Unsolicited Speech Writing on Behalf of One Who Is Speechless: Free Assange

No one asked me to write a speech. I’ve decided to write a speech on behalf of Julian Assange to address World Press Freedom Day tomorrow because he has no public voice and is one of the most important voices in this point in history.

Fix your mind on his current situation. He is in solitary confinement, in a jail cell, without access to his lawyers, unable to participate in World Press Freedom Day or comment on the myriad of media stories and technology developments which are unfolding. He is exposed to Covid 19 daily, won the case against him (Extradition to the United States for being courageous enough to publish truth in the public interest), and yet he is *still in jail* like a bottle of beer in the British beer fridge called Belmarsh prison. His body bag is at-the-ready.

Therefore, I will take the liberty to speak on his behalf. He has no liberty. He has no free speech. We must use our own free speech rights to speak on his behalf with passionate conviction to secure the civil liberties of Free Speech and Press Freedom or we will lose both.

Note: This draft of a Julian Assange speech / public address to mark World Press Freedom Day 2021 is written * in persona* Julian Assange. I am not quoting him. I have no contact with him. It is submitted to “the Internet” as a draft of what he might say if he had the freedom to do so.

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G’day World. Let’s make today a Good Day for freedom-of-speech and freedom to publish. The theme of my speech today is “Stop Attacking Freedoms”.

Thank you for your support of World Press Freedom Day. Do not squander your personal liberties or your collective liberties to speak, write, publish, make videos or do podcasts. Scan the international news and it will become crystal clear that these freedoms will vanish. And what are these freedoms?

Free Speech which is also known as the First Amendment in the U.S. Constitution. It is primary to a functioning democracy, that is why it is the First Amendment. All other freedoms hinge upon this freedom.

There are other freedoms: Freedom of association, freedom to gather or assemble, protest, rally and raise your fists against injustice among others.

Today, we celebrate and defend every citizens’ right to access information which is true, verifiable and has the potential to change the world. World Press Freedom is essential to the current world population and every generation which follows. The freedom to write, publish, discuss, disagree and challenge the rich and powerful is the foundation of environmental sustainability, world peace, eradicating deadly viruses, rebalancing political imbalances and to move humanity toward a civilisation of justice and harmony.

There is a saying, “Publish or perish”. Well, since October 2006 when I cofounded Wikileaks with the idealism of an empowered citizen, I have come to understand this on an intimate basis. In my role as a co-founder of Wikileaks, public speaker, researcher, writer, journalist and publisher I have come toe-to-toe with politicians, corporations and courts which have demanded that the truth be censored. Suppressed. Hidden. Forever deleted. For that I am now literally perishing in a large “correctional” institution, in Britain even though a British court ruled that I should not be handed over to my accusers in the United States. My accusers accuse me of conspiracy. I have not engaged in conspiracy. I have engaged in journalism and publishing. And speaking. And writing. And spending my days trying to inform the public (that’s you) about truths that would have otherwise been censored. Permanently hidden. Cancelled from the historical record. That is one of the worst incarnations of “Cancel culture”, ie. when governments take the liberty to cancel the truth from ever being known by censoring, suppressing, threatening, jailing, torturing and extorting journalists and citizens. Governments are robbing you of your liberties. Look at my case. I have no liberties. I’ve been robbed of them in order for the United States, Britain, Sweden, Ecuador and Australia to correct my behaviour. What behaviour are they correcting by putting me through a protracted, irregular, rigged and political series of court hearings and then into jail? They are punishing me for speaking, doing interviews, writing books, having an opinion, communicating with other human rights and digital defenders and for my publishing work. I am in jail as a coercive correction tool to deter anyone else from doing what I did. That’s why I have no liberties and am in a “correctional” jail, in Britain, on World Press Freedom Day. To quote an awesome Canadian artist Alanis Morrisette, “Isn’t it ironic?” I’m stuck in a jail cell for the crime of journalism in a country that pretends to defend Press Freedom. Isn’t it ironic?

Do you want to live in a world where the government can permanently “cancel” the truth from being circulated? Cancel your ability to make or listen to podcasts or youtube videos? Cancel all rallies, public gatherings and eavesdrop on all of your communications with allies for truth? That is what we are facing if we don’t unite and raise a fist and our collective voices to demand Press Freedom around the World.

Thank you for supporting me, the publishing work of Wikileaks and the media partners who co-published along with Wikileaks. Never give up your right to free speech or to access the truth. If you yield these freedoms, you will lose them.

If I could raise my voice with a microphone or camera today I would say:

“Please join me in this one demand to governments and corporations:

STOP ATTACKING OUR FREEDOMS!”

Just stop. Attacking. Our Freedoms.

China is attacking world freedoms. Saudi Arabia, India, North Korea and Russia. Those countries are normalizing the attack of civil liberties. They are are united in the effort to cancel truth from ever reaching citizens who could possibly overthrow or challenge them. Australia, Canada, the United States and other “Western” nations are next. If we don’t unite against this attack on our freedoms, we will lose them.

Speak up or perish.

Gather or perish.

Podcast or perish.

Publish or perish.

For the sake of human history and future generations, publish or perish.

Do not yield your freedoms to those who want to permanently cancel them. Our freedoms are inconvenient to the powerful and rich. They are precious. Protect your freedoms for they are fleeting.

If I had a public voice I would join you in this one demand: Stop Attacking Freedoms. I cannot participate alongside you today to mark World Press Freedom Day but know that I am and will continue to fight for our collective and personal freedoms, even until my death. I hope to join you outside of the cells of this fetid prison soon. Until then,

Protect your freedoms. For they are fleeting.

Solidarity

(Julian Assange)