George Bignell
From:
RNZ <[email address]>
Sent:
Monday, 25 November 2024 10:34 am
To:
FormalComplaints
Subject:
FW: [EXTERNAL] - 20241124 New Zealanders For Julan Assange OIA request
extension not granted
From: New Zealanders For Julian Assange <[email address]>
Sent: Sunday, 24 November 2024 8:48 PM
To: [email address]
Cc: RNZ <[email address]>; [email address]; MediaWatch <[email address]>
Subject: [EXTERNAL] - 20241124 New Zealanders For Julan Assange OIA request extension not granted
Kia ora.
Radio NZ have ignored my OIA request submitted on the 15th of October 2024 and have just granted themselves a
6 week extension until just before Christmas.
I was NOT consulted nor has any reason been given.
This is a continuation of the very behaviour this request is about. Omission and a general reluctance to engage with
this case.
Alan Wil iam Preston
for New Zealanders For Julian Assange
20241124
https://fyi.org.nz/request/28764-new-zealanders-for-julian-assange-e-mail-correspondence-received-dsma-
notice?fbclid=IwY2xjawGvt-
l eHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHXLfxUzpdBEL3NWMvnRbWTIa2CS9GVrOdG5ZxDS8pNmv71i4k3ClpsCS7w_aem_qzRtAHzHRD
4_koCbft0GHg
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Do not click links or open attachments unless you
recognize the sender and know the content is safe.
1
George Bignell
From:
Alan Wil iam Preston <alanwil [email address]>
Sent:
Friday, 3 May 2024 9:51 am
To:
RNZ
Cc:
MediaWatch; News; Morningreport; Ninetonoon; Afternoons; ThePanel; Nights;
Saturday; Sunday
Subject:
[EXTERNAL] - 20240503 To Radio New Zealand Staff and Listeners on World Press
Freedom Day : Julian Assange remains arbitrarily detained
20240503 To Radio New Zealand Staff and Listeners on
World Press Freedom Day : Julian Assange remains
arbitrarily detained.
Kia ora to everyone at Radio New Zealand ( forwarding from my personal email as emails sent from
[email address] don't seem to have been received by the 550 journalists, 220
academics teaching media and political studies,nor by our 120 Members of Parliament who we've been
writing to since January 2021 ) .
This Friday, the 3rd of May 2024 is World Press Freedom Day.
"Journalism is not a crime. Not here . Not there . Not anywhere in the world."
( President Joe Biden at the Whitehouse Press Dinner ( 28th of April 2024 )
From New Zealand Media Council Principles :
"In dealing with complaints, the Council wil give primary consideration to freedom of expression and the
public interest."
The outcome of the case of arbitrarily detained multi-award winning journalist Julian Assange, but also the
ongoing tolerance and under - or actual y non- reporting by our media of his perpetual persecution, is a
very serious matter that is - or should or would otherwise be of great interest and concern to the public of
New Zealand - if our media were to be doing their own investigations into or reporting and commentary on
it.
The lack of interest in this case is a result of our media not having performed its role to inform the public of
New Zealand of its implications which has translated into a lack of political support for a diplomatic protest
that might otherwise have contributed to effecting a favourable outcome i.e. The release, repatriation and
compensation of Julian Assange with investigations and prosecutions of those responsible for the war (
and other ) crimes that he published evidence of. This is your profession and it is OUR democracy that is at
stake.
Is Radio New Zealand going to report on the case of Julian Assange on World Press Freedom Day ?
Multi-journalism-award-winning Australian journalist/editor/publisher Julian Assange ( Prisoner # A9379AY
) remains ARBITRARILY DETAINED in conditions deemed by the U.N. Special Rapporteur on Torture to
be 'psychological torture'.
Friday wil be Julian's 1,849th day in solitary confinement in a 2x3 metre cel in London's Belmarsh
Maximum Security Prison where he is awaiting the High Court Judges' decision as to whether to accept the
U.S. governments' assurances ( that, actual y, only their courts can provide ), before deciding to al ow his
extradition to the U.S. to face charges under the Espionage Act for having published evidence of the U.S.
military's multiple,serious breaches of the Geneva Conventions during their il egal invasions and
occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan.
1
The United Nations Human Rights Council has deemed that Julian Assange had the right to publish the
evidence he received, that he has the right to be free and that he has the right to be compensated. This is
a case of what the United Nations cal s 'intimidation and reprisals'.
Both the U.K. and New Zealand are signatories to the February 2021 Declaration Against Arbitrary
Detention in State To State Relations with the U.K. government on the 20th of September 2021 reiterating
its intention to comply with this Agreement stating that "
"Arbitrary detention is a hallmark of authoritarian regimes and its use is a tool of political intimidation.
Arbitrary detention not only violates human rights, but also undermines the trust in institutions that keeps
societies safe and open.
We know that persons in marginalised and vulnerable situations, as well as human rights defenders,
journalists, and civil society activists are more often arbitrarily detained.
