Video: GetUp! exclusive interview with Julian Assange

London - GetUp! is an independent movement to build a progressive Australia and bring participation back into the country's democracy. They support human rights, Julian Assange and WikiLeaks.

GetUp! interviewed Assange, founder and editor-in-chief of WikiLeaks, at the Ecuadorian embassy in London in September and have now released the interview as a video. This was the first face-to-face Australian interview with Assange since he sought asylum in the Ecuadorian embassy. Many GetUp members had apparently emailed questions that they wanted Assange to answer, and these questions were put to him during the interview. Assange has been holed up in the embassy since June this year, firstly to seek asylum, which he has now received from Ecuador. However, he is unable to leave the embassy and travel to Ecuador, as the UK will not give him safe passage. The UK insists that Assange must be extradited on to Sweden for questioning for alleged sex charges, for which he has not been charged and which he denies. He does not wish to travel to Sweden, as due to documentation uncovered by WikiLeaks, he fears he would then be sent on to the US for life in prison and even the death penalty for "espionage" charges for documents released by WikiLeaks. Ecuador is currently attempting to obtain agreement to send Assange to Sweden under their protection for interview at the Ecuadorian embassy in Stockholm, but so far no response has been received from the UK or Sweden. In the interview, mention is made that Assange may be pursuing a defamation case against Australia's Prime Minister Julia Gillard. Gillard reportedly said, “I absolutely condemn the placement of this information on the WikiLeaks website. It's a grossly irresponsible thing to do and an illegal thing to do.” This statement was a major cause of the financial blockade against WikiLeaks. Assange has hired Sydney lawyers to investigate and legally pursue the PM’s comments.