Russia Compares West’s Treatment Of Assange To Cannibalism

Russian officials are comparing the West’s treatment of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange to cannibalism, saying Washington and London’s purpose in this instance is the “annihilation of an individual”.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova described in her latest press briefing that covered commentary on the Assange extradition trial that “The actions taken by our Western partners over the past few years smack of cannibalism.” The comparison suggested that the West is ‘eating its own’ who stand for justice, all while Western nations claim to champions of justice and equal rights. “This is no longer about double standards or about trampling the principles and ideals [the West claims to champion],” the Kremlin official added.

The statement explained, “All this is not about some double standards or defiance of lofty principles and ideals. It’s about the annihilation of an individual, revenge for his stance, for his courage and for the fact that he deemed it necessary, apparently aware of the potential risks, to share with the world some crucial information that shed light on the lies and deceit committed by a number of states.”

The Kremlin’s lashing out came amid new revelations that Assange suffered a “mini-stroke” while confined at Belmarsh prison in London, and amid continuing reports of his extremely frail health, which his Fiancée Stella Moris has explained is taking a heavy toll mentally. She described days ago that the prior stroke was likely due to the extreme stress of the ongoing US extradition attempts. 

Zakharova addressed this in her Wednesday statement: “Everybody can see that this man is being annihilated. He looks like two different people. Everybody can see his current condition, not to mention the campaign of victimization the champions of democracy have organized against him,” she added.

Amnesty International: “The fact that the US has reserved the right to change its mind (on assurances) at any time, means that these assurances are not worth the paper they are written on” @amnesty #FreeAssangeNOWhttps://t.co/HljmTwk0wi

— WikiLeaks (@wikileaks) December 16, 2021

Most recently, the Court of Appeal of England and Wales sided with the US in upholding the Justice Department’s prior appeal filed to keep the extradition proceedings alive.

Pundits and supporters of WikiLeaks have pointed out that short of a quick extradition to the US – a scenario yet to materialize in Washington’s favor – the DOJ’s strategy and that of its Western intelligence allies is likely to ensure Assange waste’s away in confinement while drawing out the legal process and endless appeals as long as possible.