Assange at their own peril
• The Indictment of Julian Assange Is a Threat to Journalism
• The Trump administration’s indictment of Julian Assange threatens core press freedom rights
• EFF Statement on Assange Indictment and Arrest
• Center for Constitutional Rights Statement on Assange Arrest
• Assange Will Never Get a Fair Trial in the US)
• Mukasey: Prosecute Assange because it’s ‘easier’ than prosecuting New York Times

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Thank you for your time and attention. Peace.

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Posted from KURE