Thread by @Suzi3D

THREAD

Julian Assange has a very large, very loyal, very disparate, global support base. Since his silencing, they have been largely kept in the dark about many aspects of what is going on within the organisation he built, his legal case, his status and the campaign to free him.

This highly problematic information vacuum has created an environment that aids and fosters the circulation of misinformation and smears. It provides cover to those with malign intent, and makes many supporters lambs to the slaughter insofar as narrative is concerned.

Because those who thirst for information in the absence of reliable official sources of it, become susceptible to rumour and conjecture. They are easily misled and manipulated. They are disempowered.

I too, have been party to the general silence. It doesn't sit right with me.

To speak or not to speak? That is the question.

I've erred on the side of caution, I've tried to be respectful, and I've let people alone to do whatever it is they do knowing they will have to carry their own can for inevitable end results.

I've held my own focus consistently.

But today I ask myself: what, after this is all over, would I regret having not said?

What duty do I owe to the support base?

Does my silence serve Julian?

Or am I just, ultimately, inadvertently assisting those who oppose him and all he stands for, if I keep my mouth shut?

Today, a horrendous smear about @AssangeMrs was published in a slew of anti-war, Julian-friendly publications. Dressed as a supporter's piece and targeted at Julian's support base. But the lede was made of monumental, vicious lies.

I believe there is a larger objective at play.

@AssangeMrs I believe that objective is ultimately to undermine and sabotage an effort that @AssangeMrs has been organising, with others, largely behind the scenes. An effort which I am convinced may actually manifestly change the outcome of Julian's situation. A game-changer.

@AssangeMrs 10+ years into the targeting of Julian and WikiLeaks by intelligence agencies, anyone who is effective at altering the strategic direction of Julian's situation, is undercut, undermined, smeared or neutralised. Anyone who is of negligible import, ineffective, or corrupt, remains

@AssangeMrs While I can tolerate a lot of abuse myself, and do, I can't tolerate watching other good, effective, incorruptible, wonderful people being put through the wringer. That's exactly why I stuck up for Julian all these years. And it's why I will now tell the truth about what I know.

@AssangeMrs Even though I had no intentions of doing more long form writing this year, here I find that yet again, the need to speak and circulate truth outweighs the inevitable personal negative impacts for doing so.

So I shall write, my friends. And I shall post and share it, ASAP

/end