Three Out of Four Journalists Ignoring Julian Assange's Plight
Four journalists were recently banned from Twitter - but three out them failed to mention Julian Assange's plight while one cheered on his imprisonment instead - demonstrating how easily we forget about those whose voices are suppressed when it does not directly affect us or our own interests
Dec. 24, 2022 2:32AM
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In the past week, four journalists have been temporarily banned from Twitter for their posts. While these journalists have pranced around like free press martyrs, three out of the four have failed to mention Julian Assange in any of their posts. Julian Assange is an Australian computer programmer and founder of WikiLeaks who has been imprisoned since April 2019. He was arrested by British police after being evicted from the Ecuadorian embassy in London, where he had been living since 2012. The United States government has charged him with 17 counts under the Espionage Act and one count of conspiracy to commit computer intrusion. His extradition hearing is scheduled for February 2021. The lack of attention paid to Assange’s plight by these journalists is concerning, as his case is a crucial example of how freedom of speech can be threatened in today’s digital age. These bans serve as a reminder that even those with significant platforms can be silenced if they are seen as too critical or controversial by powerful entities such as social media companies or governments. The only journalist out of the four who has mentioned Assange on Twitter is @atrupar, but instead it was to cheer on both the Trump and Biden administrations for imprisoning him. This further demonstrates how easily we can forget about those whose voices are suppressed when it does not directly affect us or our own interests. It is essential that we remember those who are persecuted for speaking truth to power, especially during times when censorship appears to be increasing at an alarming rate due to powerful entities silencing dissenters online and offline alike. We must stand up against censorship whenever possible and continue to fight for freedom of speech everywhere - including defending Julian Assange’s right to speak freely without fear of imprisonment or other forms of retribution from governments or corporations alike.