Il caso Assange: 10 anni di persecuzione, tortura psicologica…

GAMAG Europa, il capitolo regionale della Global Alliance for Media and Gender, lunedì scorso ha accolto favorevolmente la decisione del tribunale inglese di non estradare Julian Assange negli Stati Uniti nel processo sulla libertà di stampa più importante di questo secolo. Ma ieri abbiamo appreso con disappunto che gli è stata rifiutata la possibilità di uscire di prigione sotto cauzione e che quindi deve restare a Belmarsh, il carcere di massima sicurezza di Londra, dove Assange ha già passato un anno e mezzo in isolamento nella sua cella e ha cominciato a soffrire di depressione.

Assange – un giornalista, editore e difensore dei diritti umani – tra gli assassini e i terroristi e con molti casi di COVID 19 nell’ala della prigione dove vive.  La Giudice Baraitser si è rifiutata di considerare la natura politica di questo caso.  Stiamo parlando di giornalismo investigativo e di libertà di stampa. Stiamo parlando di democrazia perché il giornalismo investigativo e la libertà di stampa sono essenziali per la democrazia. Stiamo parlando della sistematica violazione dei diritti umani da parte della Gran Bretagna e degli Stati Uniti.

Ecco perché GAMAG ha seguito questo caso dal 2013, quando l’Unesco ha lanciato il nostro movimento globale per promuovere l’uguaglianza di genere nei e attraverso i media. Julian Assange è detenuto arbitrariamente in Gran Bretagna perché non ha pendenze giudiziarie in questo paese. Perché quindi la Giudice Baraitser si è rifiutata di rilasciarlo? Dove è la logica nel suo ragionamento quando afferma di temere che Assange si possa suicidare se venisse estradato ma continua a tenerlo in una prigione di massima sicurezza?

Dieci anni di persecuzione, tortura psicologica e fisica – come Nils Melzer, l’Incaricato Speciale sulla Tortura delle Nazioni Unite ha pubblicamente denunciato – hanno gravemente danneggiato la salute di Assange.  Julian Assange è innocente. Ha semplicemente fatto il suo lavoro di pubblicare documenti autentici e verificati per rivelare crimini di pubblico interesse. Ma rivelare crimini di guerra commessi dagli Stati Uniti è stato evidentemente un grosso errore perchè hanno deciso di punirlo con 10 anni di persecuzione allo scopo di farne un esempio, per disincentivare altri giornalisti a fare lo stesso.

Se il governo americano può accusare di spionaggio un giornalista australiano che vive in Europa, significa che la libertà di stampa è sotto minaccia in tutto il mondo.

E se due paesi europei, Svezia e Gran Bretagna, aiutano gli americani a farlo, significa che la libertà di stampa è sotto grave attacco non solo negli USA ma anche in Europa.

Chiediamo urgentemente alle Autorità inglesi di rilasciare immediatamente Assange e agli Stati Uniti di lasciar cadere tutte le accuse contro di lui.

Dieci anni di persecuzione, tortura psicologica e fisica sono più che abbastanza.

Europa, 8 gennaio 2021

Julian Assange case: ten years of persecution and psichological…

GAMAG Europe, the regional chapter of the Global Alliance for Media and Gender, welcomed on Monday the UK Court decision not to extradite Julian Assange to the United States of America in the most important court case concerning free speech of this century. But yesterday we learnt with disappointment that he was refused bail and had to stay in Belmarsh, the high security men’s prison in London, where he already spent 1 year and a half in isolation in his cell and started to suffer from depression.

He – a journalist, editor and human rights defender – among murderers and terrorists and with COVID 19 high rates in the prison. Judge Baraitser refused to consider the political nature of this case. It’s about investigative journalism and press freedom. It’s about democracy, as investigative journalism and press freedom are essential for democracy. It’s about UK/USA human rights violation.

That’s why GAMAG followed the case since 2013, when Unesco launched our global movement dedicated to promote gender equality in and through media. Julian Assange is arbitrary detained in UK as he has no charge in this country. Why Judge Baraitser is refusing his release from prison? Where is her logic not to extradite him as she was afraid he would commit suicide but to keep him in a high security prison?

