Creating a media haven in Iceland-WikiLeaks

A new WikiLeaks initiative: A journalism haven in Iceland

Julian Assange

WikiLeaks: February 7, 2009

I am in Iceland. You should be too, or at least, reporting about it.

I have been in Iceland the past few weeks advising parliamentarians here on a cross-party proposal to turn Iceland into an international “journalism haven”–a jursidiction designed to attract organizations into publishing online from Iceland, by adopting the strongest press and source protection laws from around the world.

In my role as WikiLeaks editor, I’ve been involved in fighting off many legal attacks. To do that, and keep our sources safe, we have had to spread assets, encrypt everything, and move telecommunications and people around the world to activate protective laws in different national jurisdictions.

We’ve become good at it, and never lost a case, or a source, but we can’t expect everyone to go through the extraordinary efforts what we do. Large newspapers are routinely censored by legal costs.

Even internet-only publishers writing about corruption find themselves disconnected by their ISPs after legal threats. Should they not relent, they are hounded, like the Turks & Caicos Islands

Journal, from one jurisdiction to another. It is time this stopped. It is time a country said, enough is enough, justice must be seen, history must be preserved, and we will give shelter from the storm.

That’s why I’m excited about what is happening in Iceland, which has started to see the world in a new way after its mini-revolution a year ago.

The proposal, called the “Icelandic Modern Media Initiative” is expected to be filed on Monday the 15th. All 15 members of parliament approached so far [out of 51 max, the Cabinet of 12 can not propose] are willing to be listed as movers/authors. They represent every party, including the governing coalition. I think it is going to happen and so do the politicians.

The draft site and Parliamentary proposal is available here, and is embaroged until the 15th, when it is due to be publicly filed [parliament has next week off].

http://immi.is/ username: immi   password: notforpublication

The Icelandic is a little more uptodate, but you will get the idea.

We still need a lot of help:

0. the usual logistics involved in any campaign

1. statements of endorsement

2. videos of endoresment

3. 4 minute video segments of press censorship “horror stories”

4. advice about other beneficial laws

5. something we haven’t thought of

That’s it!

Julian Assange.