The journalist’s persecution was revenge for publishing embarrassing information, Aitor Martinez says
Aitor Martinez, one of Julian Assange’s lawyers, has stated that the Julian Assange saga clearly demonstrates the US’s use of “national security” as a “veil” to conceal war crimes.
The lawyer added that the years-long persecution of the publisher and the extradition case have created a dangerous precedent that threatens the very foundation of press freedom.
Martinez suggested that the Assange case had become increasingly detrimental to the US administration, prompting the emergence of numerous groups advocating for his release and effectively transforming into a global movement.
“The US administration had been pushing for the extradition process until recently, and indeed, just a few weeks ago, they had even provided diplomatic assurances seeking the effective handover of Julian Assange. However, in recent times, a citizen movement has emerged against this extradition, and I believe there is no corner of the world where a ‘Free Assange’ movement has not sprung up,” the lawyer stated.
The timing of the abrupt resolution of this long-standing affair likely stems from the impending US presidential elections and the ongoing campaign, where it was destined to surface in some form. Martinez noted that the case “in some way tarnished the image of the United States before the world” because it “meant the political persecution of a journalist who simply published truthful information that evidenced the commission of serious war crimes.”
“Therefore, unquestionably, the Assange case would have arisen in the framework of the presidential debates, and this was the only way to end a case that undeniably did not play in favor of the image of the US in the world,” he said.
While Washington politicians ultimately chose to conclude this matter, Martinez asserted that the US intelligence community viewed it as a personal vendetta against the journalist.
“This case was being radically pushed by the US intelligence establishment and mainly by the CIA as a form of revenge against Julian Assange for the material he had published, which in some way had revealed the shame of the US military in operations abroad,” he said.