We’ve written before about the EU Trade Secrets Directive and the danger wholesale protection of commercial information poses for whistlebloweing and commercial information. The recent trial of Antoine Deltour in Luxembourg amply demonstrates the threat commercial secrecy laws pose to the disclosure of information that couldn’t be more clearly in the public interest.
Author: admin
This year’s Logan Symposium has just concluded in Berlin, bringing together journalists, technologists and others. During the conference, the Courage Foundation hosted a workshop on how best to connect the communities attending the Logan Symposium around solidarity for individual truthtellers as well as some of the broader issues we’ve faced in our two years as an organisation.
Courage is proud to join the global coalition launched by Access Now calling on governments across the world not to compromise their citizens’ access to secure communications and end-to-end encryption. Our acting Director Sarah Harrison, Courage advisory members Thomas Drake, Norman Solomon and John Kiriakou have signed individually as well.
19th October 2015
Ladies and Gentlemen. It is a honour to be here today to accept the Willy Brant Award for Political Courage for my work with WikiLeaks, in getting Edward Snowden asylum, and for my political statements – many of which have called for Germany’s protection of Edward Snowden and my Editor Julian Assange.
I do not do this work alone however – there are of course others that I work with behind the scenes – our researchers, art and design team, journalist and legal teams, and our dedicated technical team. The successes you honour me with today would not be possible alone and I share this award with them.
I apologise that I am speaking to you in English today. After the welcome and protection I have received here in Berlin it is embarrassing that my German is still too wildly poor to give this speech in your great language. But I thank this city, and particularly the many individuals who have personally assisted me in settling here, for your kindness and support. As I do my parents, who join me here today. Without the unwavering support of my family I wouldn’t have been able to build the strength needed to do this work.
Like me Willy Brandt worked as a journalist, unable to go home, for a number of years. Escaping the Nazis Brandt worked as a journalist in exile before finally returning to Germany and entering politics here. Whilst I have no plans to enter politics, I am a journalist at WikiLeaks who, due to legal advice regarding the UK’s misuse of the terrorism act, has been advised not to go home.
My country, the UK, like others around the world at the moment are using the term “national security” incorrectly as fearmongering in an attempt to justify their stripping us of our rights. Despite the proof that it does nothing to the real, or the more prevalent imagined, threat of terrorism the UK, and other states around the world are spying on their own citizens, violating numerous human rights.
– It’s under the guise of national security that the UK started a terrorism investigation in the wake of the Snowden revelations, that puts into question my legal safety and protections as a journalist.
– It’s under the guise of national security that the UK stopped David Miranda as he undertook journalistic work via the UK, denying him his right to silence and journalistic freedoms and protections.
– It is under the guise of national security that the UK introduced law that has permitted them to detain Julian Assange for over five years without charge.
– It’s under the guise of national security the UK government bullied the Guardian newspaper into destroying journalistic material, violating media protections.
– It is under the guise of national security that the UK is planning to scrap the Human Rights Act.
– Its under the guise of national security that the UK, and other states, including Germany, work with a foreign government to spy on their own citizens.
Of course, as the Snowden revelations and WikiLeaks publications, made in collaboration with Der Spiegel and Suddeutsche Zeitung confirm, the surveillance system of the United States is the most abusive and pervasive. They spy not only on their own citizens, but the whole world, including almost every member of the German public, pretty much every member of the SPD, and the German government all the way up to Chancellor Merkel. Specific proof of this intense targetting, including evidence of the spying on Chancellor Merkel, Gerhard Schröder and William Khol, was published just a few months ago by WikiLeaks.
I was heartened when I first arrived in Germany, and not just as I was finally able to eat more than Burger King – I tell you, Bavarian white sausage never looked so good! But, the weekend I arrived Der Spiegel carried the headline “Asylum for Snowden”. I saw, and still see everywhere, stickers, posters and demonstrations with this same call. The first parliamentary inquiry into mass surveillance was begun in the wake of Snowden’s revelations.
However, there is still much lacking. The government including many SPD members of parliament have appeared to do all they can to block the possibility for Snowden to testify safely here, protected in Germany.