We further recognise that persons who are arbitrarily detained are at greater risk of being subjected to
other human rights violations.
This year, the United Kingdom has supported the Canadian-led Declaration against Arbitrary Detention in
State-to-State relations, and we have committed to working with the G7 and other like-minded partners to
end the practice."
Since late 2021 New Zealanders For Julian Assange has been bringing this refusal by the U.K. government
to comply with this Declaration to the attention of our media organisations, to academics teaching Media
and Political studies and to al our elected Members of Parliament, and we have made multiple requests to
successive Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Trade to lodge a diplomatic protest with the U.K. Government ,
as a co-signatory, over their ongoing obstinate non-compliance with the agreement.
None of the individuals or organisations we have contacted have ever responded to our requests - apart
from what appears to be a PRO-FORMA letter sent by the office of Hon. Nanai Mahuta which implied they
were oblivious to the inconsistencies with 'the rule of law' in the handling of this case: i.e Section 134 of the
U.K. Criminal Justice Act prohibiting al forms of torture, the other U.N. rulings on arbitrary detention,
freedom of speech etc....
Despite Julian Assange having been in some form of arbitrary detention for the last13 years, New
Zealanders remain largely oblivious to or are under-or mis-informed about the case of Julian Assange and
are therefore unaware of the serious implications on the wil ingness of journalists to perform their role to
scrutinise and to hold power to account because it wil al ow overreach by the U.S. into other jurisdictions to
extradite any journalist who dares to publish anything that negatively affects their national security
interests.
Press Freedom, according to U.S. President Joe Biden's speech (2024-04-28 ) to the White House
Correspondents' Dinner is a foundation of democracy and his government wil do everything within their
powers to ' free al journalists who are wrongful y detained around the world'.
The New Zealand Media Council's principles state that : "An independent press plays a vital role in a
democracy. The proper fulfilment of that role requires a fundamental responsibility to maintain high
standards of accuracy, fairness and balance and public faith in those standards.
There is no more important principle in a democracy than freedom of expression. Freedom of expression
and freedom of the media are inextricably bound. The print media is jealous in guarding freedom of
expression, not just for publishers' sake but, more importantly, in the public interest. In dealing with
complaints, the Council wil give primary consideration to freedom of expression and the public interest."
The outcome of this case , but also the ongoing tolerance and under - or actual y non- reporting by our
media of this perpetual persecution of Julian Assange, a multi-award winning journalist, is a very serious
2
matter that is - or should or would otherwise be of great interest to the public of New Zealand - if our media
were to be doing their own investigations into or reporting and commentary on.
"Journalism is not a crime. Not here . Not there . Not anywhere in the world."
Alan Wil iam Preston for New Zealanders For Julian Asssnge
29th of April 2024.
https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2024/02/un-special-rapporteur-torture-urges-uk-government-halt-
imminent-extradition
https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2024/03/ukus-time-end-prosecution-julian-assange-un-expert-
says
The text of this email has been uploaded to our site @ :
https://sites.google.com/view/newzealandersforjulianassange/get-active/new-zealanders-can-do-
this/media/to-radio-new-zealand/20240429-world-press-freedom-day
[email address]
Website : www.newzealandersforjulianassange.org.nz
Facebook Group : New Zealanders For Julian Assange
Contact: Alan Wil iam Preston on 02102377242
--
Alan Wil iam Preston.
Mangawhai, Northland
New Zealand.
Landline: 0064 9 431 5389
Mobile: 021 02377242
skype : alan.preston
Facebook Alan Wil iam Preston
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Do not click links or open attachments unless you
recognize the sender and know the content is safe.
3
George Bignell
From:
New Zealanders For Julian Assange <[email address]>
Sent:
Friday, 12 April 2024 1:46 pm
To:
Simon Morris; RNZ
Subject:
[EXTERNAL] - 20240412 To Simon Morris @ Radio NZ : At the Movies :
Recommendation : The Trust Fal
Kia ora SImon.
With today marking the 5th anniversary of multi-award winning Australian journalist/publisher Julian
Assange's 1,828 days of arbitrary detention in London's Belmarsh Maximum Security Prison, the crowd-sourced
documentary about his case 'The Trust Fal ' is into its 2nd month of screenings at cinemas throughout New Zealand,
Australia and the U.K.
Radio New Zealand has been suspiciously reluctant to do any of its own reporting on this extremely important case
or to carry out any of its own investigations using the evidence published by Wikileaks.
You might like to include some mention of this important film in your next reviews - before Julian is extradited to the
U.S to spend the next 175 years in a SuperMax or dies in prison in the U.K.
https://www.thetrustfal .org/
Thank you. Alan Wil iam Preston in Mangawhai , Northland for New Zealanders For Julian Assange.
