WikiLeaks party members reported to have met high-ranking Syrian officials
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Version 0 of 1. A delegation from Australia’s WikiLeaks party has reportedly met with high-ranking Syrian officials, including president Bashar al-Assad, as part of a “peace and reconciliation” trip. The party said the delegation, which met several regime figures last week, aimed to “show solidarity with the Syrian people and their nation”, as well as warn against the “deadly consequences” of any western military intervention into the civil war that has raged in Syria for almost three years. A photograph on Twitter appeared to show members of the WikiLeaks party with Assad. According to Buzzfeed, a Syrian television report showed the party chairman, John Shipton – the father of the party’s founder, Julian Assange – telling officials including Syria’s prime minister and deputy foreign minister: “We’ll continue to expose the truth to the Australian people and to our international audience, and next year we will set up an office in Damascus.” A blogpost on the party website said it could not give details about the delegation owing to security concerns. Buzzfeed reports the group included Tim Anderson, a professor at the University of Sydney who was imprisoned for seven years but later acquitted over the 1978 bombing of the Sydney Hilton hotel. “While the WikiLeaks party recognises the needs for political reforms in Syria and to fight against corruption and abuses of human rights, it does not support achieving this by violence, western military intervention and destruction of the country,” the blogpost said. “The western military intervention in Libya proves that any similar intervention in Syria would have resulted in devastating consequences. “The WikiLeaks party openly and strongly supports peaceful negotiation as the only way out of the deadly crisis.” The post added that the delegation would send a “clear message” that violence should not be used to change governments. The party was formed formed this year in an attempt to win Senate seats for its candidates, who included Assange himself, despite his unbroken stay inside the Ecuadorian embassy in London. The campaign ultimately proved unsuccessful after several of high-profile candidates resigned, following a controversial preferencing strategy. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade would not comment specifically on the WikiLeaks party but said it discouraged all Australians from visiting Syria. “The Australian government strongly advises Australians not to travel to Syria because of the extremely dangerous security situation, highlighted by ongoing military conflict, kidnappings and terrorist attacks,” a spokeswoman said. The WikiLeaks party has not returned requests for comment on the visit. Our editors' picks for the day's top news and commentary delivered to your inbox each morning. |