2023-11-24 To Kim Hill @Radio NZ
20231124 To Kim Hill from Alan William Preston @ New Zealanders For Julian Assange : Interference in Editorial Decisions?
Kia ora Kim ( and/or support team )
( We've never received any acknowledgement of receipt to any of the e-mails we've sent so have no way if we have been getting through - Scroll down to see the email most recently sent on the 23rd of September 2023) .
For Listener Feedback , Saturday 25th of November 2023
As a much-respected outgoing senior journalist who has conducted at least 3 interviews that gave some attention to the plight of award-winning Australian publisher Julian Assange ( who has now been arbitrarily detained in solitary confinement in London's Belmarsh prison for 1,688 days ) can you provide an assurance to the people of New Zealand that no pressure has been brought to bear against our journalists reporting on this case or carrying out investigations into the evidence Wikileaks published ?
In the interview you carried out with United Nations' Special Rapporteur On Torture , Dr Nils Melzer , he concluded :
" the purpose here is not prosecution for any serious crime, it is deter people like you Kim, you know, from doing what he has done.
Could you provide any insight into why Radio New Zealand journalists have made so suspiciously little mention of this case which has such huge implications against the willingness of journalists to perform their professional role in an open and responsive democracy - to hold power to account.
Thank you for everything you have done on this case - and for the valuable contribution you've made to New Zealand as a journalist.
You will be missed..
Alan Preston - New Zealanders for Julian Assange. 24th of November 2023.
---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: New Zealanders For Julian Assange <newzealandersforjulianassange@gmail.com>
Date: Sat, Sep 23, 2023 at 11:50 AM
Subject: 20230923 To Kim Hill from Alan William Preston @ New Zealanders For Julian Assange
To: Kim Hill RNZ <saturday@radionz.co.nz>
Kia ora Kim.
Alan Preston here up in Mangawhai..
There is a HUGE story going on that is pivotal to the future of journalism and to the future of transparency and accountability as precepts of the democratic governance model.
Radio New Zealand is NOT covering it.
See also Democracy Now's report.
Despite the U.K. having signed the 2021 Declaration Against Arbitrary Detention in State to State Affairs ( as did New Zealand), the U.K. government has been holding award-winning Australian publisher Julian Assange in a 2x3 metre cell in solitary confinement now for 1625 days.
There are many aspects of this case which are inconsistent with British Law (torture/abitrary detention) and which are a gross breach of International Human Rights agreements. ( scroll down for links ) .
Appeals to New Zealand's Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade ( Hon Nanaia Mahuta ) to lodge a diplomatic protest with the British High Commission have gone unanswered ( despite our having called to confirm that the e-mail has been received ).
Your good self and other journalists at Radio New Zealand have made some important contributions towards bringing this case to the public's attention.
I'll leave you with this list of potential interview subjects and will copy in the e-mail we sent you this time last year.
( Apart from Nicky Hager, we have never received a response to individually addressed e-mails we've sent from any of the 550 journalists working in New Zealand's media organisations, from any of the 220 academics teaching media studies and political science, nor from any of our 120 Members of Parliament .
Thank you for being you and for keeping us glued to our radios on Saturday mornings.
Alan William Preston. Mangawhai . 02102377242
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There is no shortage of appropriately qualified interesting speakers who are working in defence of Julian Assange and for the principle of freedom of speech and freedom of the press who would gladly take the opportunity to do an interview with you.
Stella Moris -Julian Assange's wife and mother of his two sons. https://twitter.com/stellamoris1
Kristinn Hrafnsson, Wikileaks editor-in-chief
John Pilger Journalist and documentary filmmaker. Email: jpilger2003@yahoo.co.uk
Stefania Maurizi Italian journalist at L’Espresso. Has worked with WikiLeaks on many releases and advocates for free speech and transparency.
Roger Waters (ex Pink Floyd ) is very active in his support for Julian Assange : e-mail : help@rogerwaters.com