--
[email address]
Website : www.newzealandersforjulianassange.org.nz
Facebook Group : New Zealanders For Julian Assange
Contact: Alan Wil iam Preston on 02102377242
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Do not click links or open attachments unless you
recognize the sender and know the content is safe.
1
George Bignell
From:
New Zealanders For Julian Assange <[email address]>
Sent:
Friday, 15 March 2024 5:49 pm
To:
RNZ
Cc:
Morningreport; Ninetonoon; Afternoons; Checkpoint; Nights; Saturday; Sunday;
MediaWatch
Subject:
[EXTERNAL] - 20240315 To Radio New Zealand From New Zealanders For Julian
Assange : 3 songs addressing the persecution of a multi-award winning journalist
Kia ora to presenters of Radio New Zealand's programs...
Multi-award winning Australian journalist/publisher/creator of Wikileaks , Julian Assange has been locked up for
1,800 days now ( since the 11th of April 2019 ) in London's Belmarsh Maximum Security Prison for having published
( among other horrors ) the U.S. militarys' own (secret) records of their having kil ed 66,810 civilians during their
il egal invasion and occupation of Iraq.
The United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention have deemed Julian Assange's detention to be arbitrary
which is contravention to the 2021 Declaration Against Arbitrary Detention in State To State Relations to which New
Zealand, the U.K, the U.S. and Australia are al signatories.
The United Nations Special Rapporteur on Torture has deemed the conditions of Julian Assange's arbitrary detention
to equate to 'psychological torture' which is prohibited under Section 134 of the U. K Criminal Justice Act.
Here are 3 pieces of music which you might like your listeners to hear that give support to Julian and wil help to
raise awareness of this case on which the future of transparency and accountability under the democratic
governance model and indeed human civilization is pivoting.
"Like a Movie" - by Stephen Taberner & Trio ( from Melbourne )
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TvsJCJ7BO_8
Free The Truth - DJ Roto ( who runs www.a4a.nz )
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fqFhxpRyE_A
Lowkey | Free Assange (Acoustic Version) | featuring Mai Khalil and The Grime Violinist
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hytO-oSzdD8
[email address]
Website : www.newzealandersforjulianassange.org.nz
Facebook Group : New Zealanders For Julian Assange
Contact: Alan Wil iam Preston on 02102377242
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Do not click links or open attachments unless you
recognize the sender and know the content is safe.
1
George Bignell
From:
Kym Staton <[email address]>
Sent:
Monday, 11 March 2024 9:54 am
To:
New Zealanders For Julian Assange
Cc:
RNZ; News; Morningreport; Ninetonoon; Afternoons; Saturday; Sunday
Subject:
[EXTERNAL] - Re: 20240309 Julian Assange - Documentary 'The Trust Fal ' Screening
in Auckland - Director available for interviews SUNDAY p.m./MONDAY/TUESDAY
a.m only
Thanks Alan!
Hi Radio New Zealand team. We had another amazing session yesterday afernoon with 160 attending Academy
Cinemas. The film is currently showing at 45 cinemas around NZ!
I have some availability for an interview this afternoon or tomorrow morning if you’d like to cover this hot topic!
I hope you wil ! Its important! Did you know that over 500 journalists are behind bars around the world today??
Warm regards,
Kym
+61 413 236 525
On 9 Mar 2024, at 12:25 pm, New Zealanders For Julian Assange
<[email address]> wrote:
To al journalists at Radio New Zealand
Kia ora.
Multi-award winning Australian journalist/publisher Julian Assange has been locked up in
solitary confinement in London's Belmarsh
maximum security prison for the last 1793 days ( since the 11th of April 2019 ) for having published
evidence of multiple, systematic breaches of the Geneva Conventions during their il egal invasion
and occupation of Iraq.
( previous interviews about Julian Assange by Radio New Zealand journalists are listed here )
A panel of judges in the U.K. are currently deliberating about whether Julian Assange has the right
to appeal against extradition to the U.S. to face charges that have a potential sentence of 175 years.
'The Trust Fal ' - by Films for Change ( Australia ), a crowd-funded documentary about this case and
the implications it has for the future of journalism/ the importance of transparency and
accountability to our democracy / is showing in Auckland at the Academy Cinema TOMORROW,
Sunday the 10th of March 2024 from 3 p.m. and director Kym Staton is flying into Auckland on
Sunday at 1.30 p.m. from Europe to answer questions after the screening.
Kym wil be in New Zealand / Auckland ( staying near Te Henga ) and wil be available to do
interviews on Sunday evening and Monday and or before flying out to Sydney at 11 a.m. on Tuesday
12th of March 2024.
Please get in touch with Kym on +61 413 236 525 and use that number on WhatsApp as he'l be
staying in an area with poor mobile coverage ( but with good internet )
[email address]
https://www.thetrustfal .org/
BBC interview with Kym Staton ( 21st of February 2024 ) about The Trust Fal ( trailer ).
Contact: Alan Wil iam Preston on 02102377242 if al else fails...
