Overview

Julian Assange was charged by the US government for publishing evidence of war crimes and human rights abuses. He faced a 175 year sentence. This was not just an attack on journalism, it was an attack on the future of democracy.

To secure his release after 5 years in isolation in the UK's most notorious maximum-security prison, Assange was compelled to plead guilty to practicing journalism. This case has set a troubling precedent: publishing suppressed information in the public interest, such as exposing horrific war crimes, can now lead to prosecution and the possibility of a life sentence while those responsible for the war crimes walk free.

The values of governments that start wars by lies and grant impunity for war crimes, corruption and human rights violations are evident. They disdain truth, transparency and the rule of law.

In a democracy the media are expected to monitor, investigate and report on government misconduct to give the public a balanced view. When it becomes a crime to publish truthful information in the public interest, that balance is gone.

In response to and as a result of the grave injustice done to Assange, Valid Values explores the values of people who resist this imbalance, including some of Assange's family members, close friends and supporters.