I have followed laws being pushed through, voted for almost unanimously by the SPD, that are a direct blow to the work of WikiLeaks and Snowden; an attempt to illegalise WikiLeaks’ work for transparency and democracy through the publication of official secrets, and to legalise the storing of telecommunication-meta-data.
Though the inquiry proceeds it is still surrounded by secrecy. In fact it has predominantly been because of Netzpolitik and WikiLeaks that the German public have had much ability to access documents and many details of this supposedly transparent and democratic oversight process.
Despite WikiLeaks’ more recent NSA publications of US selectors to spy on Germans, the BND is still being allowed by the German government to work more for the NSA than their own people by denying the inquiry committee access to their selector list.
Obama’s overtures to Merkel seem to have worked.
Today, 54 years later, I suggest it is time for the SPD to repeat Brandt’s words from 1961, when he said to President Kennedy, in another serious challenge to democracy: “Berlin expects more than words. It expects political action.”
And I have certainly heard that sentiment echoed around me whilst I have been living here for the last two years.
I have repeatedly seen people’s calls for Julian Assange and Edward Snowden to be given protection to come to Germany safely, testify and claim asylum. Their work to expose mass surveillance and promote transparent and democtratic governments should be rewarded.
Political action to protect Assange.
Political action to protect Snowden.
Political action to protect Germany from US spying.
Yet currently Julian Assange the editor who has fought so hard for many years for our right to know, allowing many around the world to start to get justice, providing us all with greater transparency of governments and corporations by bravely publishing, has been trapped by the UK in one embassy, detained without charge for 5 years, under constant overt and covert surveillance, denied the right to claim his asylum, denied the right to medical treatment, whilst he faces lack of due process and the largest investigation into a publisher ever, abandoned by his country, unsupported by Europe.
Edward Snowden the whistleblower who revealed to us all how we are being spied on by the US and UK is protected only by Russia where he has asylum after assistance by WikiLeaks, from what history shows us, will clearly be an unfair trial by the US government.
These men should be protected and freed. For the country willing to do so, it will mean having to stand up to the US to defend human rights and the rule of law. I ask that that country be Germany. As Brandt said: “Wir wollen mehr Demokratie wagen” – “Let’s dare more democracy”.
I am very pleased that today by awarding me for my work with WikiLeaks for Julian Assange and in getting Edward Snowden asylum, the SPD are showing a good step in once more following the path of Brandt in promoting and standing for our rights, democracy, security and the right to asylum.
Willy Brandt spent a number of years as a political refugee, even forced to change his name for his security.
This award is for those that have been forced into becoming refugees because of their political actions on behalf of us all, and their work for our right to know. And for all those brave whistleblowers and activists that have yet to come forward – but we have seen they will – courage is contagious.
And this is especially for WikiLeaks publisher Julian Assange who, unlike Willy Brandt, has his right to asylum being denied – being blocked by a police siege for the last three years. I hope this award is the first step in more proactive and decisive moves to protect and fight for those truthtellers that are honoured via me today.
Thank you.
Davide Dormino’s public artwork Anything To Say? continues its journey around Europe this month to stand outside the UN Human Rights Council as it begins its 30th session.
Categories
Escape from Baku
* Leading Azerbaijani press freedom campaigner travelled to Bern last night after being sheltered at the Swiss Embassy in Baku since August last year
* Courage has been working to provide support for Huseynov for over six months and will continue to support his application for asylum in Switzerland
* European Court of Human Rights has confirmed that Azerbaijan is guilty of serious infringments of Emin Husenyov’s basic rights, including the prohibition of inhuman or degrading treatment
While audiences around the world were glued to the opening of the European Games in Baku, Azerbaijan, attended by European national leaders, a secret Swiss Air Force flight made its way from Baku to Bern, Switzerland. Inside was “Azerbaijan’s Julian Assange,” Emin Huseynov, who has spent the last year holed up in the Swiss Embassy in Baku after a government crackdown against journalists and activists. Courage, the international organisation dedicated to the protection of truth-tellers, has supported Huseynov’s case for over six months and aided in the successful procurement of a humanitarian travel visa application, which allowed him to leave his embassy refuge and fly out of the country late last night. He will now apply for asylum in Switzerland.
Courage runs Huseynov’s legal fund and will be supporting him in his asylum application. The organisation calls on the Swiss government to receive Huseynov’s application favourably and grant him asylum.