1
https://filmsforchange.stream/pages/meet-our-team
[email address]
Website : www.newzealandersforjulianassange.org.nz
Facebook Group : New Zealanders For Julian Assange
Contact: Alan Wil iam Preston on 02102377242
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Do not click links or open attachments unless you
recognize the sender and know the content is safe.
2
George Bignell
From:
New Zealanders For Julian Assange <[email address]>
Sent:
Saturday, 9 March 2024 12:25 pm
To:
RNZ; News
Cc:
Morningreport; Ninetonoon; Afternoons; Saturday; Sunday; [email address]
Subject:
[EXTERNAL] - 20240309 Julian Assange - Documentary 'The Trust Fal ' Screening in
Auckland - Director available for interviews SUNDAY p.m./MONDAY/TUESDAY a.m
only
To al journalists at Radio New Zealand
Kia ora.
Multi-award winning Australian journalist/publisher Julian Assange has been locked up in solitary
confinement in London's Belmarsh
maximum security prison for the last 1793 days ( since the 11th of April 2019 ) for having published evidence of
multiple, systematic breaches of the Geneva Conventions during their il egal invasion and occupation of Iraq.
( previous interviews about Julian Assange by Radio New Zealand journalists are listed here )
A panel of judges in the U.K. are currently deliberating about whether Julian Assange has the right to appeal against
extradition to the U.S. to face charges that have a potential sentence of 175 years.
'The Trust Fal ' - by Films for Change ( Australia ), a crowd-funded documentary about this case and the
implications it has for the future of journalism/ the importance of transparency and accountability to our democracy
/ is showing in Auckland at the Academy Cinema TOMORROW, Sunday the 10th of March 2024 from 3 p.m. and
director Kym Staton is flying into Auckland on Sunday at 1.30 p.m. from Europe to answer questions after the
screening.
Kym wil be in New Zealand / Auckland ( staying near Te Henga ) and wil be available to do interviews on Sunday
evening and Monday and or before flying out to Sydney at 11 a.m. on Tuesday 12th of March 2024.
Please get in touch with Kym on +61 413 236 525 and use that number on WhatsApp as he'l be staying in an area
with poor mobile coverage ( but with good internet )
[email address]
https://www.thetrustfal .org/
BBC interview with Kym Staton ( 21st of February 2024 ) about The Trust Fal ( trailer ).
Contact: Alan Wil iam Preston on 02102377242 if al else fails...
https://filmsforchange.stream/pages/meet-our-team
[email address]
Website : www.newzealandersforjulianassange.org.nz
Facebook Group : New Zealanders For Julian Assange
Contact: Alan Wil iam Preston on 02102377242
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Do not click links or open attachments unless you
recognize the sender and know the content is safe.
1
George Bignell
From:
RNZ <[email address]>
Sent:
Monday, 4 March 2024 11:24 am
To:
FormalComplaints
Subject:
FW: [EXTERNAL] - 20240302 To Radio New Zealand from New Zealanders For Julian
Assange : 'The Trust Fal documentary director in New Zealand
Thoughts??
From: New Zealanders For Julian Assange <[email address]>
Sent: Saturday, 2 March 2024 3:10 PM
To: RNZ <[email address]>
Cc: MediaWatch <[email address]>; Checkpoint <[email address]>; Morningreport
<[email address]>
Subject: [EXTERNAL] - 20240302 To Radio New Zealand from New Zealanders For Julian Assange : 'The Trust Fal
documentary director in New Zealand
To journalists and staff at Radio New Zealand .
2nd of March 2024.
Kia ora.
Alan Preston here for New Zealanders for Julian Assange.
Recent : New Zealand's Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade fails to respond to a request for Diplomatic Protest to
the governments of the United States of America and the United Kingdom over the persecution of Julian Assange.
Current : Supporters of New Zealanders For Julian Assange are currently involved in assisting Films For Change (
Australia ) with securing and advertising screenings of their just-released crowd-funded documentary 'The Trust Fal '
about the plight of Julian Assange in cinemas throughout New Zealand. The Trust Fal is currently being screened by
the major cinema chains throughout Australia.
Next week: The creator/director of The Trust Fal , Kym Staton , who has recently been in the U.K. and is currently in
Spain promoting the film wil be in Auckland briefly for the 3p.m. screening at Academy Cinemas in Auckland on
Sunday the 10th of March 2024
If you would like to interview Kym, please contact: Alan Wil iam Preston on 02102377242 to arrange a time/
place/studio.
N.B.
We are stil very concerned that editorial decisions on the reporting on the case of Julian
Assange are subject to interference by external players.
We note that Radio New Zealand is running stories provided by Reuters about the death and funeral of Alexei
Navalny and that those stories have been created to leave its audience with a positive impression of Mr Navalry and
his work and a negative impression of the Russian State for having imprisoned this significant and effective
dissident.
