Dear Julian
I hope this letter finds you as well as can be. I have been privileged to be a member of the Committee to Defend Julian Assange (JADC) for the two years since your illegal expulsion from the Ecuadorian embassy.
We did meet momentarily on two occasions outside the High Court following two of your appeal hearings against extradition to Sweden ten years ago, when I had to fight my way through the scrum of reporters and photograpers to reach you.
We had a recent and welcome breakthrough with our campaign to secure your freedom.
After many refusals to our efforts to publicise our demands for your freedom on mainstream platforms, we hit lucky when we made contact with someone with contacts in the billboard trade, who is clearly on your side. We were able to negotiate a deal with him for five billboard sites across West and South West London which are currently running for four weeks.
Only today, I was contacted with proposals for a second phase of billboards, this time on eight sites including a very prominent 40 feet by 10 feet billboard on the A13 main arterial road going east out of London. I have included pictures (above) of the current advertising boards. The fifth board which will be in Battersea is going up in the coming weeks.
That you continue to be incarcerated in Belmarsh prison as an innocent person who’s only “crime” is telling the truth about war crimes committed by governments that claim to be democratic and humanitarian is unconscionable beyond belief, and against all the laws of of any society that claims to be civilised.
We press on with our campaign for your freedom and we will escalate it in any way we can in order to expose the lies and the lawless nature of the British and US justice systems. The mainstream media has played a shameful role. When they are not doing everything they can to silence your case, they are promoting downright lies and smears.
With our billboard campaign, we are going to turn the tables on those stenographers to power by getting the truth to the mass of the public, and turning the tide against the liars and apologists for war criminals. Incidentally, our billboard campaign has been picked up in the US and fundraising has begun to run similar ad campaigns in various cities there.
Our billboard campaign is complimenting our regular weekly protests, demos and vigils which are very vibrant and noisy and attract lots of support from passers by, particularly passing motorists who show their support by beeping their horns.
We know there is huge public support out there for your freedom and for the ridiculous US bogus espionage charges to be dropped. I am certain that justice will prevail and you will be free soon.
Yours in solidarity.
Derek Jardin
***With Many Thanks as always to Somerset Bean for his artwork!***
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Invite the mainstream press to sponsor a Billboard.
Such a powerfull idea. It’s expensive but important.
Out of interest, how much did the billboards cost?
This is such a brilliant idea and has caught on in the US. It will help bring to everyone’s attention the cruel persecution of Julian Assange and the danger this represents to all our freedoms. Julian said a while ago that we will be the last of the free generations living. The threat of vaccine passports and Julian being held in solitary confinement has made me realize he was right. Free Assange Now. Thank for the billboards.
A great forceful addition to this magnificent campaign to free Assange