On the 23rd February the editors received this message from the President of Timor-Leste, José Manuel Ramos-Horta.
Let Assange Be Free to Return to Australia
J Ramos-Horta 21 February 2024
I do not comment on the substance and merit of the case against JULIAN ASSANGE. As an informed and concerned person who deeply values media freedom, I just hope that sanity, justice and humanity prevail and Assange is let free to return to his native Australia.
So many young lives were lost in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, on all sides involved, so many lies and half truths were said by all involved, so many more were wounded and rendered disabled and traumatised. Why continue to haunt someone who shared official communications with the public without endangering anyone’s life in the process.
The US is far greater than the pettiness of revenge, it should be far greater in wisdom and humanity, it should simply close this dark chapter of US recent wars.
Accompanying this message is some background from a close associate and former team member.
For Julian Assange
In my role as the spokeswoman for the East Timorese resistance movement working to Jose Ramos Horta during the 1990’s, we relied on a free and fair media populated by journalists with a passion and a capacity for truth seeking and truth telling. Unafraid of consequences they would run stories because they were in the public interest, roughly translated that is ‘in the interest of humanity’. Julian did that. That was the right thing to do. He is a truth teller, a whistle blower, a man born for this moment.
The United States of America have made Julian a hero because, for some reason they have developed a fear of the light of truth. And, in so doing they have created the most important voice of our time. From now on, the world’s attention is on Julian.
As humans, we all live on this planet together, regardless of how differently each of us does life. But one thing is for sure, the ongoing state of all of our lives, peace and the healthy democratic practice that underpins it, the responsibility of nation states to uphold these values, have been placed fairly and squarely in the public’s eye.We are all watching. This gaze represents an opportunity for the US to humbly admit to its wrong doing and put reparations in place.
Margherita Tracanelli
Julian does not need pardoning because he has not done anything wrong. He has not broken any laws. He has acted only in the interests of justice, democracy, rule of law and the peace and stability of humanity on this planet. He is the Voice. He spoke up, no one else did.
Respect him, honour him. Bring him home, compensate him and then, release all whistle blowers who have been incarcerated for telling the truth.
It is time for the US to shine. Imagine it, I can.
Former CNRM (National Council Maubere Resistance) Media &
Communication Director
1992-1999