“A curious leaker already knows what awaits him”
Hector Juanetti, Spanish journalist, author of the book “Investigator, accidental spy in the case of Assange and Snowden”.
What do you think of the deal that allowed Julian Assange to go free?
There are two types. In principle, I consider the agreement positive, as Julian Assange will be freed for the first time after 14 years of persecution and 12 years of imprisonment, five in a maximum security prison in the United Kingdom and seven in a consulate in Ecuador. However, there is another area that I find even more troubling, and that is that no matter how much agreement there is for a charge, torturing the disclosure of confidential information in the public interest is condoned. Citizens, maintained, and anyone who wants to do it in the future already know what awaits him.
You are setting a bad precedent…
I don’t think it would set a bad precedent because the deal seemed favorable to me and it was what Julian wanted to finally be freed. They have also said that they will fight for an apology in the United States once he is released. Condemning and harassing a citizen for publishing sensitive topics sets a bad precedent.
Do you think he would get a fair trial in the US if extradited?
This is not a personal belief, but rather the belief of the British courts, which did not take the decision to extradite Julian Assange because they themselves felt that he did not have sufficient guarantees for a fair trial. They also had no guarantee that Julian would not commit suicide.
What does this result mean for investigative journalism?
What did he contribute? WikiLeaks This is a basic one. Finally, information of interest is disclosed. One of the first videos they accessed and aired was of Iraqi civilians being killed by American helicopters, and I don’t think these are things that should be covered up. A lot of things have come out that threaten people’s privacy and I don’t think governments should hide that either. Investigative journalism exists to investigate and reveal what many governments don’t want to know, but citizens want to know. WikiLeaks is a reference in that sense.
Is the Assange case going to affect investigative journalism and will we get fewer complaints?
I understand that fear is a factor at work. Ultimately, a person in a position like Julian Assange, Chelsea Manning, and Edward Snowden already has a hint of what they might face, which is very devastating on a personal level. Later, fear can play a fundamental role, and for 14 years Julian’s persecution, ill health, and recovery precede him. So, if you have access to sensitive information and want to release it, now you know what you could face, and it’s not so good.
