DeepSummary
The episode discusses the case of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, who has been fighting extradition from the UK to the US for over a decade. UN Special Rapporteur on Torture Nils Melzer initially had a negative perception of Assange but upon investigating his case, found that the allegations against him were unfounded and that there were grave violations of Assange's rights.
Melzer recounts his visit to Assange in Belmarsh prison, where he found Assange in a poor mental state due to prolonged isolation. He believes Assange's prosecution is an attempt to intimidate publishers and curtail press freedom, as the charges under the Espionage Act set a precedent for criminalizing the publication of classified information, even if it exposes government wrongdoing.
Despite a UK court initially blocking Assange's extradition on medical grounds, the decision was overturned after the US provided assurances about his treatment. However, Melzer argues that these assurances are inadequate and that Assange's prosecution is a grave threat to democracy and the public's right to know about government actions.
Key Episodes Takeaways
- Julian Assange faces extradition to the US for publishing classified documents through WikiLeaks, setting a precedent that threatens press freedom.
- UN Special Rapporteur Nils Melzer found that the allegations against Assange were unfounded and that his rights were gravely violated.
- Assange's prosecution under the Espionage Act criminalizes the publication of classified information, even if it exposes government wrongdoing.
- Melzer believes Assange's case is an attempt to intimidate and deter the publication of government secrets.
- Assange's prolonged isolation and poor treatment have taken a toll on his mental health.
- Despite initial rulings blocking extradition, the case continues through appeals and Assange's future remains uncertain.
- Melzer argues that Assange's case is not just about him, but about the public's right to know about government actions.
- The episode highlights the complex balance between national security and press freedom in the digital age.
Top Episodes Quotes
- “The more I scratch the surface of this kind of public narrative that had been created about Julian Assange, the more dirt came up. And the dirt I found was really on the side of the states and not on the side of Assad.“ by Nils Melzer
- “I could see then, well, I'm a lawyer, and I know that an extradition proceeding goes through several stages. Both sides knew that in any case, whatever the judge decides, the losing side will appeal to the high court.“ by Nils Melzer
- “It is not about whether you like Julian Assange or not. It's about whether you like your right to know what your government is doing with your tax money and the power you have delegated to them.“ by Nils Melzer
- “He reminded me very actually immediately of political prisoners I had visited around the world, intellectuals who have spent a long time in isolation.“ by Nils Melzer
- “If you ever come to the idea that you want to publish our dirty secrets, this is what we're going to do to you. We're going to violate your rights gravely in broad daylight, and no one will be able to protect you.“ by Nils Melzer
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Episode Information
The Take
Al Jazeera
6/29/24
Every Saturday, we revisit a story from the archives. This originally aired on January 26, 2022. None of the dates or references from that time have been changed.
Julian Assange has waged a long fight against extradition from the UK to the US, and after years, a final decision is imminent. But when UN Special Rapporteur on Torture Nils Melzer was asked to look into his case in 2018, he found himself surprisingly uninterested. One allegation after another had come to cloud the narrative of Assange, liberator of state secrets. But Melzer has since investigated them all – and he discovered that the level of deception is staggering.
In this episode:
Nils Melzer, (@NilsMelzner) author of “The Trial of Julian Assange”
Episode credits:
This episode was updated by Sonia Bhagat with Tamara Khandaker.
The original production team was Alexandra Locke, Amy Walters, Negin Owliaei, Priyanka Tilve, Ruby Zaman, Ney Alvarez, Tom Fenton, Stacey Samuel, and Malika Bilal.
Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Our lead of audience development and engagement is Aya Elmileik. Adam Abou-Gad is our engagement producer.
Alexandra Locke is The Take’s executive producer, and Ney Alvarez is Al Jazeera’s head of audio.