Explore the innovative metaverse rally organized by the Julian Assange campaign, advocating against his extradition. Discover how this virtual event amplifies the fight for Assange's freedom and raises awareness of the implications for freedom of the press.
Amid his ongoing battle against extradition to the United States, Julian Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks, is set to hold a virtual political rally in the metaverse. The "Don't Extradite Assange Campaign," aimed at garnering support against Assange's extradition, is launching this unique event as a means to amplify their cause and gather further backing.
Currently detained in London's Belmarsh Prison since April 2019, Assange has been fighting extradition to the U.S., where he could potentially face an astonishing 175-year prison sentence on charges of espionage. His publication of classified and sensitive information about the misdeeds of U.S. agencies in Iraq and Afghanistan has made him a target of several governments, particularly the United States.
Backed by Assange and his family, the Julian Assange campaign has devised a virtual political rally within the metaverse to rally support following his recent June extradition appeal rejection by a U.K. court. The event is scheduled for August 26 and will take place in Wistaverse, a not-for-profit metaverse on the Polygon blockchain's Sandbox ecosystem.
The virtual rally will feature speeches from significant figures such as Stella Assange, Julian's wife; Kristinn Hrafnsson, co-founder and editor-in-chief of WikiLeaks; and British politician Jeremy Corbyn, the former leader of the Labour Party. The speeches will be delivered by avatars in the metaverse or through pre-recorded contributions displayed on screens.
John Rees, founder and director of the Don't Extradite Assange Campaign, explained the decision to host a virtual rally, stating:
"To publicize the Assange case and to mobilize people for the protest at the court. To make sure that people know that this is the 11th hour in the Assange case and that if the government goes ahead with extradition a very real blow will have been struck against the freedom of the press."
The virtual rally will be held in a digital auditorium designed to resemble the Royal Courts of Justice in London, where Assange's final appeal in the U.K. court system is expected. The environment, tailored for protests and social action, will also include a recorded message from Assange himself.
Assange's cause has gained support from civil rights and freedom of the press organizations, with calls to drop the extradition case. Donations from crypto users and decentralized autonomous organizations have been instrumental in backing Assange's defense efforts. This virtual rally in the metaverse marks a novel approach to galvanizing support and raising awareness for his case, highlighting the intersection of technology and activism in the modern world.
(PRASHANT JHA, CoinTelegraph, 2023)