CoE Rapporteur on WhistleBlowers, Waserman to EF: Assange's Freedom must be Protected !
*Strasbourg/CoE/Angelo Marcopolo/- World Famous, Controversial "Wiki-Leaks" co-Founder, Long-Time Persecuted and Recently Jailed in the UK Leader Julian Assange's Freedom Rights should be Protected, mainly Because his Activism is Part of the overall Process of Journalists' Work, stressed to "Eurofora" CoE's Rapporteur on WhistleBlowers, Sylvain Waserman, vice-President of the French National Assembly, whose Conclusions on "Improving the Protection of WhistleBlowers all over Europe" are scheduled to be Debated and Voted Tomorrow in Strasbourg, by the PanEuropean Parliamentary Assembly of the 47 Member States-strong Organisation for Human Rights, Democracy and Rule of Law, just Before a landmark Speech by French President Emmanuel Macron, on the occasion of the celebration of CoE's 70th Anniversary 1949-2019.
The Move comes while a relevant Controversy has Recently become very "Hot", particularly in the USA, which have notoriously Asked for Assange's Extradition, since Even Traditionnal, Former "Free Speech" outlets, such as "Washington Post" Newspaper and other "Liberal/Leftist" actors, are Now Publishing, on the Contrary, Ferocious Libbels Against "WikiLeaks" and Assange in particular, Accused to be "Not a Free Press Hero", "Neither a Journalist, Nor a WhistleBlower", but only "a Foreigner" (sic !), who may have allegedly comploted with the Russians in order to interfere in the 2016 American Presidential Election, against Dem. Party's former Candidate Hillary Clinton, as Controversial former Attorney Mueller's notorious Enquiry, (Often Denounced as a Partisan "Witchhand" by US President Don Tump and other "Deep State" Critics, even of an Anti-Establishment's Left), strived vainly to establish, with uncertain results.
CoE's Rapporteur had Never Taken explicitly any position on Assange's concrete Case until now, as he Reminded "Eurofora" Today, and his Report, Focused mainly on Proposals for Legislative Reforms to Protect "WhistleBlowers" in general, appears quite Balanced, and, at least in its Current Version as a "Draft" Bill, (as Recently Voted in a CoE Meeting in Paris), Even contains a sentence with vague but real Criticism of "Wikileaks" in general.
But, surprisingly, Today, he took an apparently Crystal-Clear stance for the ImPrisoned Activist's Freedom of Expresssion Rights, while he Recently Confirmed, Also, CoE's Support for the Number 1 World Famous "WhistleBlower", Edward Snowden, for whom, it's Also a Previous CoE's Rapporteur, Peter Omtzigt, a ChristianDemocrat/EPP from the Netherlands, who has Already Pleaded to give him "Asylum" : Something that former French President Hollande's Government had Declined to do, and, as even recently a French Minister also repeated, But New French President Macron has Not Yet explicitly confirmed or changed such a position, while Snowden has Just, notoriously, Revived his Asylum Demand to a Western European Country as France.
Waserman had organized, recently at the CoE in Strasbourg, a landmark Tele-Debate with Snowden, under the auspices of the competent COE Assembly's Committee, where "Eurofora" and other Journalists participated in a 2 Questions/Replies Topical exchange with the World Famous Whistleblower, (See: http://www.eurofora.net/newsflashes/news/snowdenfriendshelpwhistleblowers.html + http://www.eurofora.net/newsflashes/news/snowdenlaughonlongmuellerspyingtrump.html).
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IzGI-bqc2NA&app=desktop
Concerning Assange, Recently a "Pink Floyd" Legend Rock Group member, Roger Waters, exceptionally performed their landmark Song "I Wish You Were Here !", right in front of the UK's JHA Ministry in London, where Thousands of People had Gathered, in order to Ask "Freedom for Assange", (Comp.: http://www.eurofora.net/newsflashes/news/muellerand911.html, etc), that a UNO Panel of Top Human Rights Experts has notoriously Found to be a Victim of Manifold and Repeated Violations of his Basic Rights, for Too Long, already Since he was Tracked and Obliged to Seek Refuge in Ecuador's Embassy in London, until a Political Change of Leadership in that Latin-American Country provoked his Expulsion and Delivery to UK's Police arrest, which was Searching for him since a Forgotten, former Demand by Sweden's "Socialist" Authorities, Pretexting of a Controversial Private Affair, which had been, meanwhile, even Officialy Droped, but, suddenly revived...
