Assange says he 'pleaded guilty to journalism' to gain freedom

That's not what the record shows and not what he did.

Wikileaks founder Julian Assange said Tuesday he was released after years of incarceration only because he pleaded guilty to doing "journalism", warning that freedom of expression was now at a "dark crossroads".

Assange was never a journalist. A journalist takes responsibility for what they publish.

Disgusting treatment for reporting the naked truth. More US hypocrisy on show!

That's correct - the record shows him exposing shocking mass US war crimes against innocents, the coverup and corruption in general

Strange article. Why does it not mention any of what Assange actually said yesterday? He said that the CIA tried to assassinate him within the Ecuadorian embassy, tried to attain DNA from his sixth-month-old son, had a CIA asset permanently track his wife, and attempted to hack and plant false information.

https://x.com/Ultrafrog17/status/1841154903537811492

"We revealed the CIA's vast production of malware and viruses, it's subversion of supply chains...CIA Director Pompeo launched a campaign of retribution… It is now a matter of public record that under Pompeo's explicit direction, the CIA drew up plans to kidnap and to assassinate me within the Ecuadorian embassy in London and authorize going after my European colleagues, subjecting us to theft, hacking attacks, and the planting of false information. My wife and my infant son were also targeted. A CIA asset…was permanently assigned to track my wife, and instructions were given to obtain DNA from my six month old son's Nappy… This is the testimony of more than thirty current and former US intelligence officials speaking to the US press, which has been additionally corroborated by record seized in a prosecution bought against some of the CIA agents involved… The CIA's targeting of myself my family, and my associates through aggressive extrajudicial and extraterritorial means provides a rare insight into how powerful intelligence organizations engage in transnational repression. Such repressions are not unique. What is unique is that we know so much about this one due to numerous whistleblowers and to judicial investigations in Spain."

Assange is an absolute hero, a true legend of journalism. The world needs more like him.

The world doesn't need more hackers and people abusing freedom of the press to target the US only.

And also because he was guilty AF and couldn’t abide the possible consequences.

That's correct - the record shows him exposing shocking mass US war crimes against innocents, the coverup and corruption in general

I agree.

Disgusting treatment for reporting the naked truth. More US hypocrisy on show!

And that is the reason why they wanted to bury the guy. He had so much dirt on the government and exposing that would have embarrassed them as well as casted doubts about the competency and integrity of the U.S. government.

bass4funkToday 07:57 am JST

He had so much dirt on the government and exposing that would have embarrassed them as well as casted doubts about the competency and integrity of the U.S. government.

Cheering for failure is not the activity of a patriot. There will be no government but the one under the US Constitution.

Cheering for failure is not the activity of a patriot.

Ahhh, you don’t get to call me anything. I’m definitely a patriot and bleed red, white and blue, but I think our ruling establishment swamp rats deserve and should be exposed.

There will be no government but the one under the US Constitution.

Yes, once the swamp is abolished we can have a functioning government again, but never when these American hating politicians undermine the American people and all laws and institutions

Assange was never a journalist. A journalist takes responsibility for what they publish.

Oh boy is this a naive statement, or what? Go back to all the lies Fox News has said and not taken responsibility for.

It happens daily.

Assange is over the top and zealous, but he is not wrong.

The American government does a lot of terrible things ‘for the USA’ and to maintain their idea of freedom. It certainly isn’t clean, dirty, but necessary things happen.

I understand the government’s take on Assange, but Wikileaks brought forward many truths.

Opinion on this matter is polarizing, but Wikileaks was about transparency and, yes, true freedom of speech. I support Assange.

And I get the need for security of information due to human nature of POV good and bad.

We always need to be aware that no one plays by the rules in totality, and enemies are part of that nature, so fire for fire, an eye for an eye is a human weakness that will exist as long as humanity exists.

pragmatically, locking up Assange had to be done in the eyes of America, but as an idea, Assange is right. 100%.

bass4funkToday 08:39 am JST

Yes, once the swamp is abolished we can have a functioning government again, but never when these American hating politicians undermine the American people and all laws and institutions

Patriots don't try to throw down democratic governments. Simple as.

sunfunbunToday 09:08 am JS

Assange is such a great journalist his website hasn't been updated since 2021.

Assange is such a great journalist his website hasn't been updated since 2021.

He was in prison.

Patriots don't try to throw down democratic governments. Simple as.

Yes, and I wouldn’t, that’s why I’m so opposed to this admin and the swamp.

