Speaking to the Council of Europe in Strasbourg today, the Wikileaks founder and whistleblower, Julian Assange, reflected on the plea deal that recently set him free, saying he “eventually chose freedom over unrealizable justice”.
He added, “I am not free today because the system worked. I am free today after years of incarceration because I pled guilty to journalism.”
Urging European lawmakers to defend freedom of expression, Assange also warned that “The criminalization of news-gathering activities is a threat to investigative journalism everywhere.”, and legal protection for journalists and whistleblowers “only existed on paper”.