Outside Canada · Free speech / press freedom
Julian Assange PACE clip: “Journalism is not a crime” quote is real
A Facebook Reel from The Information Rights Project shows Julian Assange warning the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe that criminalising newsgathering threatens investigative journalism. PBC checked the event and quote against press-freedom reporting and transcript sources.
Short answer
The clip is accurately framed. Julian Assange did address a PACE committee in Strasbourg on 1 October 2024, and the quoted warning about criminalising newsgathering and “journalism is not a crime” appears in reports/transcript sources. The broader WikiLeaks/Assange story remains contested, but this particular press-freedom quote and setting are verified.
What the Reel says
The captured Reel transcript says: “The criminalisation of news-gathering activities is a threat to investigative journalism everywhere. The fundamental issue is simple. Journalists should not be prosecuted for doing their jobs. Journalism is not a crime. It is a pillar of a free and informed society.”
What is verified
- Speaker/event: Julian Assange addressed the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe in Strasbourg on 1 October 2024.
- Context: reports describe it as one of his first public appearances after leaving Belmarsh Prison and returning to Australia under a U.S. plea deal.
- Quote: ABC and transcript sources carry the same core lines: criminalisation of newsgathering threatens investigative journalism; journalists should not be prosecuted for doing their jobs; journalism is not a crime.
- Press-freedom framing: RSF welcomed the PACE hearing/report and said the prosecution carried dangerous implications for journalism and press freedom.
Evidence table
| Claim | Status | Source-trail note |
|---|---|---|
| Assange addressed PACE on 1 October 2024. | Verified | Reported by RSF, ABC, Guardian and transcript sources. |
| The “criminalisation of newsgathering” quote is real. | Verified | The captured Reel transcript matches ABC/transcript wording. |
| Assange said he “pled guilty to journalism.” | Reported/verified as his framing | RSF, ABC and Guardian report that he characterized his plea that way. |
| All WikiLeaks actions were beyond criticism. | Not claimed | Some outlets note concerns over unredacted disclosures; this article focuses on the press-freedom/newsgathering issue. |
| This belongs in PBC Outside Canada / free speech. | Yes | It is an international press-freedom source card relevant to Canadians watching speech and publication rights. |
Why PBC is logging it
The issue is bigger than one person. If governments can treat seeking, receiving and publishing public-interest information as a crime, investigative journalism becomes vulnerable everywhere. For PBC readers, the key point is the principle: press freedom, source protection and the right to know must not exist only “on paper.”
Sources saved
- Facebook Reel metadata/transcript — The Information Rights Project.
- RSF — “Julian Assange breaks silence at landmark Council of Europe hearing.”
- ABC News Australia — Assange’s first appearance since release from prison.
- The Guardian — Assange says he chose freedom over “unrealisable justice.”
- Pressenza transcript copy — Assange full PACE testimony.