Assange: "Release Bradley Manning"
Speaking from the balcony of the Ecuadorian embassy in London on Sunday, WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange called for the United States government to release Bradley Manning, the American solider alleged to have been the source of diplomatic cables leaked by Assange's organisation. The Australian said the United States was fighting a war against media organisations like WikiLeaks.
The speech called on President Obama "to do the right thing" and stop the American government's "witch hunt" against WikiLeaks, and said the US administration's war on whistleblowers must end, and called for the release of Bradley Manning.
Assange went on to mention the two year sentences in Russia against the members of Pussy Riot as an example of the oppression of free speech, but said nothing about his own fate. The London Police have said he would be arrested as soon as he steps outside the embassy, so he can be extradited to Sweden.
Earlier in the ten-minute address, he thanked Ecuador and the Ecuadorian people for their hospitality and the nations of Latin America for defending the right to asylum.
He also thanked the people of Australia, the UK, the US and Sweden who have supported him even though their governments have not.
Julian Assange also expressed his thanks to the members and supporters of WikiLeaks and apologized to his family and said they would be reunited soon.