This is the second dramatic asylum flight on a case Courage has been involved in. Courage Trustee Julian Assange and Acting Director Sarah Harrison successfully obtained asylum for Edward Snowden in 2013, after ensuring his safe passage out of Hong Kong to Russia. Their assistance on the Huseynov case establishes Courage’s competence and expertise in assisting truth-tellers in getting asylum in high-risk political situations.
Courage supports and commends the diligent and longstanding efforts of Swiss officials and negotiators in ensuring Huseynov a safe exit from Azerbaijan. Courage urges the Swiss government to remain firm in its commitment to protect Huseynov from persecution in his home country, and to extend its support to other persecuted Azerbaijanis.
Emin Huseynov is chairman of the country’s leading press freedom organisation, the Institute for Reporters’ Freedom and Safety (IRFS), and the founder of award-winning online video channel Objektiv TV. He has long been at the forefront of promoting freedom of expression and free media in his home country and has accordingly been a target of reprisal from Azerbaijan’s repressive government. In May this year, the European Court of Human Rights ruled that Azerbaijan’s authorities were responsible for several violations of Emin Huseynov’s basic human rights, among them violations of the prohibition on inhuman or degrading treatment and the duty to investigate it properly.
Huseynov was forced into hiding in August 2014, amidst serious repression against journalists and human rights activists. Facing imminent arrest on fabricated charges, Emin tried to leave the country for medical help in Turkey but was turned away at the border. IRFS’ headquarters were raided shortly thereafter and Huseynov sought protection at the Swiss Embassy, which is where he remained until late last night, with the building surrounded by police.
With the European Games in Baku now underway, the international community had in recent days intensified its calls on Azerbaijan to change its policy of repression.
Huseynov left his embassy refuge with a senior Swiss official late last night, and boarded a Dassault Falcon 900EX registered to the Swiss Air Force. The plane arrived in Bern aiport at 2.30AM CEST, after a brief stopover in Zurich. Huseynov was in good spirits after disembarking, and grateful for the help he has received.
Sarah Harrison, Acting Director of Courage, said:
“Emin was stuck in the Swiss embassy in Baku for almost a year, suffering from the very crackdown he has made it his life work to document. Just last month, the European Court of Human Rights has confirmed that Azerbaijan is responsible for severe violations of Emin’s basic rights, including the infliction of inhuman or degrading treatment.
“As Azerbaijan goes on a PR offensive, this is a perfect time for the Swiss government to recognise the obvious political repression Emin has been subjected to, the fabricated nature of the charges against him and the urgency of securing his continued protection. Having been granted safe passage to Switzerland, Emin deserves now to be granted asylum, so that his work can go on.”
Courage trustee Julian Assange said:
“Azerbaijan’s government has done everything it can to silence Emin Huseynov, up to and including a beating in 2008 which led to him being hospitalised for a time, as the European Court of Human Rights has recently reminded us. But we live in an age where exile and repression can no longer silence an effective voice. In the internet age, driving reporters from their homelands has the opposite effect, so even when Emin was driven into hiding, his body of work continued to speak. His arrival in Switzerland is a big step. It is incumbent on the rest of us now to support the call for Emin’s political asylum in Switzerland.”
Gulnara Akhundova, from International Media Support, said:
“It’s important to recognise why so many NGOs are standing up in support of Emin – it’s because we’ve worked with him over the years so we know exactly how important his contribution has been. Emin is one of several brave people the world has depended on for information about human rights and press freedom in Azerbaijan, information that Azerbaijan’s government has been trying very hard to suppress. Making a commitment to the protection of Emin’s rights now would be an important signal to Azerbaijan’s government that the world is not deceived by the glitz of international sporting competitions.”
Courage hosts the defence fund for Emin Huseynov and will provide regular updates on his case on a new support website at eminhuseynov.com. Courage ensured that Huseynov had legal representation from an esteemed Swiss human rights lawyer Marcel Bosonnet, and worked to coordinate with an international coalition of human rights and press freedom organisations, including International Media Support and Reports Without Borders, in the effort to secure his safety. Courage has also restored the IRFS and Objective TV websites, which were taken down in August 2014, so the archive of Emin’s work remains available online. They can be found at irfs.org and objektiv.tv respectively.