To Radio New Zealand via their form @ https://www.rnz.co.nz/feedback
2023-12-20
Kia ora.
Alan Preston here at home in Mangawhai, Northland, writing for New Zealanders For Julian Assange.
New Zealanders For Julian Assange ( over 400 members on our facebook group ) has been actively campaigning for the release of this award-winning journalist/publisher/editor-in-chief of Wikileaks since early 2021 and have sent several e-mails to Radio New Zealand to draw attention to developments in this case which would have been of significant interest to the people of New Zealand - and especially to those working in the fields of media and journalism.
These e-mails have also contained as list of names and the contact details for people who are involved and who could provide interesting and informative interviews on this case on which the future of our transparent and accountable democracy pivots.
We have never received any acknowledgement of receipt for the e-mails we've sent so have no idea whether the intended recipients have been receiving them.
On the 16th of December 2020 we made a complaint to Radio New Zealand about its lack of reporting and investigation into the case of Julian Assange but it was refused on the grounds that 'omission' is not a criteria for complaint.
The Office of the Ombudsman similarly refused to take our complaint up on the grounds that 'because I was not a journalist, I could have no special interest in the case'. We subsequently sent individually addressed e-mails to 550 journalists working in media organisations in New Zealand and to 220 academics teaching Media and Political studies AND to all 120 Members of Parliament asking that they make their concern about the lack of coverage known to our state-owned broadcasters..
We have never received any responses to any of these requests.
We note that Radio New Zealand has omitted any mention of Julian Assange for over 1 year now.
He is now in the 1,714th day of solitary confinement in a 2x3 metre cell in London's Belmarsh Maximum security prison.
Both New Zealand and the U.K. are signatories to the Declaration Against Arbitrary Detention in State to State Relations but we have been unable to get any response from our Minister of Foreign Affairs to act on this aspect of the case. His detention has also been deemed by the United Nations' Special Rapporteur on Torture Dr Nils Melzer ( who was interviewed by Kim Hill on 2022-02-12 )to be 'psychological torture' which is outlawed under Section 134 of the British Criminal Justice Act.
Julian Assange's next hearing into whether he can be extradited the U.S. to face espionage charges will be held at the London Court of Justice on the 21-22nd of February 2024. The UK must comply with Article 4 of the US-UK extradition treaty: “Extradition shall not be granted if the offense for which extradition is requested is a political offense.”
Because New Zealand's media have been 'neglecting /omitting/ refusing (?) to make any mention of this extremely important case, a large number of New Zealanders remain completely oblivious to the extremely serious implications it has for the future of our transparent and accountable democratic governance model.
In Radio New Zealand's Statement of Intent , under 'Our Institutions and Governance' Civil Society, Central and Local Government , INTERNATIONAL CONNECTIONS ....
"Public media play a major role in arming citizens with trusted and accurate
information they can use. We are central to engagement with our democracy,
in championing freedom of thought and expression and pushing back on
misinformation and disinformation.
We also do this through our many international connections, including groups like the
Public Media Alliance. "
Alan William Preston @ www.newzealandersforjulianassange.org.nz
e-mail: newzealandersforjulianassange@gmail.com
Mob : 02102377242
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