Julian Assange to Make First Post-Release Public Appearance

Wikileaks founder Julian Assange will make his first public appearance since being freed from a UK prison when he addresses the human rights organisation Council of Europe on Oct. 1. He will also give evidence to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) in Strasbourg. In a recent report, PACE determined that Assange had been held as a political prisoner and that he served a “lengthy detention in a high-security prison despite the political nature of the most severe charges against him.” Based on that report, the committee passed a draft resolution expressing concern at Assange’s “harsh treatment” and warned of its “chilling effect.” It called on the United States, a Council of Europe observer state, to investigate the alleged war crimes and human rights violations disclosed by him and Wikileaks....