Wikileaks has denounced Tuesday that the authorities of Belmarsh prison, where activist and founder of the organization, Julian Assange, is imprisoned, have prevented him from participating in the European Parliament’s Sakharov Prize award ceremony, an event scheduled for Wednesday.
The organization has indicated in a brief statement that the prison authorities have not granted the relevant permission to the also journalist and programmer, and has confirmed that, instead, his wife, Stella, will participate telematically.
Thus, Assange will not be able to participate in the events prior to the ceremony, such as seminars and press conferences, despite the fact that «more than 40 MEPs chose him as a candidate to receive the award this year», as Wikileaks has stressed.
«Julian’s nomination is a sign of the support he has from human rights groups around the world, as well as recognition of his work for peace and justice,» said Stella, who will deliver a message on behalf of Assange.
In addition, he will attend the ceremony of delivery of the Sarajev this Wednesday at 12.00 following the invitation sent by the President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola.
Wikileaks has taken the opportunity to recall that «Assange remains in custody in a UK maximum security prison, where he has been held since he was arrested in April 2019.» «He has been indicted in the United States for disseminating information about the Iraq and Afghanistan wars and torture programs. He faces up to 175 years in prison,» the organization lamented.
In this regard, it has stressed that the governor of the prison in question has denied the requests of MEPs and political groups that «requested Assange’s presence via telematics for the Sakharov ceremony.» «The governor has prevented his presence on the grounds that it is not included in the official visiting regime,» the text states.
