The Case against Julian Assange

Prepared by: Renata Avila, Courage Foundation Trustee and Legal Advisor for Wikileaks and

Julian Assange

10 tactics to silence Wikileaks• Targeted surveillance of journalist

and massive surveillance of readers

• Technical threats (DDoS to the Website, hacking attempts, slow Internet)

• Legal threats and actions directly linked to publishing.

• Legal threats of other kinds and abuse of process.

• Not a journalist organization Non –State Agent

• Financial blockade and diversion of funding.

• Providers under threat refusing to sell services to WL.

• Media smear campaigns and commissioned books and films.

•

• Discrimination - Different treatment to cases concerning WL and their members.

• Seized property, including laptops belonging to members of the legal team.

Instruments to counter attacks • Encryption and sophisticated digital

hygiene.

• Decentralised technical infrastructure.

• Alternative currencies and decentralised services.

• Solidarity network including lawyers and journalists, human rights organizations.

• Government support.

• UN Mechanisms including Special Rapporteurs, UNHCHR.

• Regional Courts such as the Interamerican Court of Human Rights, the European Court of Human Rights.

• Political support at the EU, Latin American, National and municipal level.

• Grassroots support.

• Pro bono legal advice and donations.

Attacks 2.0 Publishers and

Whistleblowers v. Trump

2017

“Julian Assange has no First Amendment rights.”

Why is this serious and urgent?

- Blocking any possibility of uncovering the

wrongdoings of National Security and

Intelligence spaces, effectively putting people at

risk.

- Selective, arbitrary application of First

Amendment Rights.

- Blocking the possibility of scrutiny by foreign

governments.

The threat is real

Whistleblower Protections Must

Include Publishers Like WikiLeaks

and Julian Assange

By recognizing human rights

monitors and whistleblowers and

their publishers as a 'vulnerable

group,' the EU could provide a

protected status similar to that

available to other groups at risk of

persecution.

Without adequate international legal

protections for publishers,

governments like the US will continue

their war on dissent and

whistleblowers, intimidating

publishers and cutting to the heart of

free speech.