Craig Murray, the former British Ambassador to Uzbekistan, was removed from his post after he made public the widespread use of torture by the Uzbek government and the CIA. He has since become one of Britain’s most important human rights campaigners, a fierce advocate for Julian Assange and a supporter of Scottish independence. His coverage of the trial of former Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond, who was acquitted of sexual assault charges, saw him charged with contempt of court and sentenced to eight months in prison. The very dubious sentence, half of which Murray served, upended most legal norms. Murray was sentenced, his supporters argue, to prevent him from testifying as a witness in the Spanish criminal case against UC Global Director David Morales being prosecuted for installing a surveillance system in the Ecuadorean Embassy when Julian Assange found refuge that was used to record the privileged communications between Assange and his lawyers. Morales is alleged to have carried out this surveillance for the CIA. Murray has published some of the most prescient and eloquent reports from Assange’s extradition hearings and was one of a half dozen guests, including myself, invited to Julian and Stella’s wedding in Belmarsh Prison in March 2022. Prison authorities denied entry to Craig, based on what the UK Ministry of Justice said were security concerns, as well as myself from attending the ceremony. Joining me to discuss what is happening to Julian and the rapid erosion of our most basic democratic rights is Craig Murray.
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The Chris Hedges Report Podcast with former British Ambassador Craig Murray on what appears to be the imminent extradition to the U.S. of Julian Assange.
"Truth Justice and the American Way" was the preamble of Superman TV propaganda in the fifties. As a boy in the sixties watching reruns it was accepted without question even here in Ontario Canada. From two very different perspectives i.e. Churchill and Orwell they agreed on the fact of Machiavellian state power. Churchill said metaphorically the danger of truth, justice and the use of censor to block any understanding of Geo Politics and war " the truth is so important it must be locked tightly away and surrounded by lies". I have always quoted this but never actually put a human face to it, until now! Julian Assange could be a poster boy for Orwell's Winston Smith. His description of "Waxen faced guards with truncheons and steel boots" who have the power of arbitrary state violence along with armies of British O'Brien's before us today, that are grinding Julian down in much the same way. His warning of the future "of a boot on a human face forever" in my mind will be the face of Julian's for evermore! Orwell also said of the Nuremberg War Crime trials "it was the guilty convicting the guilty" while now in 2023 it is the guilty US and British empire convicting the innocent Assange's before our eyes! So much for Magna Carta and Habeas Corpus. As Tower of London clones like Bel Marsh and Guantanamo Bay black sites proliferate with room 101's at the ready to protect hegemonic "freedom"! PITY the truth tellers!
Are transcripts of these podcasts ever made available?