« ALL ASSANGE? » NOR THE MASS MEDIA… NOR AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL

A few weeks ago, we published an article « All Assange »? Where are you « free media? »…, sent to hundreds of media. In this one, we recalled how at the time the mimetic identifications with Charlie had only been postures betraying the support of the mass press to the established order. Today, while Julian Assange is still languishing in prison, we relay a letter from Josy Dubié, a former journalist and Belgian senator, who reminds us that it is not only the media of the government that seems to be totally uninterested in Julian Assange, an NGO like Amnesty International is equally silent.

Letter from Josy Dubié to Amnesty International. She is responding to a December 17 appeal for donations from Amnesty International France.

You say you need me! Indeed, and I have always supported you!

But, so that I can continue to do so, could you tell me why Amnesty International remains, until now, totally silent on the fate of the journalist and whistleblower Julian Assange who is rotting in prison in London in conditions considered as torture by the UN which went there.

Belgian citizen born in 1940, I was, for more than twenty years, a war correspondent for RTBF, the Belgian public television. (Viet Nam, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Bosnia etc …).

In 1990, as head of the TV unit of the main UN agency, I created the magazine « Azimuts » seen in 1995 on some 75 TV channels, including BBC world, Euronews, TVE, Deutsche Welle etc…

Elected Belgian Senator in 2000, quaestor, chairman of the Justice Committee and vice-chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, I retired in 2010. The journalist that I was, and that I will always remain, does not understand, indeed, why the deafening silence of your organization concerning the case of Julian Assange, whistleblower, who is rotting in prison, threatened with extradition to the USA where he risks life imprisonment or even the death penalty for « espionage » (sic).

Mr. Assange is one of those people without whom the press could not reveal what the « powerful » (in all fields) seek precisely to hide from the public that we have the duty to inform. Of course, one has the right to disagree with everything Mr. Assange says or has done, but the most serious threat against him is to silence those who, like him, reveal « the underside of the cards.

I would like to point out that the bogus accusation of rape against him has been definitively dropped by the Swedish justice system.

Could you please explain to me why your association remains so little present in the defense of this totally non-violent « whistleblower », and possibly what you intend to do to widely mobilize the public opinion and the responsible authorities to avoid the scandalous extradition of Mr. Julien Assange to the USA.

It is urgent! The British justice system must decide on his extradition next February.

Thank you for your answer.

Josy Dubié