Julian Assange is imprisoned in isolation at the Belmarsh “Supermax” in the UK at the behest of the US. He faces extradition and being sentenced to 175 years in jail or execution for espionage. This is not a legal process but a political show trial which will serve to set a precedent to shut down any journalism and speech which threatens the interests of the US ruling class.

Julian however refuses to be silenced. His voice has been heard faintly, yet powerfully, through the uncoordinated publication on social media of a handful of letters he has sent to individual supporters who have written to him in jail. This is his only means of communicating directly with the outside world. Authorities have even tried to stop this however, and Julian writes in a letter that emerged on October 7th that his mail was withheld for three months. .

These important letters should therefore be amplified and shared as widely as possible. These are the letters published so far in their original form:

Letter to Gordon Dimmock

released May 24th

Thanks Gordon. You are a good man.

I have been isolated from all ability to prepare to defend myself: no laptop, no internet, ever, no computer, no library, so far, but even if I get access it will be just for half an hour, with everyone else, once a week. Just two visits a month and it takes weeks to get someone on the call list and a Catch-22 in getting their details to be security screened. Then all calls except lawyers, are recorded and calls are max 10 minutes and in a limited 30-min window each day in which all prisoners compete for the phone. And credit? Just a few pounds a week and no one can call in.

The other side? A superpower that has been preparing for 9 years with hundreds of people and untold millions spent on the case. I am defenseless and am counting on you and others of good character to save my life.

I am unbroken, albeit literally surrounded by murderers, but the days when I could read and speak and organize to defend myself, my ideals, and my people are over until I am free! Everyone else must take my place.

The US government, or rather, those regrettable elements in it that hate truth liberty and justice, want to cheat their way into my extradition and death, rather than letting the public hear the truth, for which I have won the highest awards in journalism and have been nominated 7 times for the Nobel Peace Prize.

Truth, ultimately, is all we have.

J.P.A.

Letter to Ariyana

released August 15th

Thanks Ms Love, It is people like you, great and small, fighting to save my life that keeps me going. We can win this! Don’t let the bastards sacrifice freedom of speech, European democracy and my life on the alter of Brexit.
JPA

Letter with protest advice

released August 15th

Thank you for fighting to save my life Please also look into similar protest actions at those sites with organisations that can be influenced and which are not used to protest(s) or have difficulty defending against it ideologically. Possible examples: Le Monde, RSF, Liberation (RSF do more defend their writer and “source”, BBC France, ARTE, ?? Australian embassy (do more) or consulate, UK Chamber of commerce, French ?? (or other elite gathering holes.) In some cases eg perhaps RSF if they have been helpful it may make more sense to have the protest ‘drop in’ on the way somewhere else rather than create feelings of adversary, but protests are very powerful for an office not used to them, even if everyone pretends otherwise. I know having been in one. Please adapt the above to local conditions. I am very isolated and not sure of the state of play, but you get the idea; push on that which will move, not simply that which opposes. Said another way, find weak links in the chain that binds me. JPA

Thanks to Swiss supporter

released August 16th

Thanks, Ana.
Knowing you are out there fighting for me keeps me alive in this profound isolation

Thankyou letter

released August 18th

Letter to Alessandro in Germany

Received August 18th

Note: in his letter to Julian, Alessandro had asked if Julian needed practical supplies like stationary etc. Julian replied:

Best to get out there and campaign. UK courts and the ECHR in Strasbourge are the ultimate deciders under C.E

“We can win this” letter

released August 22nd

Thank you! The suffering here is profound, but we can win this! Knowing you have my back is what gets me through! – JPA”

Thankyou to Catherine

released August 29th

Catherine – thank you for fighting to save my life. Please pass on my love and appreciation to all who are showing such commitment to bringing me safely home. JPA

Letter to Moscow

released September 17th

Start a “free Assange” organizing committee in Mosow
JPA Cell 23 Healthcare Belmarsh prison UK

SOS to supporter in France 

released Sept 17th

Thanks B for fighting for me I am in a very dark place presently. Light up the night until victory!
JA

On the back of the letter was written the above morse code for SOS.

“I am in the whale” letter

released Oct 7th

Thanks, I am in the whale but you are at the surface and have grasped the line.
ps Belmarsh prison put all my mail somewhere they couldn’t find for the last three months.
JPA
HMP Belmarsh
Londonistan
UK

Letter to Ann-

Marie in France

Received Nov 2nd

Dear Anne-Marie, You ask what you can do to fight for my freedom? Use your strongest skills, friends, resources and associations. If you are a nurse, gather nurses, create a bloc in the nurses union, etc! defend.wikileaks.org JPA

Letter to Esther

Received Nov 2nd

Dear Esther – writing to those 39 is exactly right – push on that which will move to increase the number of movers, recurse. JPA

(Note: Esther told Julian about the 39 organisations she had written to encouraging them to campaign for Julian. In addition, Esther received 3 replies from Julian in one day written between August and October, which suggested Belmarsh released a large amount of outgoing mail from Julian it had been withholding for months.) 

 Letter to Alessandro in Germany

Received November 2nd

Dear Alessandro – Thankyou for these summaries! JPA

Note: Alessandro had sent Julian summaries of articles related to his case and campaign both positive and negative to keep him informed.

Letter to Alex and Petr in France

Released Nov 5th

Dear Alex and Ptyor – thank you for fighting for my freedom. I walk 10-20 kms each night in several thousands laps of my 2m x 3.4 m cell, tracing a journey. Presently, most prisoners are not permitted to see me as I am transported from one part of the prison to another. JPA

Note: Alex and Petr sent their letter to Julian on August 22nd but his reply did not arrive until Nov 1st.

Instructions on how to write to Julian can be found here and here.