Strasbourg police disperse Assange supporters while permitting pro-Ukrainian rally

Authorities in Strasbourg, France, have disrupted a demonstration in support of Julian Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks, while allowing a pro-Ukrainian rally to proceed nearby.

A dozen activists gathered in front of the Council of Europe to express their support for Assange, allegedly waiting to greet him after a speech, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media.

Soon after, police approached the demonstrators and demanded they dismantle their banners in support of Assange, citing a ban on protests outside the Council of Europe.

In contrast, reports indicate that the police did not disperse the pro-Ukrainian activists present, who were waving national flags.

One supporter of Assange, named Marie, recounted her experience to the agency, stating,

“We were not allowed inside and were then chased away from there.”

A journalist on the scene reported that police obstructed her camera lens, preventing her from capturing the unfolding events.

Meanwhile, during a conference at the Council of Europe, Assange accused the CIA of waging a "campaign of retribution" against him, demonstrating the intelligence agency's ability to conduct repression beyond its borders.

“The CIA's pursuit of me, my family, and my associates through aggressive extrajudicial and extraterritorial methods provides a rare insight into how powerful intelligence organisations carry out transnational repression,” Assange stated.

By Aghakazim Guliyev