Assange’s father meets with Lula minister

Social Communications Minister Paulo Pimenta met with Julian Assange’s father at the presidential palace on Tuesday.

John Shipton is in Brazil to promote Ithaka (2021), a documentary about the incarceration of his son, WikiLeaks co-founder Mr. Assange. He is part of the documentary’s cast and will soon travel to other Brazilian cities.

Ithaka: Julian Assange’s Battle as the film is titled in Brazil was recently released in Brazilian movie theaters having received classification last week. Mr. Assange has been held at high-security Belmarsh Prison, without trial, since being expelled from the Embassy of Ecuador in London in 2019. 

Last week, U.S. Ambassador to Australia Caroline Kennedy raised the possibility of a potential plea deal that could allow Mr. Assange’s return to his home country. The U.S. seeks to extradite Mr. Assange for breaching the Espionage Act by obtaining and publishing secret military and diplomatic documents in 2010.

In a statement, Mr. Pimenta said that President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva was aware of and supportive of Mr. Shipton’s visit. Lula is currently in Johannesburg attending a BRICS summit.

“We are very grateful for your visit, Mr. Shipton, and we reaffirm our government’s commitment to your struggle, Assange’s struggle, and our commitment to freedom of speech. We defend those who have the courage to seek a better world”, Mr. Pimenta said.

Mr. Shipton replied that Lula “has been a formidable advocate and friend”.

The relationship between Mr. Assange and Brazil’s Workers Party is not new. Last year, filmmaker Gabriel Shipton, Mr. Assange’s brother, thanked Lula for supporting the WikiLeaks co-founder in his campaign against extradition to the U.S.

In 2020, Lula said Mr. Assange “should be treated like a hero for exposing the U.S. State Department’s swindles to the world.”

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