• Strong Support For Wikileaks Publisher's Immediate Release Among Michigan Greens

(DETROIT, MI – 04/15/2019) Leaders and members of the Green Party of Michigan issued strong reactions to the arrest of Wikileaks publisher Julian Assange by Metropolitan Police officers last Thursday. Greens cited journalistic freedoms and whistleblower protections should be available to Assange, who has been confined inside the Ecuadorian Embassy in London since 2012.

Green Party Of Michigan
www.migreenparty.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 15, 2019

Contact:
Jennifer V. Kurland, Communications Manager, (313) 349-3929, [email protected]

The Justice Department announced charges against Assange last Thursday, associating the publisher with engaging in a conspiracy with Chelsea Manning allegedly helping Manning to crack a government password associated with the Wikileaks release of files documenting proof of US war crimes in 2010.

"One of the core tenants of the Green Party is that of grassroots democracy which extends to the first amendment's protection of freedom of speech and its coveted political speech," said newly elected Green Party of Michigan Chairperson, D. Etta Wilcoxon of Detroit. "We as a party believe that due process demands that investigations go where the facts lead us. We believe in journalistic access to information, and we believe that information must flow freely to the public. Our system of jurisprudence has already run its course, and the federal grand jury did not come back with an indictment."

"Protection for whistleblowers and for journalists to guide and protect their sources are constitutionally protected by the first amendment," remarked Jennifer Kurland, Communications Manager for the party's State Central Committee. "The political speech expressed by Assange must not be abridged or criminalized. By exposing war crimes and governmental corruption to the public, Julian Assange has repeatedly displayed journalistic integrity and a commitment to the public's right-to-know. To extradite Assange for alleged crimes that were already judged by a federal grand jury, without charges filed, under the Obama Administration further demonstrates how the Trump Administration is attacking our Constitutional rights. The Green Party of Michigan unilaterally calls for his immediate release and the end to all extradition processes."

Other Michigan Greens sounded off about the arrest on social media. "We just celebrated the 30th anniversary of the Whistleblower Protection Act" one Green Party member noted. "I don't think it's a coincidence that we're seeing this action against Assange in defiance of that anniversary." Other Greens chimed in with supportive comments and outright demands for his release. Anyone who believes in freedom of the press also stands with this topic, which been trending across social media platforms since the news broke. Support for Assange continues to be strong as activists continue to demonstrate in the UK and at US and British Embassies across the globe.

Green Party of Michigan Chairperson D. Etta Wilcoxon is available for interview about the party's position regarding the Assange arrest controversy. To schedule an interview, contact Communications Manager Jennifer V. Kurland at [email protected] or by phone/text at (313) 349-3929

The Green Party of Michigan is a state-level political party committee that is registered with the Michigan Department of State. The party nominates candidates for public office and is committed to upholding ten key values that guide the political philosophy illustrated in the party's platform. For more information about the Green Party of Michigan, please visit their official website, located at http://www.migreenparty.org/