Ten years of persecution and of psychological and of physical torture – as Nils Melzer, Un Special Rapporteur on torture publicy denounced – seriously damaged Assange’s health.

Julian Assange is innocent. He simply did his job to publish verified authentic documents that expose crimes of public interest.

But revealing U.S. war crimes was evidently a big mistake as they decided to punish him with 10 years of persecution to set an example, to disincentivise other journalists to expose US crimes as he did.

If the US government can charge an Australian journalist living in Europe under the Espionage Act, it means they are threatening press freedom everywhere. And if two European countries, Sweden and U.K., help them to do so, it means press freedom is under a serious attack not only in the USA but also in Europe. Now we urge UK authorities to immediately release him and the United States to drop their charges against him. Ten years of persecution and of psychological and physical torture are enough.

Europe, January 7^th, 2021

GAMAG EUROPA (GE) supports Argentina’s Green Wave

GAMAG Europe (GE) greets and encourages Argentine women leading the Green Tide, and, in particular, journalists who work with a gender perspective, so numerous and active in Latin America. We know the work of feminist digital media LATFEM and the Network of Feminist Journalists of Latin America and the Caribbean, and we share their concern regarding the uncertain vote in the Argentine Senate on Tuesday 29th December.

This debate opens a window of opportunity for an entire region that is currently experiencing very restrictive scenarios. If approved, we will be the country with the largest population in Latin America and the Caribbean where abortion is legal”

MARÍA FLORENCIA ALCARAZ, CO-DIRECTOr of LATFEM.

In GE we are sure that their energy will help to overpass a situation that foresees very tight positions in defence of the rights of Argentine women in a framework of democracy.

“This discussion opens a window of opportunity for an entire region that is currently experiencing very restrictive scenarios. If approved, we will be the country with the largest population in Latin America and the Caribbean where abortion is legal,” says María Florencia Alcaraz, co-director of LATFEM.

We are going through quite decisive moments in the long struggle for the right to decide that is about to be conquered. And we are aware of the informational effort made in recent years to explain the injustices that are committed around the latest gender crime, and also of the importance of reporting in the media and social media channels a situation that affects half a million Argentine women every year.

This is why we must continue to highlight the legislative contradictions in a secular country, and the interference and inadmissible tutelage of the Church over the body of women. It is important to give the floor to this historic claim, which includes the need for Comprehensive Sex Education and an effective and universal access to contraceptive methods.

Legal abortion will certainly be the target of fake news these days in Argentina. Fake news can be only fought with true information and with responsible journalism

We shall not lower the guard, because traps are already being set to strip the spirit of the law content, so that a right achieved democratically could remained without application or be later ignored or distorted. This could happen, for example, with the conscience objection hypocriticaly and improperly applied, a real danger that must be monitored and reported.

Legal abortion will certainly be the target of fake news these days in Argentina. Fake news can be only fought with true information and with responsible journalism developed by professionals and media such as the LATFEM colleagues, among many others, who keep informing on the sexual and reproductive rights agenda.

The Global Alliance on Media and Gender – GAMAG, and its European Chapter, GAMAG EUROPE  is an Alliance of men and women, as well as institutions and organisations working for gender equality in the media through journalism and communication, an supports Argentina’s Green Wave.

GAMAG EUROPA (GE) se suma a la Marea Verde…

GAMAG Europa (GE) saluda y anima a las mujeres argentinas protagonistas de la Marea Verde, y, en particular, a las periodistas que trabajan con perspectiva de género, tan numerosas y activas en América Latina. Conocemos el trabajo del medio digital feminista LATFEM y de la Red de Periodistas Feministas de América Latina y el Caribe, y compartimos su preocupación ante la incierta votación del próximo día 29 en el Senado.

“Esta discusión abre ventanas de oportunidad para toda la región que vive contextos muy restrictivos. De aprobarse, seremos el país de América Latina y el Caribe con mayor población con aborto legal”

María Florencia Alcaraz, co-directora de LATFEM.