At the same time we note again the continued virtual absence of reporting on the plight of your multi-journalism-
award-winning col eague , Julian Assange who has now been arbitrarily detained (U.N. decision) in contravention to
the 2021 Declaration Against Arbitrary Detention in State to State Relations , in solitary confinement in London's
Belmarsh Prison in conditions described by the U.N. Special Rapporteur on Torture ( Dr Nils Melzer ) as being
'psychologicial torture' ( contravening Section 134 of UK Criminal Justice Act ) for the last 1786 days.
Radio New Zealand's most recent coverage , supplied by the ABC " leads with People 'disappeared' after Julian Assange
and Wikileaks blended hacking with journalism, court hears " - a claim which the witness for the prosecution, a US
counter-intel igence official who led the Pentagon's review into the fal out from the WikiLeaks disclosures of state
1
secrets , could provide no substantiation.
He told the Bradley Manning sentencing hearing that no instances were ever found of any individual kil ed by
enemy forces as a result of having been named in the releases.
Radio New Zealand has NEVER made any mention of the 66,081 civilians who were kil ed by U.S. military during their
ILLEGAL invasion and occupation of Iraq ACCORDING TO THEIR OWN RECORDS that Julian Assange published
through Wikileaks.
None of these deaths have ever been investigated nor prosecutions brought by our ( or any other - as far as we
know ) , media or judiciary.
An interesting comparative study of how media is presenting these narratives to their audiences - from Al Jazeera
"How Western media chooses who they champion and vilify | The Listening Post"
See also : Fact Checker For Journalists
[email address]
Website : www.newzealandersforjulianassange.org.nz
Facebook Group : New Zealanders For Julian Assange
Contact: Alan Wil iam Preston on 02102377242
P.S. the text of this e-mail ( with links embedded )is available on our website @
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Do not click links or open attachments unless you
recognize the sender and know the content is safe.
2
George Bignell
From:
RNZ <[email address]>
Sent:
Tuesday, 4 October 2022 9:08 am
To:
News
Subject:
FW: [EXTERNAL] - Kiwi Inspires Global Free Assange Human Chain Events
From: NewzEngine.com <[email address]>
Sent: Monday, 3 October 2022 6:32 pm
To: RNZ <[email address]>
Subject: [EXTERNAL] - Kiwi Inspires Global Free Assange Human Chain Events
Kiwi Inspires Global Free Assange Human Chain Events
Source: Aotearoa 4 Assange
For Immediate Release: 3/10/22
-
Auckland activist Matt Ó Branáin has inspired a worldwide movement of Human Chains on October 8th to free jailed
Australian journalist Julian Assange.
Ó Branáin proposed the idea of a Human Chain to #HugBelmarsh prison, which gained international support, and
was retweeted by Julian’s wife Stel a Assange. Due to some difficulties surrounding the prison, it has turned into a
#FreeAssangeHumanChain of 5,000 surrounding British Parliament.
Now 16 cities around the world wil hold Free Assange Human Chains, including Washington DC, Ottowa, Wel ington
and Paris al on October 8th.
Ó Branáin says ‘I feel simultaneously humbled and in awe of what a difference any of us can make, when we inspire
others to unite. There’s nothing we can’t do when we stand together.’
Julian Assange is currently in solitary confinement in a UK Supermax Prison, despite not serving a sentence. Top
forensic psychologists, a UN expert, and hundreds of doctors say Julian Assange is being ‘tortured’ and is likely to die
in the next few months if he is not freed.
‘This is the most crucial Human Rights battle of this Century, because the Right to Know is the master key to
protecting al our rights. Every credible authority from the UN to Amnesty International is saying Julian’s
imprisonment, and the US charges against him undermine Global Press Freedom. If it’s a crime to tel the truth we
can’t solve anything. ‘
Ó Branáin has launched a campaign asking kiwis to help him go and represent Aotearoa at the Chain in London. He
wil write the names of al who support him on raranga flax ribbons he wil take to the event.
‘I know from talking to kiwis everywhere, nobody wants an Aussie journalist to die in prison for tel ing the truth. We
gotta get him out. I’m asking kiwis to get behind me so I can represent them.’
1
Matt is a teacher, media-designer and musician, who became intensely engaged on the Assange case when he read
the findings of the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture Nils Melzer. For two years Matt has devoted the majority of his
time to campaigning on this. He formed Aotearoa 4 Assange, and he recently committed to wearing what he cal s
‘Gitmo Chic’ every day til Julian is free. An orange Guantanamo Bay style prisoner suit, and sign. ‘It’s been starting
conversations everywhere I go. Kiwis are not at al happy when they hear an Aussie journalist is being tortured to
death for tel ing the truth.'
'Our Government, and Jacinda Ardern, need to urgently engage in diplomatic representations with our al ies the UK
and US, to ensure Julian's release. Al our rights are imperil ed by his imprisonment, and by the US charges against
him. There isn’t a bigger threat to the Western Democratic system than this case.’
