In a candid interview on the roundtable news discussion show Silfur Egils, WikiLeaks spokesman Kristinn Hrafnsson says that while the site is undergoing concerted attacks, they intend to stay online. He furthermore encouraged the Minister of Foreign Affairs to condemn American pressure on the site to shut down.
Kristinn described the past week as “pretty stormy”. An understatement of sorts, as he refers to the continuous DDOS attacks the site is subject to, as well as embargoes placed on the site by PayPal, Mastercard and Visa, not to mention Julian Assange’s arrest in the UK, where he is currently being held.
Kristinn said that it was his impression that greater preparations were underway. At the same time, he believes the public has come to see the conflict between WikiLeaks and the US government as a question of human rights, freedom of expression, and internet liberty.
The site plans on releasing information originating from within American financial institutions next year. There have been no plans to delay or cancel the release of this information.
Kristinn also took the opportunity to encourage Minister of Foreign Affairs Össur Skarphéðinsson to speak up, and voice criticism of the American government for their treatment of WikiLeaks. He pointed out that the Australian foreign minister and the president of Brazil have publicly declared support for WikiLeaks. Furthermore, he wants to see the Icelandic Modern Media Initiative made into law, and provide legal protection for whistleblowers and informants on the rich and powerful.
While Kristinn said that he assumes he is being followed, he said he does not feel especially threatened or in great danger. When asked how it came to be that he ended up the spokesman for Wikileaks, he responded, “I just drew the shortest straw.”
For more on Iceland and WikiLeaks, see the following:
Parliament Committee Calls Ban on WikiLeaks “Harsh Operation on Freedom of Expression”
Icelandic Company To Sue Visa Over WikiLeaks Ban
Icelandic Company Assisting WikiLeaks
Icelanders Mostly Positive About WikiLeaks
WikiLeaks Discussed in Parliament
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