Julian Assange today accused “right wing” American politicians and “extremists” of handing WikiLeaks an "economic death penalty” after supporters were prevented from donating millions of pounds.
Speaking from inside the Ecuadorean embassy, the WikiLeaks founder accused "crazed” Independent Senator Joe Lieberman and Republican congressman Peter King of pressuring companies into blocking funds to his whistle-blowing website.
Visa and MasterCard were among several payment firms who instigated the crippling “banking blockade” shortly after WikLeaks published more than 250,000 confidential State Department cables in December 2010.
Today, the Australian pleaded with the European Union to help lift the two-year banking blockade, through DataCell, an Icelandic company, which had left the website fighting for its survival.
Mr Assange, 41, admitted the blockade had cost the website more than £30 million in lost donations, wiped out 95 per cent of its revenue and forced its staff to take pay cuts of up to 40 per cent.
It had also reduced the volume of leaked documents it publicly released through its website, he added.
He was speaking to British media organisations, including The Daily Telegraph, today from inside the South American country's London embassy, where he has holed up since June to avoid extradition to Sweden to face sexual assault allegations, which he denies.
During the 90-minute press conference today, which was also streamed via Skype to journalists in Brussels, Mr Assange claimed that any “association with WikiLeaks” resulted in an “economic death penalty”.
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange talks to British journalists inside the Ecuadorean Embassy in London
At its peak WikiLeaks it received almost £97,000 a day in donations and without the blockade – which the European Commission (EC) has admitted was unlikely to have violated EU antitrust rules – WikiLeaks would be “20 times bigger”.
As a result the website now faced a “financially difficult” situation although Mr Assange, 41, denied there was “danger” it would result in it closing down.
He accused Senator Lieberman, a former Democratic vice presidential nominee, and Mr King, the chair of the House of Representatives Homeland Security Committee, of having inappropriate “conservations” with the credit card organisations.
Speaking in the embassy's gilt-corniced conference room, he said: "It is a serious issue that Senator Lieberman or Peter King or any other crazed right wing extremists in the US, can apply an economic death penalty to any European company or organisation of their choice without any accountability.
“The situation is financially difficult, but there is no danger that WikiLeaks will cease as an organisation.
"There is no dispute that this blockade is a political reaction to our publications.”
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange inside the Ecuadorean Embassy in London today
Mr Assange, addressing his first press briefing inside the embassy since he took refuge, added: "It means we have to reduce our publications. We cannot expose war crimes and other forms of abuse."
Mr Assange disclosed that, because of the blockade, he is unable to pay his lawyers in Ecuador directly while he has declined a salary for past 12 months, instead relying on "goodwill" from a mountain of "volunteers" across the globe.
Appearing well groomed in a white open neck shirt with embroidery and charcoal suit, Mr Assange refused to answer any “off topic” questions about his stay in the embassy or address speculation that his health is failing.
His only comments regarding the diplomatic row between Ecuador, which has granted him asylum, and Britain was that a resolution was "a matter for diplomacy at this stage".
He said he was grateful to the Ecuadorean embassy for "protecting" him.
"My stay here in the Ecuador Embassy, while difficult in many ways, at least I am able to continue my work to some degree,” he added.
Mr Assange’s claims came after his website released leaked EC documents that formed part of a preliminary antitrust investigation into Visa and Mastercard, which he quoted extensively from.
The documents, detailing submissions by both companies, were heavily redacted, with up to a third of the content blacked out.
Julian Assange speaks from the Ecuadorean Embassy's balcony in August
Mr Assange added: “The blockade is a direct infringement of the … right to receive and impart information and threatens all donor-funded organisations and the freedom of the press.
“These unaccountable elements are directly interfering in the political and economic freedoms of EU consumers and are setting a precedent for political censorship of the world’s media.
DataCell, a company that collected donations for WikiLeaks, complained to the Commission about Visa Europe and MasterCard Europe, among others after they stopped processing donations for WikiLeaks.
In a recent preliminary decision last week, the EC refused to open a formal antitrust investigation into the matter.
WikiLeaks and DataCell this week appealed to the Commission to reverse that refusal. A decision is expected in four to six weeks.
An EC spokesman said tonight: “On the basis of the information available, the Commission considers that the complaint does not merit further investigation because it is unlikely that any infringement of EU competition rules could be established.”
Officials would consider any new information before making a final decision.
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange addresses a meeting at UN Headquarters via videolink from Ecuador's London embassy
The two American politicians declined to directly address today’s claims, instead referring to previous statements made in 2010, that supported the blockade.
A spokesman for Visa also referred to previous comments, which stated that customers had to “abide by our operating regulations and also the applicable laws in the country or countries where the cardholder and merchant are based”.
