Pirate Party Australia, a political party dedicated to defending digital rights, personal privacy, and promoting government transparency, proudly announces its endorsement of the Brisbane Assange Campaign and the upcoming conference, “The Persecution of Truth.” The event will be held on 30 April 2023, at the State Library of Queensland Auditorium 1 in South Brisbane.

As a long-time advocate for free speech, press freedom, and government accountability, Pirate Party Australia recognises the importance of supporting the cause of Julian Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks. His work in exposing government wrongdoing and advocating for transparency aligns with the party’s core values and mission.

The conference, featuring an impressive line-up of speakers, including John Shipton, Julian Assange’s father, Afghan War whistleblower David McBride, and members of Assange’s legal team, will delve into Assange’s achievements, his ongoing persecution, and the role of journalism in modern society.

Pirate Party Australia encourages its members and supporters to attend “The Persecution of Truth” conference to demonstrate solidarity with Assange and raise awareness about the broader implications of his case for press freedom, individual liberties, and democracy. The event offers attendees a unique opportunity to engage in discussions and plan for future actions to support Assange and his cause.

Together, we can build a movement that challenges the status quo, supports press freedom, and fights for the rights of whistleblowers and truth-tellers.

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Pirate Party Australia endorses the following statement from Pirate Parties International:

Due to the military actions of the Russian and Belarusian regimes against the democratic state of Ukraine and its citizens, PPI expresses with this open letter its full support, sympathy and solidarity with our friends, colleagues, and the people of Ukraine.

Cooperation, dialogue, tolerance, mutual support, and democracy are firmly believed in within our community of pirates. We condemn the brutal invasion of Ukraine, the killing of its citizens, and the imprisonment of protestors in Russia and Belarus. As a global community committed to fully developing human freedoms, we stand for human rights, freedom, and democracy and call on all parties concerned to do the same.

We offer all possible assistance in this situation to the Ukrainian pirates, as well as to all people of Ukraine who are suffering from war and fighting for freedom. Our thoughts are also with our colleagues in Russia and Belarus, who are forced to watch but are powerless to help in the face of government-initiated aggression against their and our principles.

We are free people, but the current situation affects all of us, both citizens of Europe and members of the PPI family. Sadly, we have to admit that the current situation does not allow us to continue our activities in cooperation with Russia and Belarus at the national representative level. PPI will no longer organize events in Russia or Belarus, and PPI board members will not accept invitations to speak or participate in events organized by governments of these countries.

As a democratic organization, PPI understands that Russian/Belarusian aggression causes collateral damage to all people of goodwill worldwide. Therefore, PPI will not hinder individual assistance to Russian and Belarusian colleagues in accessing critical information or freely sharing knowledge. We trust that our friends and colleagues in Russia and Belarus who condemn this war will understand and support PPI’s approach.

With this statement and our actions, we show solidarity with friends, colleagues, and families affected by this terrible humanitarian tragedy. We join others in calling for an end to this war and respect for democracy and international humanitarian law.

“Since his arrest and imprisonment by UK authorities, we have seen the US Government take the draconian action of compiling charges which would result in the imprisonment of Assange for 175 years [1], an assessment by a UN body seeing Assange as the victim of concerted abuse involving 4 democratic nation states over numerous years [2], and a misleading statement being issued by the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) over accusations of its failure to protect a citizen [3]”, said John August, Deputy President of Pirate Party Australia.

Nils Melzer, UN Special Rapporteur on Torture and Professor of International Law, University of Glasgow, speaks to the effect that Julian Assange’s situation has had on his mental health, with his comments that “in addition to physical ailments, Mr. Assange showed all symptoms typical for prolonged exposure to psychological torture, including extreme stress, chronic anxiety and intense psychological trauma.” He further comments that: “In the course of the past nine years, Mr. Assange has been exposed to persistent, progressively severe abuse ranging from systematic judicial persecution and arbitrary confinement in the Ecuadorian embassy, to his oppressive isolation, harassment and surveillance inside the embassy, and from deliberate collective ridicule, insults and humiliation, to open instigation of violence and even repeated calls for his assassination.” [2]

Along with two medical specialists, Professor Melzer visited Mr. Assange in Belmarsh high security prison in early May, concluding: “The evidence is overwhelming and clear. Mr. Assange has been deliberately exposed, for a period of several years, to progressively severe forms of cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, the cumulative effects of which can only be described as psychological torture.” Further, he comments: “I fear if that pressure is not alleviated soon it might escalate in terms of the psychological consequences – and I think that’s what we’re now seeing.” Commenting on Australian assistance for Assange, Mr. Melzer said: “Australia is a glaring absence in this case. They’re just not around, as if Assange was not an Australian citizen. That is not the correct way of dealing with that.” [4]

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The vicious attacks on the Al Noor and Linwood Mosques in Christchurch yesterday are wholeheartedly condemned by Pirate Party Australia. We send our heartfelt condolences to the victims and their families, and to the Muslim communities of Australia and New Zealand. This atrocity will not go unanswered and the Pirate Party will continue to fight to remove far right extremists like Fraser Anning and Pauline Hanson from our Parliament.

The comments made by Fraser Anning shortly after the act of terror, shifting the blame to a fantasy view of an “increasing Muslim presence” and claiming that Islam is a “Violent Ideology” are utterly condemned by the Pirate Party. The racist and insidious comments of politicians like Anning and Hanson must be held to account. We must not elect such people into government in Australia’s future, as they will never represent Australians as a whole and multicultural nation.

Pirate Party Australia includes people from many different beliefs and backgrounds and it is our hope that this is what makes us stronger as a nation and to help support the people we represent. Today, our Muslim New Zealand cousins deserve that same support, love and respect.

It is our job as a nation to call out racism, hatred and bigotry wherever it festers and to bring it into the light so that it does not survive. Our politicians must lead from the front. Hatred trickles down, and yesterday we saw the consequences.

We strongly support the actions of Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and her immediate call to change gun laws in New Zealand.

With love and respect,

Sara Joyce
Senate Candidate (NSW)
on behalf of Pirate Party Australia