Part 16: GASLIGHTING ASSANGE SERIES, Slagging the United Nations
When slagging the United Nations becomes Britain’s national past-time it becomes, itself, a house of ill-repute.
As far as I know, no UK Prime Minister has a medical degree, yet for the past decade has dismissed the urgent warnings about Assange’s health and accused him of self-inflicting any wounds that have resulted from being arbitrarily detained. But to state that Assange has been arbitrarily detained for a decade on British soil is to cast aspersions on the UK legal, judicial and political systems which entrapped Assange in the first place. The point is worth arguing because, as Britain knows well, as long as Assange is portrayed as the Villain and the UK is portrayed as the Good Cop Brigade then Assange’s ongoing detention as a remand prisoner in UK’s jail for the worst-of-the-worst criminals is publicly plausible. Fifteen months ago Assange was expelled, arrested, put into max security prison on behalf of the US. Eight years of UK arbitrary detention is the only reason he is now in a UK prison as a political trophy for the US. There were three forms of arbitrary detention during that period, (prison+house arrest+kettling at embassy) which allowed the US to negotiate with Ecuador and Britain to detain Assange on a bail infraction ruse then transfer him on provisional arrest for extradition to the U.S..
I have dissected the many lies coordinated and broadcast by British politicians and media as well as Sweden and the US’s spin concerning the prolonged impasse which led to Assange remaining on UK soil for 10 years. The UK has been the Public Relations manager in the Assange case. It is clear from emails that the UK scripted, coordinated and directed Swedish prosecutors for press release content and spin.
Assange sought asylum in Ecuador’s embassy in London, UK after he lost an appeal to challenge the validity of a European Arrest Warrant (EAW) for his sexual conduct in Sweden during August 2010. He lost that appeal on May 30, 2012 at the UK Supreme Court. Assange was then kettled and surveilled by UK police, intelligence agencies and Special Crimes units around the clock, thereby rendering him unable to secure Safe Passage to Ecuador out of the UK. The United Nations weighed in on his inability to leave Britain and concluded that he had been arbitrarily detained, should be freed and compensated by both Sweden and Britain. Assange had hoped that the U.N. would act as an effective arbitrator in the dispute which prolonged his confinement within the embassy and allow him safe passage as an asylee of Ecuador.
The UK flatly rejected the conclusion then went on to attack the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (WGAD). The Foreign Minister called the decision “ridiculous” and even tried to degrade the authority of the WGAD by claiming that the members were not lawyers by profession. The UK reaction was intended to dismiss the international standing of the working group, stir confusion about its role in international disputes, prolong Assange’s stalemate, deny him safe passage out of UK territory and essentially Gaslight a highly respected entity within the United Nations. Britain made every effort to bring the U.N. into ill-repute after signing onto, and participating within the framework of arbitrary detention dispute resolution. Conversely, had the U.N. determined against Assange in the UK’s favour, it’s certain that the UK would promote that decision with enthusiastic gloating and unequivocal support of the members of the WGAD.
Instead, the UK lost its bid (twice) to misrepresent Assange as being self-exiled and a fugitive of Swedish justice. In fact, Britain’s Supreme Court was weaponized to incapacitate Julian Assange. The political interference in the UK Judiciary is the direct cause of his current torture, lack of legal access and due process. Emails between the UK Crown Prosecution Service and Sweden indicate that the Assange case was manipulated to lose. Other EAW cases were being held in abeyance, pending the outcome of Assange’s challenges to the EAW against him. The UK engineered a legal loophole, then excluded him from a revised UK extradition law which reflected proportionality standards.
Watch how the lies were repeated ad nauseum in the UK House of Commons after Assange’s expulsion and arrest on April 11, 2019. If you treat it like a drinking game, have a beverage handy while you watch for gaslighting talking points and take a swig whenever one is spewed. Clues: “No one is above the law”, “self-imposed exile”, “fugitive”, “time to face justice”, yada yada. Watch the entire 25 minutes. Really. Multiple MP’s infer that the cost of the extensive police kettling and surveillance operation be borne by Assange who was the victim of such abuse. They literally blame the victim and want to hand him the invoice for their abusive regime.
When two parties agree to go to an arbitrator to mediate a resolution to a dispute, it is a given that both parties will agree to the decision of that arbitrator. If the parties disagree on the outcome, there may be an option to appeal. The UK exercised this option by appealing the UN WGAD decision concerning Assange as a victim of arbitrary detention. It lost. The WGAD reaffirmed its conclusion. Therefore, the UK participated in a process then insulted the process when it didn’t get its way. Britain acted like a petulant brat. Britain would rather publicly scorn, oppose and disrespect the UN WGAD than execute the directives it agreed to accept during the 18 month arbitration process. Britain’s commitment to ignore the UN WGAD’s findings directly relates to Britain’s commitment to deliver Assange to the U.S. as a political trophy, likely as part of a larger trade deal it has with the U.S.. It’s that simple.
The danger of undermining the reputation and findings of a legitimate UN body is that it sets an example for other rogue nations to do the same. It puts liberty itself in danger. If the UK unabashedly ignores the WGAD directives, then Saudi Arabia, India, Russia, China, Brazil, the U.S. and any other country can follow suit with similar self-righteousness, hubris and impunity. The UK is leading by example, and the example is textbook abusive gaslighting tactics.
Recognising such behaviour as gaslighting is to recognise it as psychological abuse and reaffirm the authority, values and visions of the United Nations, including its working groups, rapporteurs and committees. Outside of the Gaslighting Assange paradigm, the behaviour of the UK is irrational and dangerous. It is setting the wrong example.
When slagging the United Nations becomes Britain’s national past-time it becomes, itself, a house of ill-repute. Slagging the reputation, standing and authority of the United Nations should not be Britain’s new habit or “sport”. The UK was an original visionary and author for many of the treaties the U.N. upholds in defence of human rights, justice, children, women and the Earth. It’s time for Britain to come back to the fold as a prodigal democracy-leader who defends Rule of Law, Human Rights Conventions and International treaties among its peers at the United Nations. Otherwise, it is soiling the global bed we must all lie down upon. Global security is at risk.
I join the United Nations and Edward Snowden in urging the UK to honour its rights obligations and release Julian Assange who is being psychologically tortured, denied legal and medical access, is unable to defend himself and risks COVID19 infection.
“It is not unreasonable for Mr Assange to believe that his fate in the United States would be a lifetime detained in the horrific Super-Max penitentiary machine. Mr Assange deserves respect and protection as a member of a vulnerable group of people inspired by the defence of human rights and committed to exposing abuses as whistleblowers or publishers.” (link to full article)
As a punctuation mark, take 43 seconds to watch a British MP engage in name-calling , gaslighting and conduct unbecoming of the UK House of Commons.
Further viewing:
Mini seminar on “proportionality” and how Assange had no chance of justice in the UK. Clear evidence that Assange was arbitrarily detained. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=miSRQztiULw
Further reading:
Emails between UK Crown Prosecution Service and Swedish Prosecution authority (long read, 336 pgs, jaw dropping and worth your time): Annex 15 FOIA Release.