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If you care about this news and you are able to do this financially, consider supporting Julian's fee for having have had to take a private plane for this entir

If you care about this news and you are able to do this financially, consider supporting Julian's fee for having have had to take a private plane for this entire process: > Julian Assange has embarked on flight VJ199 to Saipan. If all goes well it will bring him to freedom in Australia. But his travel to freedom comes at a massive cost: he will owe USD 520,000 which he is obligated to pay back to the Australian government for the charter flight. He was not permitted to fly commercial airlines or routes to Saipan and onward to Australia. Links: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/free-julian-assange https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/free-julian-assange https://x.com/Stella_Assange/status/1805573781303308326 https://x.com/Stella_Assange/status/1805573781303308326

trogdor 2y ago
>He was not permitted to fly commercial airlines or routes to Saipan and onward to Australia. Not permitted by who, and on what basis?
- whamlastxmas 2y ago
  Presumably either the US or UK as part of his plea deal or bail conditions. Maybe some form of house arrest where he’s not to be in public.
  - tylergetsay 2y ago
    I would bet it is Saipan local goverment, they probably don't have (or dont want to expend) the resources to secure him.
- blitzar 2y ago
  Once he was tried, convicted, sentenced and released in Saipan there can be no possible basis for restricting the mode of travel to "PJ or better".
mrcsharp 2y ago
With how much the AU gov loves to waste our tax money on useless crappy programs, this would be the one instance where I would wholeheartedly support giving the $500k of tax money away.
aredox 2y ago
How much of that price is real, and how much of it is grift?
- iso8859-1 2y ago
  That depends how dangerous you want air travel to be. The world is currently spending way too much on air travel security, the number of deaths is too low compared to automobile travel.
- Symbiote 2y ago
  A few searches for charter flights from England to Australia give figures roughly around this amount.
- Spod_Gaju 2y ago
  This man spends almost five and a half years in prison fighting for press freedom and now you think he is suddenly a grifter? What planet do you live on or what U.S.Intel agency do you work for?
  - whycome 2y ago
    I don't think they're accusing Assange of the grift here.
  - manquer 2y ago
    OP is implying government or its contractors is the one grifting, not Assange . Basically forcing a large bill on a person who has no choice but to accept . It is not grift though, it does cost in that ball park for international private long distance flights in the 10,000+ mile range . Planes that can do this like say gulfstream V would seat 15-20 people , so like 25k per seat , it is not that much more expensive than a first class ticket cost wise if you think about it
    - Spod_Gaju 2y ago
      I see no indication of that.
jaza 2y ago
As an Australian citizen and taxpayer, I would ask that our government foots that $520k bill, and that they deduct it from the blank cheque being offered to (our?!) King Charles to pay all expenses for his planned visit down under later this year. I'm no accountant, but if my calculations are correct, "black hole of money" - $520k = "still a black hole of money, she'll be right".

trogdor 2y ago

>He was not permitted to fly commercial airlines or routes to Saipan and onward to Australia. Not permitted by who, and on what basis?

whamlastxmas 2y ago
Presumably either the US or UK as part of his plea deal or bail conditions. Maybe some form of house arrest where he’s not to be in public.
- tylergetsay 2y ago
  I would bet it is Saipan local goverment, they probably don't have (or dont want to expend) the resources to secure him.
blitzar 2y ago
Once he was tried, convicted, sentenced and released in Saipan there can be no possible basis for restricting the mode of travel to "PJ or better".

mrcsharp 2y ago

With how much the AU gov loves to waste our tax money on useless crappy programs, this would be the one instance where I would wholeheartedly support giving the $500k of tax money away.

aredox 2y ago

How much of that price is real, and how much of it is grift?

iso8859-1 2y ago
That depends how dangerous you want air travel to be. The world is currently spending way too much on air travel security, the number of deaths is too low compared to automobile travel.
Symbiote 2y ago
A few searches for charter flights from England to Australia give figures roughly around this amount.
Spod_Gaju 2y ago
This man spends almost five and a half years in prison fighting for press freedom and now you think he is suddenly a grifter? What planet do you live on or what U.S.Intel agency do you work for?
- whycome 2y ago
  I don't think they're accusing Assange of the grift here.
- manquer 2y ago
  OP is implying government or its contractors is the one grifting, not Assange . Basically forcing a large bill on a person who has no choice but to accept . It is not grift though, it does cost in that ball park for international private long distance flights in the 10,000+ mile range . Planes that can do this like say gulfstream V would seat 15-20 people , so like 25k per seat , it is not that much more expensive than a first class ticket cost wise if you think about it
  - Spod_Gaju 2y ago
    I see no indication of that.

jaza 2y ago

As an Australian citizen and taxpayer, I would ask that our government foots that $520k bill, and that they deduct it from the blank cheque being offered to (our?!) King Charles to pay all expenses for his planned visit down under later this year. I'm no accountant, but if my calculations are correct, "black hole of money" - $520k = "still a black hole of money, she'll be right".