Streaming in a Few Minutes: Julian Assange Press Conference
The Telegraph: Coming up: Julian Assange lands in Australia - Wikileaks holds press conference
AP (Associated Press): Coming up: Julian Assange lands in Australia - Wikileaks holds press conference
They test the microphone now.
Over Invidious:
Live updates (editorial notes):
- 12:09 GMT: People begin to gather near the stage
- 12:21 GMT: Jen Robinson has opened the press conference, saying they are very delighted, calling Assange a "free man"
- 12:23 GMT: She got interrupted by the audience, right after she had said he agree to plead guilty ("Conspiracy to commit espionage")
- 12:25 GMT: There are still some interruptions. The Prime Minister was the first to talk to Assange; he was told that he had saved Julian Assange's life. The Prime Minister said "enough is enough" and "kept his word". The interruptions from the audience seem to have been brought under control. The negotiations changed how the authorities are now perceived. "This is a huge win for Australia, Australian democracy..." and press freedom, according to Robinson.
- 12:29 GMT: Next to talk it is the other high-level associate of Assange, who said no person should spend even a day in prison for what he said was a "tremendous public service"
- 12:31 GMT: Now comes the wife of Julian, Stella Assange. She expresses gratitude to all those involved in securing the release and thanks the Australian people, without whom this would not be possible. Crowd cheers.
- 12:33 GMT: Stella Assange wants time for recuperation, especially by her husband, and asks for space/privacy in the interim.
- 12:35 GMT: Now they take questions, led by a key UK associate/staff of Wikileaks, Joseph Farrell. Robinson leads in answering, debunking the notion that people's live were at risk due to the publications. Stella says she did not expect to hear crowds from behind the fences at the airport (upon arrival).
- 12:39 GMT: There are "no restrictions" on Assange once the case is over and "no gag order"; he can go back to his normal/former life. The intensive negotiations over this resolution lasted the "past few weeks". They insisted on "no gag orders". There is explanation of why he and the team chose Saipan.
- 12:41 GMT: Stella says today is the day journalists, editors and publishers should realise the danger of this US case against her husband for information that was true, the public deserved to know about etc. "It's in the interest of all of the press to seek the current state of affairs to change through the Espionage Act, through increase press protections and yes, when the time comes, not today, [incomprehensible] Parliament." She acknowledges that the best outcome would have been for the US Government to abandon this case entirely. She thinks her husband Julian Assange would be pardoned if the press united against all this. She bemoans the apathy basically.
- 12:46 GMT: Stella says journalists should do more and her husband is still "recovering" but will remain principled, including on human rights. With this, the question and answers session ends.
12:54 GMT:
The full video is live now.
"She bemoans the apathy basically," the above notes say, and "that has been the core," an associate asserts. "Even the NYT has been ignoring the case, especially back at the earlier stages when input would have had great impact."