First They Came for Assange: Panel discussion (2016)

A panel and reception marking the 4th anniversary of Julian Assange’s refuge in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London and the ongoing struggle for his freedom.

On February 5, 2016 the United Nations found that Julian Assange had been illegally detained without charges for more than 5 years and ordered his immediate release. The UK and Sweden have defied the ruling, forcing him to remain for over four years at the Ecuadorian Embassy in London, where he received political asylum but has been unable to fully enjoy his rights by traveling to Ecuador without risking detention by UK authorities. The lengthy and difficult process to achieve his freedom continues.

This event will also focus on threats whistleblowers face around the world, and the importance of investigative journalism and transparency in today's world of mass surveillance, hidden agendas and covert wars. The struggle to protect journalists, whistleblowers and others, who, with courage and determination expose the truths essential to ensuring strong and durable democratic societies, has become a forefront of the international human rights movement and the global fight for peace and justice.