Assange, in First Speech Since Release, Says He Was Jailed for Journalism
WikiLeaks Founder Speaks Out on Imprisonment and Journalism #
The founder of WikiLeaks recently made his first public statement since being released from prison, addressing a rights organization. He emphasized that his imprisonment had set a dangerous precedent for arresting journalists.
“I want to be totally clear: I am not free today because the system worked,” he stated during his testimony. “I am free today after years of incarceration because I pled guilty to journalism.”
The WikiLeaks founder, now 53, has been a controversial figure since revealing state secrets in the 2010s. Some view him as a hero deserving of First Amendment protections, while others see him as a threat to national security.
In June, he agreed to plead guilty to a single felony count related to national security material, which led to his release from a British prison where he had spent five years fighting potential extradition.
“I was formally convicted by a foreign power for asking for, receiving, and publishing truthful information about that power, while I was in Europe,” he explained. “The fundamental issue is simple: Journalists should not be prosecuted for doing their jobs.”
The state secrets released by WikiLeaks included material about military activities in Afghanistan and Iraq, diplomatic cables, and other sensitive information. In 2016, the organization also released emails related to a major U.S. political party, which impacted a presidential campaign.
Until his release, the WikiLeaks founder had been held in a high-security prison in southeastern London. If he had not pleaded guilty, he could have faced a lengthy sentence in a U.S. federal prison.
He began his speech by apologizing for any potential lack of polish in his presentation, citing the toll of isolation. “Expressing myself in this setting is a challenge,” he admitted.