WikiLeaks has lashed out at forthcoming a US-made documentary on founder Julian Assange. The whistleblowing group decried the film for its alleged inaccuracies, chiefly implications that Assange conspired with Bradley Manning to commit espionage.
The anti-secrecy organization released an annotated copy of the
film’s transcript that took no prisoners. Even the documentary’s
name — ‘We Steal Secrets: The Story of WikiLeaks’ — was
condemned by the group as misleading.
“It directly implies that WikiLeaks steals secrets. In fact,
the statement is made by former CIA/NSA director Michael Hayden in
relation to the activities of US government spies, not in relation
to WikiLeaks,” the group wrote.
The film premiered in the US on Friday, and has been styled by
director Alex Gibney as a David-and-Goliath story, with Assange as
David. However, Gibney did not collaborate with Assange or
WikiLeaks in the making of the documentary.
“Neither Julian Assange nor anyone associated with WikiLeaks
over the past two-and-a-half years agreed to participate in the
film,” WikiLeaks wrote.
The annotated copy of the script focuses on what WikiLeaks views
as an erroneous portrayal of whistleblower Bradley Manning, who is
currently facing trial and potential court martial for released
classified documents to the group in 2010. WikiLeaks alleged that
Gibney portrays Manning in the film to make it appear his “acts
represent a failure of character, rather than a triumph of
conscience.”
Gibney also used “selective editing” to make Manning seem
personally conflicted by gender-identity issues, leaving a
“lasting impression” on the audience, WikiLeaks
suggested.
However, Gibney appears to sympathize with Manning, publicly
referring to him as a “scapegoat” and calling the death
sentence against him “outrageous.”
“There’s no doubt that (Manning) has been improperly
scapegoated…he’s pled guilty to leaking. But these larger
charges, these more serious charges that the government is trying
to hang him with, aiding the enemy, carries a possible death
sentence. To me, that’s outrageous,” Gibney said as quoted by
Reuters.
The director decided to go ahead with the film even after
Assange refused to participate. Gibney referred to the founder of
WikiLeaks as a “puppet master” unwilling to answer his questions.
“He likens himself as the puppet master, the one who’s pulling
the strings on the media. I think he took some offense at the idea
that I was independent,” Gibney told the Associated Press.
The film is being released at a crucial time for WikiLeaks, as
Bradley Manning prepares to go for his final trial on June 3, which
could end in his court martial. Furthermore, Assange has been holed
up in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London for almost a year.
If he sets foot outside the building, UK authorities have
threatened to extradite the whistleblower to Sweden, where he is
wanted for questioning over allegations of sexual assault. Assange
has publically warned that his extradition will likely lead to
Swedish authorities handing him over to the US. He has mentioned on
a number of occasions that the US is preparing a secret case
against him.
This article originally appeared on: RT