This is the second of four films assembled from found footage which tells the story of Julian Assange and WikiLeaks, and how the authorities have tried to silence them, and divert attention away from the war crimes they exposed.
This episode looks at how Assange was illegally removed from the Ecuadorian Embassy, and held in a high security prison at Belmarsh, while extradition proceedings were being arranged by the UK and US authorities.
Assange was initially arrested for skipping bail, but immediately the US opened its sealed charges against him, and made an extradition request on charges of espionage, for which he faces 175 years in jail.
As many people say in this episode – from both the right and left wings in politics – the charges against him apply not just to Assange, but once successfully prosecuted could be used as a precedent against all journalists who access classified information.
It is essential therefore for the 4tf estate that this extradition be denied, and all charges be dropped, not only to safeguard Julian’s personal freedom, but the freedom of journalists everywhere to do their job.
