The Ontario Civil Liberties Association (OCLA) vigorously advocates for authentic and unqualified freedom of expression of individuals, on all topics and in every form, in accordance with the universal rights of freedom of expression and freedom of association. The OCLA also advocates for unimpeded civil liberties and civil rights of all persons, in dealings with public and private institutions and corporations.
By providing a channel for people to make the actions and intentions of governments transparent for all to see, Julian Assange and Wikileaks are doing a great service to the world. Citizens of all countries need to know when our governments are committing crimes.
Wikileaks is a radical journalism organization, in that it adopts and acts in accordance with the fundamental principles of journalism, including independence from powerful entities and groups, truthful reporting of facts, and the exercise of conscience.
As such, and due to its reputation and bravery in exposing the crimes of the powerful, Wikileaks’ presence on the global scene exerts pressure on establishment media organizations and journalists to return to journalistic principles, and exposes these organizations and individuals when they abandon these principles.
For these reasons, the work of Assange and Wikileaks is a key factor in the battle to stop and reverse the erosion of democratic principles in the West.
The OCLA urgently asks the government of Ecuador to immediately #ReconnectAssange so that he can continue his vital work.
The OCLA calls on the Ontario and Canadian governments to do everything in their power to protect the human rights of Julian Assange. This includes the right of safe passage to freely leave the UK, as affirmed by the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention in its February 2016 decision on the detention of Julian Assange.