+ It's also a quasi-homonymous, but unrelated, Specialist Expert, Professor from Berkeley University on Journalism, Dr. Edward Wasserman, who recently Published, Both at Berkeley's own Media outlet, and in a "New York Times" Op., a landmak Article on "Julian Assange, and the Woeful State of Whistle Blowers" accross the World, who, "as the Medias' indispensable HelpMates", should "Deserve a Constitutional Protection too", as he concludes.
But CoE's Rapporteur, French MEP Sylvain Waserman (from Macron's own Political Party), told "Eurofora" that he didn't even know yet exactly that, apparently Similar, position taken by USA's University Professor Edward Wasserman, with whom he seems, Now, to quite agree, at least in Substance.
Previously, it's also a former EU Parliament's Rapporteur on WhistleBlowers, a Small Centrist Party's Leader, former MEP Virginie Rogier, who Replying to "Eurofora"s relevant Questions at a Press Conference in Strasbourg, clearly Pleaded for Assange's need to Protection, as a matter of General Principle, (See : ..., etc).
But CoE, as PanEuropean Organisation for Human Rights, Democracy and Rule of Law, which Now Celebrates its 70th Anniversary (1949-2019) also by boasting that, contrary to UNO's Historic "Universal Declaration on Human Rights", its European Version added also some Legal and Political Mecanisms due to seek Practical Implementation of such Rules, in order to Protect Victims of Human Rights' Violatons, is reaally Put at a Timely "Test".
The UK, which is notoriously, still Struggling Nowadays with its "BREXIT" Popular Plans to Leave the EU, on the Contrary, stcks to its Membership in the CoE, being Proud for Winston Churchill a.o.'s Historic Role for its Creation, since back on 1949, and even "BREXIT" Party's Leader, Top MEP Nigel Farage, has told "Eurofora" in Brussels, that if he enters into the House of Commons, he would Like to participate in the UK's National Delegation at CoE's PanEuropean Parliamentary Assembly...
(../..)
(DraftNews)
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The recent paradox of freezing EU Talks with front-runner Croatia, while continuing controversial EU - Turkey talks, despite Zagreb's acceptance of Refugees' Human Rights to return, that Ankara refuses fex. in Cyprus, while both have "Good Neighborhood" problems vis a vis Slovenia, or Greece, Cyprus and Armenia respectively, can it be justified by the non-fullfilment of EU criteria, as Slovenia says, or, is it "Double Standards" ?
The question became unavoidable after statements by Presidents of Slovenia and Croatia, Tuerk and Mesic, respectively, to "EuroFora", exclusively or among Strasbourg's journalists this week at the CoE, on the sidelines of its 2009 Summer University for Political Schools, which topically brought them together as successive key-note speakers.
Comming only a few Months before EU checks Turkey's compliance to its commitments on Cyprus, etc., scheduled for December 2009, this obviously has a special importance for the coherence of EU Enlargement's principles.
Suspension of EU Negotiations is a normal consequence in case of a Candidate Country's failure to fullfil EU Conditions, such as "Good Neighborhood relations", stressed at first Slovenian President Danilo Tuerk, current CoE's chair.
But, regarding EU's Criteria, there shouldn't be any "Double Standards", reacted Croatian President Stjepan Mesic, commenting the fact that Turkey's controversial EU negotiations continue, while they were recently "freezed" in the case of Croatia, an "unquestionably European Country", which oficially accepts to respect Refugees Human Rights, contrary to Ankara's notorious refusals or reluctance.
Questioned earlier what "consequences on EU's Enlargement policy" can have the "Ban on EU Membership Negotiations", imposed to Croatia, Tuerk replied that "this question comes down to the fulfillement of (EU) Criteria for membership. One has to look at each Candidate Country ., from the point of view whether it fullfils the Criteria that EU has set. One of them are Good Neighborhood Relations, I'd like to remind. And also, there are other factors, such as Justice, Home affairs, Rule of Law, and others".
