Julian Assange campaign to hold metaverse political rally against extradition

The Don’t Extradite Assange Campaign to hold virtual rally in fight against Assange's extradition to the US

The Don’t Extradite Assange Campaign is launching a virtual political rally in the metaverse to garner support against the extradition of Julian Assange, founder of WikiLeaks, to the United States. Assange has been confined in Belmarsh Prison in London since April 2019, fighting his extradition to the US where he faces charges of espionage for leaking classified information.

Targeting a Wider Audience

The campaign, supported by Assange and his family, is organizing the virtual rally to appeal to a wider audience and gather more backing after his latest appeal in June was rejected by a UK court. The event will take place on August 26 in Wistaverse, a not-for-profit metaverse in The Sandbox ecosystem on the Polygon blockchain.

Speakers at the Rally

The political rally will feature speeches by Stella Assange, Julian Assange's wife, Kristinn Hrafnsson, the co-founder and editor-in-chief of WikiLeaks, and other prominent guests including former Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn. The speakers will either appear as virtual characters or through filmed contributions shown on screens. The rally will be held in a virtual auditorium designed to resemble the Royal Courts of Justice in London, where Assange is set to face his final appeal in the UK court system.

Fighting for Freedom of the Press

The Don’t Extradite Assange Campaign aims to raise awareness about the Assange case and mobilize support for the protest at the court. John Rees, the campaign's founder, emphasized the importance of the rally, stating, "This is the 11th hour in the Assange case, and if the government proceeds with extradition, it will be a significant blow to press freedom."

Support from Civil Rights and Freedom of the Press Organizations

Several organizations advocating for civil rights and freedom of the press have shown their support for Assange and called for the US authorities to drop the extradition case. During the final days of former US President Donald Trump's tenure, crypto users donated over $400,000 to Assange's defense team, hoping for a presidential pardon. Additionally, a decentralized autonomous organization raised $53 million for the WikiLeaks co-founder in 2022.