Desde GE estamos seguras de que su energía ayudará a desempatar una situación que prevé posiciones muy ajustadas en defensa de los derechos de las mujeres argentinas en un marco de democracia.

“Esta discusión abre ventanas de oportunidad para toda la región que vive contextos muy restrictivos. De aprobarse, seremos el país de América Latina y el Caribe con mayor población con aborto legal” dice María Florencia Alcaraz, co-directora de LATFEM.

Vivimos unos momentos decisivos en la larga lucha por un derecho a decidir que está a punto de ser conquistado. Y somos conscientes del esfuerzo informativo realizado en los últimos años para explicar las injusticias que se cometen en torno al último delito de género, y también de la importancia de denunciar en los medios y redes una situación que afecta a medio millón de argentinas cada año.

Por eso hay que seguir destacando las contradicciones legislativas en un país laico, y las injerencias y el inadmisible tutelaje de las Iglesias sobre el cuerpo de las mujeres. Es importante dar la palabra a esta reclamación histórica, que incluye la necesidad de una Educación Sexual Integral y el acceso universal efectivo a métodos anticonceptivos.

El aborto legal será con toda seguridad blanco de noticias falsas, estos días en Argentina.  Las fake news solo se combaten con información verdadera y con un periodismo responsable

No conviene bajar la guardia, porque ya se están poniendo trampas para despojar de su espíritu a la letra de la ley, de manera que quede sin aplicación un derecho logrado democráticamente pero que luego podría ser ignorado o tergiversado. Por ejemplo, con la objeción de conciencia aplicada hipócrita e inadecuadamente, peligro que habrá de vigilar y denunciar.

El aborto legal será con toda seguridad blanco de noticias falsas, estos días en Argentina.  Las fake news solo se combaten con información verdadera y con un periodismo responsable por parte de profesionales y medios como el que llevan a cabo, entre otras, las compañeras de LATFEM, que tan presente tienen la agenda de los derechos sexuales y reproductivos.

The Global Alliance on Media and Gender  y su capítulo europeo, GAMAG EUROPE reúne a mujeres y hombres que trabajan por la igualdad de género en los medios  a través del periodismo, la comunicación y  que se suma a la Marea Verde Argentina.

27 diciembre, 2020

Gamag Europe διαμαρτύρεται για την σύλληψη φεμινιστριών στην Αθήνα,…

Gamag EUROPE διαμαρτύρεται στην ελληνική κυβέρνηση για τη σύλληψη 14 γυναικών στις 25 Νοεμβρίου, με το πρόσχημα ότι όλες οι συναθροίσεις είναι παράνομες, λόγω των μέτρων προφύλαξης από τον Covid-19.

Η συνάθροιση δεν ήταν μαζική, όλα τα μέτρα τηρήθηκαν από τις γυναίκες, όπως φαίνεται στις φωτογραφίες. Και όμως, 14 γυναίκες προσήχθησαν σε δύο αστυνομικά τμήματα, κρατήθηκαν για 5 ώρες και 11 από αυτές παραπέμπονται να δικαστούν για παράνομη συνάθροιση. Η δίκη θα γίνει σε λίγους μήνες. Μεταξύ των κατηγορουμένων είναι και ένας αλληλέγγυος άνδρας.

Επίσης, επέβαλαν πρόστιμο 300 ευτώ σε κάθε μια από τις συλληφθείσες, με την αιτιολογία της “άσκοπης μετακίνησης”.

Gamag απαιτεί την ακύρωση των προστίμων και των κατηγοριών. Τέτοιες αυταρχικές συμπεριφορές είναι ένα ακόμα είδος βίας κατά των γυναικών, και μάλιστα κατά την ίδια την 25η Νοέμβρη.

Το GAMAG Europe είναι ένα από τα περιφερειακά κεφάλαια της Παγκόσμιας Συμμαχίας για τα ΜΜΕ και του Φύλου, ένα παγκόσμιο κίνημα αφιερωμένο στην προώθηση της ισότητας των φύλων μέσω των μέσων ενημέρωσης.