An email exchange with Tooting MP, Dr Allin-Khan re: Assange
On 27 April, I wrote to my Member of Parliament (MP), Dr. Rosena Allin-Khan for Tooting, asking her to sign an Early Day Motion 1177 (EDM1177) in the House of Commons:
EDM1177 is a “Campaign to oppose extradition of Julian Assange to the USA” and is (as at 12 May 2022) supported by 22 members of parliament (notably Caroline Lucas of The Green Party, Richard Burgon and former shadow chancellor, John McDonnell of Labour, Jeremy Corbyn (Independent)). No Conservatives have signed the motion, nor any minsters from the shadow cabinet, which would include Dr Allin-Khan (‘Rosena’) who is Shadow Cabinet Minister for Mental Health.
This was the week before the local elections when I received a few campaign emails from Rosena appealing for my support as Labour had the chance to win Wandsworth Council from the Conservatives after over 40 years (spoiler: they did, and Rosena and London Mayor, Sadiq Khan, feature widely celebrating that electorial success in the press!)
I had mischievously Tweeted to Rosena asking her to sign the EDM1177 in return for the three Labour votes of my household.
Well I still couldn’t bring myself not to support Labour on 5 May, and perfectly understood it would take a while to receive Rosena’s reply.
Today (12 May), I received an email reply from Rosena and I hope she won’t mind me publicly sharing it, as I think it is a comprehensive response for which I’m grateful, but which raises a few issues for how it is answered (i.e. for what it doesn’t say).
The reply starts by summarising the current Assange position:
Let’s concentrate on that last but one sentence:
“This is a fast moving issue and as you will understand, it would not be appropriate to comment on a case that could be under judicial consideration at any time.”
It’s difficult to see this as anything but an attempt to avoid giving her opinion on the Assange case.
But Rosena does go on to express her support for Press Freedom in the UK and says she’s willing to:
“…support efforts to press the UK Government to do more to protect the rights of journalists and stand up for universal freedom, democracy, and the rule of law everywhere.”
Even to the extent that she quotes Reporters Without Borders’ world press freedom index in her reply (UK ranked #33 of 180 countries in 2021).
This feels unsatisfactory — if you’re willing to “support efforts to press the UK Government to do more to protect the rights of journalists” then now is the time to do so by joining the call of Reporters Without Borders and another 19 organisations who have written to Home Secretary, Priti Patel, asking her “to honour the UK government’s commitment to protecting and promoting media freedom and reject the US extradition request.”
Mental Health (which is Rosena’s shadow ministerial brief) is absolutely relevant to the Assange case — health grounds were the initial basis for the extradition to be denied. UN Special Rapporteur on Torture, Nils Melter, has opined that Assange has been tortured by the actions of various governments, including the UK.
Rosena — If not now, then when? If not you, then whom?
I decided to reply to Rosena as follows:
Do you consider supporting EDM1177 as an inappropriate comment on a legal case?
I went further:
“I am disappointed that you have side-stepped the main thrust of my request when the case has now passed from the judicial to the political sphere — it is Priti Patel as Home Secretary to decide whether to accept or reject the US Extradition Request.”
“Supporting Press Freedom as you claim, rings hollow when you can’t or won’t align yourself with Reporters With Borders and others who recently wrote to Priti Patel asking her “to honour the UK government’s commitment to protecting and promoting media freedom and reject the US extradition request.””
I am grateful to Rosena for her reply — I just wish she would be a bit more honest about why she won’t sign EDM1177 despite what she claims to stand for.
#FreeAssange #FreeAssangeNOW
