Paul Gavan (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Many congratulations to the Leader.

As this is World Press Freedom Day, I once again wish to raise the case of Julian Assange. Julian is now entering his fifth year of incarceration in one of the harshest prison regimes in Europe, namely, Belmarsh Prison. He spends 22 out of every 24 hours in his 8 ft by 12 ft cell. He receives his food through a hatch. He has only ever seen his children, who are aged four and five, within the confines of a prison. The UN special rapporteur on torture has confirmed that he is victim of torture under this regime and the UN rapporteur on arbitrary detention has confirmed that he is being arbitrarily detained. All of this is happening for one simple reason, one which all of us know, namely, that he told the truth. He told the truth about war crimes in relation to Afghanistan, Iraq and, specifically, the torture and imprisonment of 780 Muslim men and boys in Guantanamo Bay. Yet, now he finds himself in exactly the same position as those detainees in Guantanamo, all because he told the truth.

Jean-Paul Sartre famously said, “Every word has consequences. Every silence, too.” The body politic in this country has been silent on this issue for far too long. If we passionately believe in press freedom and its importance, how can we ever mention those words and not mention Julian Assange?

I call for an urgent debate. I also call on the Leader to make a simple statement, as others in her European group and members of the European People’s Party, EPP, have done, by simply calling for Julian’s freedom. She should do this one service on international World Press Freedom Day. I ask that the Leader please call for Julian’s freedom.