Nils Melzer is UN Special Rapporteur on Torture. Please take the time to read the full interview republic.ch made with him on the Julian Assange case.
A short time ago Julian Assange was removed against his will from the Ecuadorian Embassy in London and thus from his political asylum. He now faces an indefinite stay in a high-security prison in Belmage, where he is apparently being subjected to psychological torture. And this in the western “civilized” world. Great Britain puts itself on the same level as despots and dictators elsewhere. I am shocked by the injustice and treatment he is receiving from Ecuador, from the British authorities, and especially from the Western press, which is basically silent about these unpleasant truths. Completely failing at their most important, most fundamental taks of speaking truth to power. At most, Assange is being talked about in political cabaret. Even the media which, thanks to Wikileaks, made circulation hold back.
I don’t want to live in such a world, where the truth, where information is criminalised, where the one who exposes crimes committed by the powerful is tortured and threatened to be extradited to the US – while the war crimes and criminals he uncovered stay unpunished because they happen to be powerful, because the media hardly talks about them. So in order to make a difference I am praying for Julian Assange to survive what he’s being put through. I also donated to Assange’s legal defense team. Please consider doing the same, or at least share the word and point others to Nils Melzer’s interview.