- "Now, ..Candidate Countries are at Different Levels of fulfillement of Criteria", he observed.
- " Croatia is obviously the closest to that. I'm rather optimistic : I think that in the coming Months we'll have an opportunity to look at all these issues constructively and hopefully we'll be able to make progress". "My main concern, at this point, is the situation in Bosnia : We haven't seen enough progres domesticaly. We haven't seen enough during ..political parties within their country.We need a New Energy, a new energetic move towards the Candidature for EU membership. "Other (Western Balkan) Countries (Serbia, Montenegro, FYROM, Albania) have been making soaring Progress, and I think that they should be ready, in a few Years, for the Candidate status".
- "As far as the Western Balkans are concerned, .. nobody should be left outside" the EU, Slovenian's President concluded, ommitting to mention Turkey's controversial EU bid.
- "This process may be seen as Slow, but.. Slovenia has also has also been exposed to various "Booms of Slowness" in our accession period. But now we can say that the process was relatively quick, because changes which occur after becoming EU member, are quite large, and they require proper Preparations before the (EU) membership becomes a new factor, an impacting line for a new (EU) member country".
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EU "Solidarity" ?
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Slovenian statements made some participants from certain 3rd Countries as FYROM, etc. claim that "the Principle of EU Solidarity" would "produce a.. rising European Union Nationalism (sic !), against Non-EU Countries", as they said, asking unhappy foreign countries to form a "bloc" to exert pressure on the EU...
But Croatian President Stjepan Mesic dismissed that, supporting "EU Integration", "after the Economy also in Political" issues, as "the achievement" of our times. In EU there is "diversity, but it's United", he stressed, "EU has to be United so that it can become a central factor of Peace" also at the surrounding areas, he replied.
Speaking later exclusively to "EuroFora", the experienced twice President of Croatia, former President of the International "Non-Aligned" movement, denounced "Double Standards" in the way EU treats recently Croatia compared to Turkey :
- "I think that there shouldn't be Double Standards", stressed the Croatian President, in reply to a Question comparing the freeze of EU - Croatia talks, with the continuation of EU - Turkey talks, despite the fact that Croatia is an "unquestionably European country", while Turkey's EU bid is notoriously controversial.
Mesic was reacting to the observation that, even if he confirmed his "respect of Refugees' Human Rights to return, etc. (See infra), nevertheless, EU talks are suspended with Croatia.. While for oher, controversial candidates, who refuse to respect Refugees' Rights to return, etc., as fex. Turkey does in occupied Cyprus and elsewhere, EU negotiations continue".
- "I believe that Croatia's accession will confirm that all European Countries who fulfill all of the Conditions and achieve European Standards, have to join the EU. There shouldn't be any Double Standards", went on to add in reply President Mesic.
In this relation, Croatia's President found "of paramount importance", CoE's "mechanisms enforcing ECHR's judgements"
- "On Refugees and Displaced persons, the process will be completed only after the last person demanding to return will be allowed to do so !", President Mesic Croatia stressed earlier, setting a general standard of obvious importance also for otherr candidates, as f.ex. Turkey, often accused to exclude or heavily restrict Greek Cypriot Displaced persons' return to their Family Homes and ancestral land, provoke difficulties to Turkish-Kurd IDPs return to their home regions at the South-East, etc.
Some "2.000 People are still reported Missing" in former Yugoslavia, for some Years, (as in Cyprus, modern Europe's oldest case, for 3 Decades. Nagorno-Karabach, Tcecnya in Russia, etc, more recently), and Investigations "will only be completed after establishing the fate of the last one of them", he added.
Speaking earlier on "War Crimes", President Mesic stressed that "Leaders are responsible for (the) Wars (of the Past), not the People", and called against Impunity : "Individuals have to be held Responsible for Crimes. International Penal Tribunals have to persecute those individuals", perpetrators of War Crimes, he underlined.
Such statements naturally made Mesic rather popular at ECHR, whose President, French EuroJudge, Professor Jean-Paul Costa, looked particularly smiling when he welcomed him later on Wednesday afternoon, after Slovenian President Daniko Tuerk earlier this week.
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