‘Jacinda Ardern, has criticised misinformation at the UN, but where does she stand on truthful reporting?'
#FreeAssangeHumanChain around UK
Parliament, London, 1pm October 8th, 1pm
#FreeAssangeHumanChain at the Beehive, Wellington, 12pm October 8th.
Attached Files: Matt-chain.jpg
Video URL: https://youtu.be/33TOSTEXzlc
--
Contact Name: Matt Ó Branáin
Job Title: National Co-ordinator of Aotearoa 4 Assange
Email Address: [email address]
Phone Number: 64204382863
Website URL: https://www.a4a.nz/
Social Media: https://www.facebook.com/groups/a4assange | https://www.instagram.com/aotearoa4assange/ |
https://twitter.com/A4Assange | https://www.instagram.com/matt.o.branain/ | https://twitter.com/MattOBranain
Links:
[1] Release url: https://newzengine.com/2022/10/03/kiwi-inspires-global-free-assange-human-chain-events/
[2] https://newzengine.com
Distributed by NewzEngine - If you no longer wish to receive NewzEngine releases please unsubscribe here.
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Do not click links or open attachments unless you
recognize the sender and know the content is safe.
2
George Bignell
From:
RNZ <[email address]>
Sent:
Monday, 30 May 2022 12:45 pm
To:
News
Subject:
FW: [EXTERNAL] - ‘Kia kaha’: PM Ardern Requested to Join PM Albanese in His Cal s
to Bring Julian Assange Home
From: NewzEngine.com <[email address]>
Sent: Monday, 30 May 2022 11:52 am
To: RNZ <[email address]>
Subject: [EXTERNAL] - ‘Kia kaha’: PM Ardern Requested to Join PM Albanese in His Cal s to Bring Julian Assange
Home
‘Kia kaha’: PM Ardern Requested to Join PM Albanese in His Cal s to Bring Julian Assange Home
Source: Aotearoa 4 Assange
-
A group of lawyers, politicians, journalists and activists known as Aotearoa 4 Assange have written to PM Jacinda
Ardern asking her to ‘stand strong’ with new Aussie PM Anthony Albanese, to ‘secure the freedom’ of Australian
journalist Julian Assange. According to the letter Assange’s life is in peril and so are the ‘foundations of global
democracy’.
A4A spokesperson Matt Ó Branáin says ‘the election of Albanese is a seismic shift’ for the campaign to free Assange,
who is currently imprisoned in the UK and fighting extradition to the US. Unlike his predecessor Scott Morrison,
Albanese is a member of the Bring Julian Assange Home Parliamentary Group consisting of at least 30 MPs. Albanese
has reportedly said ‘enough is enough…I can't see what's served by keeping [Assange] incarcerated’.
Green MP and Human Rights lawyer Golriz Ghahraman tweeted ‘the threat to Wikileaks founder Julian Assange’s
freedom is a threat to press freedom around the world.’
Assange has been detained in ‘solitary confinement’ for the last 3 years in the UK and a UN Special Rapporteur has
said he is being ‘psychological y tortured.’ A letter from hundreds of doctors says he is likely to die soon if not freed.
The US charges ‘criminalise publishing leaked evidence of US state crimes’. International Human Rights groups,
including Amnesty International and the Council of Europe’s Commissioner for Human Rights have said the case is a
threat to global press freedom.
The letter argues that there is ‘no chance of justice’ if he is extradited to the US as Assange’s ‘legal y privileged
consultations with his lawyers were spied on’ and the Espionage Act ‘prohibits any public interest defence’.
Ó Branáin says ‘no one can credibly say justice has been seen in the UK extradition trial'. Amnesty International said
the UK extradition trial was a ‘circus’. IBAHRI said ‘with this extradition trial, we are witnessing the serious
undermining of due processes and the rule of law.’ Applications to monitor the trial from Amnesty International and
1
Reporters Without Borders were declined. A4A's letter says 'this is a political case, and political intervention is
required’.
UN Special Rapproteur on Torture Nils Melzer says if Assange is extradited to the US he would be detained in
‘conditions that amount to torture’. Ghahraman states that although the UK Magistrate Court has now ordered
extradition to be signed ‘the Home Sec must decline’. ‘The UK has an obligation to avoid extradition to a place
where he faces il treatment and torture’. A4A cal ed on Ardern to ‘make representations’ to Ms Patel not to sign the
extradition order.
Rt. Hon Helen Clark said ‘you do wonder when the hatchet can be buried with Assange, and not buried in his head
by the way?. . . ‘The real issue real y is the activities they were exposing, not their actions of exposure.’
Ó Branáin says ‘Australia and New Zealand should cal on our al ies the US and UK, to end this perilous persecution
of a South Pacific journalist, and bring Julian home.’
