A lesson in freedom: USI students in dialogue with Julian Assange's family
Institutional Communication Service
13 November 2023
Students of the course "The Platform Society" could converse and listen to the words of Stella Assange, lawyer and wife of Julian Assange, John Shipton and Gabriel Shipton - respectively, father and brother of the founder of WikiLeaks. The public lecture, held in the context of the Plan B Forum Lugano 2023, was moderated by Prof. Matthew Hibberd of USI Institute for Media and Journalism, who underlined its significance: "The public lecture raised important questions for democratic governance concerning the rights and responsibilities of freedom of expression in the digital age."
Julian Assange is currently serving a prison sentence for revealing classified US documents that exposed war crimes through WikiLeaks. His work promoting transparency and information has earned him several journalistic honours in other countries. The story of Julian Assange highlights the importance of freedom of expression, a crucial aspect of communication in a democracy. USI students, accompanied by Prof. Matthew Hibberd, took part in the encounter with members of his family, who are tirelessly advocating for his release and keeping the public informed about his case. This is especially significant considering the US request for his extradition.
The full video of the conference is available below.
