Julian Assange: A Hero for Free Speech and a Symbol of Resistance

You might be wondering exactly what he did. Well, he dared to expose the dark underbelly of powerful elites and governments, pulling back the curtain on their dirty secrets and making them squirm.

After more than a decade of relentless persecution and confinement, Julian Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks and a persistent critic of corrupt governments, finally emerged from the high-security British prison of Belmarsh on Monday, June 24th. His release, achieved through a "guilty plea" agreement with American authorities, ostensibly marks the end of a judicial, diplomatic, and political saga that started in 2010 when Assange exposed secrets many wanted to keep hidden. Assange's ordeal involved five years, two months, and two weeks in the punitive isolation of Belmarsh, following seven years of seclusion in the Ecuadorian embassy.

Assange's legal team negotiated a "guilty plea" with the U.S. justice system to secure his release. He acknowledged guilt on one charge out of the 17 he faced, in exchange for dropping the remaining charges and serving a limited sentence of 62 months, already served on English soil. The guilty plea procedure allowed the government to avoid losing face while guaranteeing Assange's release. However, it does not imply Julian Assange is guilty.

If you're unfamiliar with the details, you might be wondering exactly what he did. Well, he dared to expose the dark underbelly of powerful elites and governments, pulling back the curtain on their dirty secrets and making them squirm in their seats. The saga began when WikiLeaks published thousands of classified documents revealing illegal U.S. military activities, war crimes, and government misconduct. Here are a few of the specific activities that Assange exposed, which resulted in over a decade of his life lost in prison.

War Crimes: Assange's publication of classified U.S. military documents through WikiLeaks revealed shocking details about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. These leaks, including the infamous "Collateral Murder" video, a video of attacks by two US helicopter gunships on civilians in Baghdad — two Reuters journalists were among those killed in the attack.

CableGate: WikiLeaks released over 250,000 diplomatic cables providing unpopular opinions about foreign leaders and other sensitive information from the U.S. State Department. This massive trove of documents exposed the inner workings of international diplomacy, corruption, and espionage.

DNC Email Leak / PizzaGate: During the 2016 U.S. presidential election, WikiLeaks published emails from the Democratic National Committee (DNC) and Hillary Clinton's campaign chairman, John Podesta. These leaks uncovered collusion within the DNC to undermine Bernie Sanders' campaign, highlighted Clinton's controversial speeches to Wall Street, and exposed that high-ranking Democrats were involved in a child sex-trafficking ring operating out of a Washington, D.C. pizzeria, aka “PizzaGate.”

Below is a short “Reality Check” News Report aired on a CBS station in 2017 of our friend, Ben Swann reporting on “Pizzagate.” This short video is the best report produced on this topic. It is what caused Ben Swann to lose his job as a News Anchor with CBS. The short video report includes necessary facts on “Pizzagate” while omitting the traumatizing pictures, videos, and other content that is overwhelmingly disturbing on this topic.

Jeffrey Epstein Exposé: Assange and WikiLeaks hinted at having information related to Jeffrey Epstein, the financier with connections to powerful figures who was convicted of sex trafficking minors. Among those potentially implicated by the information released by WikiLeaks were prominent political figures like Bill Clinton, Prince Andrew, and Ehud Barak. These high-profile figures, among others, were allegedly part of the network of powerful individuals that Epstein had connections with, and the potential for WikiLeaks to reveal further incriminating details was a significant concern for those involved.

Vault 7: WikiLeaks' publication of the "Vault 7" documents exposed the CIA's hacking capabilities and tools used for cyber espionage. This leak revealed the extent of government surveillance and the ability to hack into smartphones, computers, and even smart TVs, raising serious privacy concerns and infuriating intelligence agencies.

The truth of the matter is that Assange's imprisonment was a concerted effort by powerful entities to silence a man who dared to expose their secrets and challenge their authority. And while we may feel some relief that Assange is no longer in a cell, we must remember the real villains—the war criminals, pedophiles, and corrupt officials whose actions were exposed by WikiLeaks. The true injustice is that these individuals have faced no repercussions and continue to walk free. Their impunity is a glaring injustice that mocks the very notion of accountability.

Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said Assange had to take the deal to get out of the life-threatening conditions under which he was being held, “but the security state has imposed a horrifying precedent and dealt a big blow to freedom of the press.”

Kennedy tweeted:

As we celebrate Assange's release, we must also remain vigilant and continue to fight against the forces that seek to silence truth-tellers. The case of Julian Assange is not just about one man’s freedom; it is about defending the fundamental principles of free speech and the public's right to know. It is a call to action for all who value transparency and accountability in governance. Assange’s prolonged ordeal underscores the urgent need for robust legal protections for journalists and whistleblowers.

In closing, Julian Assange's release, following years of imprisonment and persecution, underscores a grim reality: in a world dominated by tyrants and criminals, truth-telling is treasonous. Assange's decision to plead guilty was a pragmatic step towards freedom, but it doesn't negate the fact that he committed no crime other than practicing journalism.

The real criminals continue to live with impunity.