WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is set to speak before the Council of Europe in Strasbourg next week, marking his first public appearance since his release from prison in June, according to a statement from WikiLeaks. Assange, 53, will address the Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) on Tuesday. His testimony comes after a PACE investigative report on his five-year detention at London's Belmarsh prison. Prior to his imprisonment, Assange spent seven years in the Ecuadorian embassy in London after seeking asylum.

The report, cited by WikiLeaks, classifies Assange as a political prisoner and urges the UK to conduct an independent investigation into possible inhuman or degrading treatment during his detention. It also highlights concerns over governments using legal and extra-legal measures to suppress dissent, posing a threat to press freedom and human rights. Assange's team indicated that he is "recovering" after returning to Australia and that he will speak publicly at his own discretion. His wife, Stella, has emphasized that he needed time to "rediscover freedom" after years of confinement.

Assange's upcoming appearance in France follows an exceptional invitation and reflects the support he has received from PACE members. His release in June occurred after he appeared before a judge in Saipan, a US territory in the Pacific, where he pleaded guilty to one charge, leading to the US dropping 17 other espionage-related charges. Due to the time served at Belmarsh, much of it in solitary confinement, he was allowed to leave. From the UK, he traveled to Saipan after a plea deal that ended the international legal proceedings brought by the US government.

WikiLeaks, which gained global attention for publishing classified US military documents, has made Assange a prominent figure for free speech advocates. These supporters argue that his actions exposed wrongdoing by the US military. Assange's planned extradition to the US, approved by UK Home Secretary Priti Patel in 2022, was overturned by the UK High Court after his return to Australia. US authorities have consistently argued that Assange's activities endangered national security. WikiLeaks' revelations included reports on civilian casualties in Afghanistan and Iraq, and one instance detailed a US airstrike in Baghdad that killed two Reuters journalists, among other civilians.

Copyright (c) Novinite.com. Published with permission via Big News Network news agency