Whereas many times when Indymedia servers, which the IMC Brazil is part of, suffered attempts of censorship by being kidnapped by the FBI and other authorities, we also received support from several organizations that fight for freedom of speech.
Whereas when IMC San Francisco published leaked documents from Diebold proving that their electronic voting machines were not secure, the Indymedia network received a takedown notice trying to censor these documents and with the support of EFF and other organizations we were able to keep the information online.
Whereas when our volunteers are attacked, imprisoned and even murdered, as the case of volunteer Brad Will, we received support and solidarity from groups and movements around the world who struggle for the democratization of information.
And considering thousands of other examples like these, the Independent Media Center of Brazil, states its public support for the Wikileaks site and its founder Julian Assange.
Julian Assange can be arrested at any moment in the UK. The Swedish prosecutor Marianne Ny, requested an Interpol arrest warrant against him. His lawyers tried to appeal to the Supreme Court of Sweden, but the request was denied. The reason for the arrest warrant isn't because he was convicted of any crime, is because the prosecutor in Sweden wants to "interview Assange" about two allegations of sexual abuse against him in that country.
But according to Julian Assange's lawyer in the UK Mark Stephens: "my client has repeatedly offered to be interviewed, first in Sweden before he left, and then subsequently in the UK (including at the Swedish Embassy), either in person or by telephone, videoconferencing or email and he has also offered to make a sworn statement on affidavit. All of these offers have been flatly refused by a prosecutor who is abusing her powers by insisting that he return to Sweden at his own expense to be subjected to another media circus that she will orchestrate. Pursuing a warrant in this circumstance is entirely unnecessary and disproportionate. This action is in contravention both of European Conventions and makes a mockery of arrangements between Sweden and the United Kingdom designed to deal with just such situations. This behavior is not a prosecution, but a persecution. Before leaving Sweden Mr. Assange asked to be interviewed by the prosecution on several occasions in relation to the allegations, staying over a month in Stockholm, at considerable expense and despite many engagements elsewhere, in order to clear his name. Eventually the prosecution told his Swedish lawyer Bjorn Hurtig that he was free to leave the country, without interview, which he did."
Once arrested, Julian Assange can be extradited to the U.S. since the U.S. government has been seeking a way to press charges against him through the "Espionage Act, a law created at the time of the WWI. The U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder said: "We believe that crimes have been committed here and we are in the process of investigating these crimes." And the press secretary, Robert Gibbs went even further, considering Wikileaks guilty even before charges were made: "Wikileaks and the people who disseminate this information are criminals."
This means that Julian Assange's life is in danger, not only because of the possibility of him being extradited to the U.S. but especially because Congressmen from that country has been publicly calling for Julian Assange's execution.
We want to appeal to all organizations and social movements in the world who struggle for freedom of speech and democratization of information to join us and declare their support for the Wikileaks site and its founder Julian Assange.
Independent Media Center - Brazil.