Publishing non-validated files isn't journalism. The lack of fact checking is the issue. Of course, validating facts that are govt secrets is nearly impossible.

Embarrassing the USGovt isn't a bad thing, if it is true. We(the US) need some of that from time to time. The source of the data matters. It is easy to change the meaning of a file with just a few key word changes, so if every page isn't compared to the true sources, only people with access to both will know what is and isn't modified.

I have no belief that Assange altered any of the files. Rather, the people who provided them to him likely had motives that are suspect and good reason to slightly modify parts of the files for their own purposes.

I put wikileaks in the same grouping as Twitter or Facebook or other social networks. Journalists have a responsibility beyond dumping files.

Assange shouldn't have been hunted so hard, but he did need some penalty for irresponsible, cough, journalism. No way was he going to be assassinated. That's total bunk.

Oh boy is this a naive statement, or what? Go back to all the lies Fox News has said and not taken responsibility for. 

They have, let’s move on.

It happens daily.

By that standard the msm doing it every 12 seconds.

Thanks Mister Assange for showing to the world the dirty rotten pots of the good old US..

wallaceToday 09:28 am JST

Assange is such a great journalist his website hasn't been updated since 2021.

He was in prison.

So he is the only guy able to update his website? Not exactly a stunningly effective organization is it?

Assange is not a journalist, he has never worked as a journalist, he's never even pretended to be a journalist, he never went to journalism school or even college. He is, however, a career criminal who was kicked out of his home country of Australia and is what caused him further trouble on the lam in Sweden where he committed a string of further crimes before committing the crime of the century in assisting Rupert Murdoch, his mentor, to get Vladimir Putin to overturn the 2016 election. That's a fact, and another undeniable fact is that I'm a better hacker than Assange and Snowden combined.

Legion of Doom

bass4funk, why the hapless futility? You know, like everyone here knows, that as soon as anyone sees your name, they downvote without even having to read your American Republican drivel.

You're not Japanese, you're not in Japan, you have shown you have absolutely no interest in anything Japan. And I am quite surprised the moderators at Japan Today have not simply banned you outright for being a brazen propagandist who takes money from the Kremlin as laid out in the Justice Department report.

The persecution Assange is a huge stain on American promises of democray and freedom of speech. I am glad he survived it, and yes, uncontrolled journalism is a crime in the eyes of the Ministry of Truth.

ZaphodToday 12:15 pm JST

The persecution Assange is a huge stain on American promises of democray and freedom of speech. I am glad he survived it, and yes, uncontrolled journalism is a crime in the eyes of the Ministry of Truth.

As a resident of a nonfree country, I'm not sure you have room to talk.

The persecution Assange is a huge stain on American promises of democray and freedom of speech. I am glad he survived it, and yes, uncontrolled journalism is a crime in the eyes of the Ministry of Truth.

Absolutely!

why the hapless futility?

What are you talking about?

You know, like everyone here knows, that as soon as anyone sees your name, they downvote without even having to read your American Republican drivel.

Now ask me if I care. ROFL!

You're not Japanese,

True

you're not in Japan,

Sometimes

you have shown you have absolutely no interest in anything Japan.

Wrong.

And I am quite surprised the moderators at Japan Today have not simply banned you outright for being a brazen propagandist who takes money from the Kremlin as laid out in the Justice Department report.

Kremlin? You’re really digging desperately now. But what does this have anything to do with Assange?

There will be no government but the one under the US Constitution.

What about the governments of other countries? I'm not a great fan of Assange, but it seems weird to me that his actions in the UK have to abide by US law.

albaleoToday 04:25 pm JST

There will be no government but the one under the US Constitution.

What about the governments of other countries? I'm not a great fan of Assange, but it seems weird to me that his actions in the UK have to abide by US law.

I was referring to US territory but the UK is interested in preventing leaking as well.

I'm not a great fan of Assange, but it seems weird to me that his actions in the UK have to abide by US law.

I find that strange as well

He is, however, a career criminal who was kicked out of his home country of Australia 

How can one be "kicked out of their home country"? Very curious.

Little by little the world is waking up to the dark, criminal, globalist intentions of the self-proclaimed "champion" of freedom..

What a farce of country..

TokyoLivingToday 12:28 am JST

Little by little the world is waking up to the dark, criminal, globalist intentions of the self-proclaimed "champion" of freedom..

What a farce of country..

Better than the face of a country with clapping penguins, concentration camps, and bullying coast guard ships.

There is your democracy, freedom, and liberty.