Attached Files: Matt-O-Branain-A4A.jpg
--
Contact Name: Matt Ó Branáin
Job Title: National Co-ordinator of Aotearoa 4 Assange
Email Address: [email address]
Phone Number: 64204382863
Website URL: https://www.a4a.nz/
Social Media: https://www.facebook.com/groups/a4assange | https://twitter.com/A4Assange |
https://www.instagram.com/aotearoa4assange/ |
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7Lgvm4ob5_kUS6NIaEXwvg
Links:
[1] Release url: https://newzengine.com/2022/05/30/kia-kaha-pm-ardern-requested-to-join-pm-albanese-in-his-
cal s-to-bring-julian-assange-home/
[2] https://newzengine.com
Distributed by NewzEngine - If you no longer wish to receive NewzEngine releases please unsubscribe here.
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Do not click links or open attachments unless you
recognize the sender and know the content is safe.
2
George Bignell
From:
RNZ
Sent:
Monday, 14 March 2022 5:19 pm
To:
News
Subject:
Fw: [EXTERNAL] - Julian Assange Permitted to Marry in Belmarsh Prison
From: NewzEngine.com <[email address]>
Sent: Monday, March 14, 2022 4:43 PM
To: RNZ <[email address]>
Subject: [EXTERNAL] - Julian Assange Permitted to Marry in Belmarsh Prison
Julian Assange Permitted to Marry in Belmarsh Prison
Source: Aotearoa 4 Assange
For Immediate Release: 14/03/2022
-
Julian Assange Permit ed to Marry in Belmarsh Prison
Wikileaks founder Julian Assange has been given permission to marry his fiancée Stel a Morris in the maximum
security Belmarsh prison in London on March 23rd. Stel a is a member of his legal team and mother of his two young
children. The couple had to fight for their right to marry, even bringing legal action against the UK Government.
Julian and Stel a wil be dressed by Vivienne Westwood. Julian wil wear a kilt, honouring his Scottish ancestry. The
couple are said to be very excited despite the severe restrictions imposed on the ceremony. They wil be permitted
only four guests and have been denied the request to marry in the prison's Chapel, despite the fact that Julian
regularly worships their.
Stel a told the Daily Mail that the right to marry is 'written into law' in the UK. 'Of course, the circumstances are not
ideal but I am relieved that reason has prevailed and I hope there wil be no further interference with our marriage.
Julian is not charged with any crime in this country, he is not serving a sentence, his imprisonment serves no
1
purpose at al other than to prolong and make his suffering worse. I hope the injustice of this situation is swiftly
brought to an end so that we can enjoy marriage outside of the wal s of Belmarsh when he is freed.'
Assange is being held in the notorious Belmarsh prison despite not being convicted of anything. He is awaiting the
outcome of a US extradition request to face charges of 'espionage' for publishing evidence of war crimes and
torture. Press freedom groups warn this unprecedented prosecution would criminalise fundamental journalistic
practices.
Assange recently suffered a minor stroke, and doctors warn this wil likely lead to a fatal stroke if his conditions are
not improved quickly. He is detained in solitary confinement 23 hours per day, which fits the definition of torture
under international law. The Australian Government has been criticised for 'sitting on their hands' over one of their
citizens. The UN Special Rapporteur on Torture Nils Melzer said The Australian Government as 'failed to support
Julian Assange, and is complicit in his psychological torture.'
Helen Clark recently said 'You do wonder when the hatchet can be buried with Assange? And not buried in his head
by the way. But at some point, could people move on? I do think that the information that's been disclosed by
whistle-blowers down through the ages has been very important in broader publics getting to know what is real y
going on behind the scenes. And should people pay this kind of price for that? I don't think so.. The real issue real y
is the activities they were exposing, not their actions of exposure.'
Aoteroa 4 Assange is cal ing on the New Zealand Government to stand for Assange to protect human rights, the
public's right to know and peace.
Attached Files: stel a-rainbow-2.jpg
Video URL: https://twitter.com/i/status/1462562408749170689
--
Contact Name: Matt Ó Branáin
Job Title: National Co-ordinator of Aotearoa 4 Assange
Email Address: [email address]
Phone Number: 64204382863
Website URL: http://a4a.nz
Social Media: https://www.facebook.com/groups/a4assange | https://twitter.com/A4Assange |
https://www.instagram.com/aotearoa4assange/
Links:
[1] Release url: https://newzengine.com/2022/03/14/julian-assange-permitted-to-marry-in-belmarsh-prison/
[2] https://newzengine.com
2
Distributed by NewzEngine - If you no longer wish to receive NewzEngine releases please unsubscribe here.
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Do not click links or open attachments unless you
recognize the sender and know the content is safe.
