[Julian Assange initiates an anti-extradition political rally in the Metaverse]
The "Don't Extradite Assange Campaign", which is committed to opposing the extradition of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange to the United States, is planning a virtual political rally.
Assange has been held in London's Belmarsh Prison since April 2019, fighting not to be extradited to the United States, where he could face up to 175 years in prison for exposing U.S. wrongdoing in Iraq and Afghanistan. His WikiLeaks have long exposed the secrets of various governments, making him a target of multiple agencies, especially the United States.
The movement, which is backed by Assange and his family, plans to stage the virtual rally to build public opposition after the Court of Appeal rejects his extradition appeal in June.
On August 26, this virtual event will take place on the non-profit Metaverse’s Wistaverse, part of the Polygon blockchain. Keynote speakers at the rally included Julian’s wife Stella, WikiLeaks co-founder Kristinn Hrafnsson, and former British Labor Party leader Jeremy Corbyn. Participants will appear as virtual characters or films.
Cointelegraph spoke with the movement’s founder, John Rees, who said they chose to go virtual to reach a larger audience. "We hope that more people will understand Assange's situation and mobilize them to attend court protests to defend press freedom," Rees said.
The rally will be held in a virtual auditorium designed to resemble the Royal Courts of Justice in London, and will feature a recorded message from Assange.
Many organizations that support civil rights and press freedom have sided with Assange. In 2021, cryptocurrency users donated more than $400,000 to Assange’s legal team in hopes of a pardon from Trump, and in 2022, a group of decentralized organizations raised $53 million for WikiLeaks.