A spokesman for MasterCard declined to comment.
: The Ecuador embassy had a fire alarm test after the press briefing. Mr Assange joked that he did not know where he would go. Police officers remain outside the embassy waiting to arrest Mr Assange if he steps outside.
Speaking from inside the Ecuadorean embassy, the WikiLeaks founder accused "crazed” Independent Senator Joe Lieberman and Republican congressman Peter King of pressuring companies into blocking funds to his whistle-blowing website.
Visa and MasterCard were among several payment firms who instigated the crippling “banking blockade” shortly after WikLeaks published more than 250,000 confidential State Department cables in December 2010.
Today, the Australian pleaded with the European Union to help lift the two-year banking blockade, through DataCell, an Icelandic company, which had left the website fighting for its survival.
Mr Assange, 41, admitted the blockade had cost the website more than £30 million in lost donations, wiped out 95 per cent of its revenue and forced its staff to take pay cuts of up to 40 per cent.
It had also reduced the volume of leaked documents it publicly released through its website, he added.
He was speaking to British media organisations, including The Daily Telegraph, today from inside the South American country's London embassy, where he has holed up since June to avoid extradition to Sweden to face sexual assault allegations, which he denies.
During the 90-minute press conference today, which was also streamed via Skype to journalists in Brussels, Mr Assange claimed that any “association with WikiLeaks” resulted in an “economic death penalty”.
At its peak WikiLeaks it received almost £97,000 a day in donations and without the blockade – which the European Commission (EC) has admitted was unlikely to have violated EU antitrust rules – WikiLeaks would be “20 times bigger”.
As a result the website now faced a “financially difficult” situation although Mr Assange, 41, denied there was “danger” it would result in it closing down.
He accused Senator Lieberman, a former Democratic vice presidential nominee, and Mr King, the chair of the House of Representatives Homeland Security Committee, of having inappropriate “conservations” with the credit card organisations.
Speaking in the embassy's gilt-corniced conference room, he said: "It is a serious issue that Senator Lieberman or Peter King or any other crazed right wing extremists in the US, can apply an economic death penalty to any European company or organisation of their choice without any accountability.
“The situation is financially difficult, but there is no danger that WikiLeaks will cease as an organisation.
"There is no dispute that this blockade is a political reaction to our publications.”
Mr Assange, addressing his first press briefing inside the embassy since he took refuge, added: "It means we have to reduce our publications. We cannot expose war crimes and other forms of abuse."
Mr Assange disclosed that, because of the blockade, he is unable to pay his lawyers in Ecuador directly while he has declined a salary for past 12 months, instead relying on "goodwill" from a mountain of "volunteers" across the globe.
Appearing well groomed in a white open neck shirt with embroidery and charcoal suit, Mr Assange refused to answer any “off topic” questions about his stay in the embassy or address speculation that his health is failing.
His only comments regarding the diplomatic row between Ecuador, which has granted him asylum, and Britain was that a resolution was "a matter for diplomacy at this stage".
He said he was grateful to the Ecuadorean embassy for "protecting" him.
"My stay here in the Ecuador Embassy, while difficult in many ways, at least I am able to continue my work to some degree,” he added.
Mr Assange’s claims came after his website released leaked EC documents that formed part of a preliminary antitrust investigation into Visa and Mastercard, which he quoted extensively from.
The documents, detailing submissions by both companies, were heavily redacted, with up to a third of the content blacked out.
Mr Assange added: “The blockade is a direct infringement of the … right to receive and impart information and threatens all donor-funded organisations and the freedom of the press.
“These unaccountable elements are directly interfering in the political and economic freedoms of EU consumers and are setting a precedent for political censorship of the world’s media.
DataCell, a company that collected donations for WikiLeaks, complained to the Commission about Visa Europe and MasterCard Europe, among others after they stopped processing donations for WikiLeaks.
In a recent preliminary decision last week, the EC refused to open a formal antitrust investigation into the matter.
WikiLeaks and DataCell this week appealed to the Commission to reverse that refusal. A decision is expected in four to six weeks.
An EC spokesman said tonight: “On the basis of the information available, the Commission considers that the complaint does not merit further investigation because it is unlikely that any infringement of EU competition rules could be established.”
Officials would consider any new information before making a final decision.
The two American politicians declined to directly address today’s claims, instead referring to previous statements made in 2010, that supported the blockade.
A spokesman for Visa also referred to previous comments, which stated that customers had to “abide by our operating regulations and also the applicable laws in the country or countries where the cardholder and merchant are based”.
A spokesman for MasterCard declined to comment.
: The Ecuador embassy had a fire alarm test after the press briefing. Mr Assange joked that he did not know where he would go. Police officers remain outside the embassy waiting to arrest Mr Assange if he steps outside.
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