3
George Bignell
From:
RNZ <[email address]>
Sent:
Wednesday, 10 November 2021 11:57 am
To:
News
Subject:
FW: [EXTERNAL] - OP-ED: Asylum for Assange – How the NZ government can lead
the way home for the world’s highest profile political prisoner
From: NewzEngine.com <[email address]>
Sent: Wednesday, 10 November 2021 11:45 am
To: RNZ <[email address]>
Subject: [EXTERNAL] - OP-ED: Asylum for Assange – How the NZ government can lead the way home for the world’s
highest profile political prisoner
OP-ED: Asylum for Assange – How the NZ government can lead
the way home for the world’s highest profile political prisoner
Source: Aotearoa 4 Assange
-
OP-ED by Greg Barns SC and Craig Tuck - Human Rights lawyers from Australia and New Zealand.
Julian Assange is facing political y motivated criminal charges, laid by the Trump Administration. These charges
reflect an abuse of process, designed to silence Assange, and to gag media freedom. Assange’s case has profound
implications for the right of the public to know the truth about government wrongdoing – particularly abroad. In
late October a court in London heard argument in an appeal by the US against a decision in January this year by
Judge Vanessa Baraitser not extradite Assange.
New Zealand – as a responsible member of the international community – must stand on the side of fairness and
transparency by offering Assange asylum.
While the legal process continues Assange is being kept in limbo: held in Belmarsh prison while he awaits a decision
as to whether he wil be deported from the UK to the United States where he faces 175 years in prison for al eged
breaches of espionage laws. The evidence against him concerns the publication in 2010 and 2011 of materials
(including a chil ing video showing US troops kil ing civilians in Iraq) about the US and its al ies’ tactics and war
1
crimes there and in Afghanistan. We now know that in 2017 CIA wanted to “take him out”, or kil him, according to
revelations published by Yahoo News.
The essence of the case can be summarised this way: Assange, an Australian citizen, is being prosecuted by the
United States for speaking truth to power (by providing a window into nefarious activities of the military industrial
complex). His motivation was the pursuit of transparency, justice, and ultimately peace.
These pursuits are central to the job of any journalist. In publishing this material, Julian Assange was doing his job -
as a journalist and as a citizen. However, he has been cast adrift by the Australian government, despite it professing
to be committed to values like freedom of speech and a free media. This refusal by Canberra to speak frankly to its
number one friend in Washington and demand the end of the persecution of its citizen Assange provides an
opportunity for New Zealand. The opportunity to uphold the human rights values which are at stake here and use its
renowned independence and sense of principle to support Assange.
New Zealand has built its reputation as being at the forefront of human rights advancement, dignity and responsible
citizenship – it is trusted international y as being fair (and kind). It is in many respects a diplomatic powerhouse able
to achieve agreements and navigate contentious political waters when others can’t.
Assange has always stated "The goal is justice, the method is transparency . . . . If wars can be started by lies, peace
can be started by truth." This is a total y consistent position with New Zealand’s stance on peaceful diplomacy, from
Nuclear Free NZ, to the successful ‘Soldiers Without Guns’ peace mission in Bougainvil e.
The other reason for New Zealand involving itself in the Assange case is because of the extraordinarily dangerous
precedent this case sets for journalists anywhere in the world. By way of background, the Obama administration
initial y declined to prosecute Assange due to what it cal ed the "New York Times problem"—the dilemma of
indicting Assange for the very same kind of investigative journalism that mainstream media practices. However
under President Trump the Justice Department indicted Assange under espionage legislation.
No media outlet or journalist has ever been successful y prosecuted under the espionage laws Act for publishing
truthful information in the public interest, which is protected by the First Amendment.
But the message from the US to al journalists and citizens, no matter where in the world they are, is if you publish
material which Washington wishes to keep secret then you can be the subject of an extradition request.
The Assange case is not simply a bilateral issue between the US and UK or the US and Australia. It is about critical
democratic values being put at risk by a dominant world power. On this basis it is time for New Zealand, with its
respected voice on human rights to make a stand.
New Zealand has long established relationships with the US, UK and Australia. The persecution and plots of
assassination against a South Pacific journalist for revealing war crimes, demands a clear response. New Zealand can
use its position as a smal principled nation to stand for its values and offer Julian Assange asylum.
--
NOTE: This OP-ED is released for general non-exclusive publication and is authorised by Greg Barns SC and Craig
Tuck - Human Rights lawyers from Australia and New Zealand.
Attached Files: Assange-DEA.jpg
--
Contact Name: Greg Barnes SC
2
Job Title: Human Rights Lawyer
Email Address: [email address]
Phone Number: 61419691846
Social Media: https://a4a.nz | https://twitter.com/A4Assange | https://www.instagram.com/aotearoa4assange/ |
https://www.facebook.com/groups/365743181272821
Links:
[1] Release url: https://newzengine.com/2021/11/10/op-ed-asylum-for-assange-how-the-nz-government-can-lead-
the-way-home-for-the-worlds-highest-profile-political-prisoner/
[2] https://newzengine.com
Distributed by NewzEngine - If you no longer wish to receive NewzEngine releases please unsubscribe here.
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Do not click links or open attachments unless you
recognize the sender and know the content is safe.
3
Document Outline
