International Anti-Corruption Day - 2021 - Part II

                                    This post is a summary of two articles. Both articles published in January of 2022 in the webpage of the important NGO called Transparency International that fight against corruption all over the world and we all must support them and help them in this fight. The first was published at    https://www.transparency.org/en/news/cpi-2021-highlights-insights. The second was published  https://www.transparency.org/en/news/cpi-2021-americas-a-region-in-crisis

                 Two years into the devastating COVID-19 pandemic, this year's Corruption Perceptions Index reveals that corruption levels remain at a standstill worldwide. Despite commitments on paper, 131 countries have made no significant progress against corruption over the last decade, and this year 27 countries are at a historic low in their CPI score. Meanwhile, human rights and democracy across the world are under assault. This is no coincidence. Corruption enables human rights abuses. Conversely, ensuring basic rights and freedoms means there is less space for corruption to go unchallenged. The 2021 Corruption Index results show that countries with well-protected civil and political rights generally control corruption better. The fundamental freedoms of expression is crucial in the fight for a world free of corruption. There is an urgent need to accelerate the fight against corruption if we are to halt human rights abuses and democratic decline across the globe. The Index ranks 180 countries by their perceived levels of public sector corruption according to experts and businesspeople. It relies on 13 independent data sources and uses a scale of zero to 100, where zero is highly corrupt and 100 is very clean. More than two-thirds of countries (68%) score below 50. Since 2012, 25 countries significantly improved their scores, but in the same period 23 countries significantly declined. This year, the top 5 are Denmark, Finland, New Zealand, Norway and Sweden. The bottom of the Index are South Sudan, Syria, Somalia, Venezuela and North Korea. Overall, the Corruption Index shows that control of corruption has stagnated or worsened in 86% of countries over the last decade. In the last five years, several countries have fallen significantly down the Index, including Canada (-8), Nicaragua (-6), Honduras (-6), Venezuela (-4). The most significant improvers over the same period are Armenia (+14), Angola (+10), South Korea (+8), Uzbekistan (+6), Ethiopia (+4). Meanwhile, the scores of several democracies that used to top the Index and champion anti-corruption efforts around the world are deteriorating From the repression of opposition supporters in Belarus, to the closing of media outlets and civil society organisations in Nicaragua, the deadly violence against protesters in Sudan and the killing of humsn rights defenders in the Philippines, human rights and democracy are under threat around the world. Increasingly, rights and checks and balances are being undermined not only in countries with systemic corruption and weak institutions, but also among established democracies. Since 2012, 90% of countries have stagnated or declined in their civil liberties score on the Democracy Index. Our analysis of this year's Corruption Index results shows that upholding human rights is crucial in the fight against corruption, with countries who violate civil liberties generally scoring lower on the C.I. Corruption undermines the ability of governments to guarantee the human rights of their citizens. This affects the delivery of public services, the dispensation of justice and the provision of safety for all. In particular, grand corruption committed by high-level officials usually combines the large-scale theft of public funds with gross human rights violations. Human rights are not simply a nice-to-have in the fight against corruption. Ensuring that civil society and the media can speak freely and hold power to account is the only route to a corruption-free society. Fundamental rights such as freedom of expression, political rights and access to justice guarantee public participation and keep corruption in check. The current wave of authoritarianism is not driven by coups and violence, but by gradual efforts to undermine democracy. This usually begins with attacks on civil and political rights, efforts to undermine the autonomy of oversight and election bodies, and control of the media. Such attacks allow corrupt regimes to evade accountability and criticism. Corruption may be a multifaceted problem, but it is one we know how to solve. We are calling on the public to demand that governments act on their own anti-corruption and human rights commitments. Many of the anti-corruption successes in recent history have been due to the tireless efforts of ordinary people, who have taken great personal risks to make change happen.                                                                                                                                                                                                                  With an average score of 43 out of 100 for the third consecutive year in the 2021 Corruption Perception Index, the countries of the Americas have ground to a halt in the fight against corruption. Despite extensive legislation and a regional commitment to control this scourge, corruption in the Americas continues to undermine democracy and human rights. This year Americas region show no significant changes in their corruption levels. In the last 10 years, only Guyana and Paraguay have made noteworthy improvements. Over the same period, U.S., Chile and Canada, show a decline. Venezuela, Haiti and Nicaragua, score the lowest with 14, 20 and 22, respectively. Presidents in the region, such as Jair Bolsonaro in Brazil and Nayib Bukele in El Salvador, turned the fight against corruption into a campaign rallying cry, in an attempt to win over an electorate disillusioned with traditional politics, tired of corruption and determined to see their human rights upheld. Contrary to their own promises, these figures have made no progress in controlling corruption but instead have deployed regressive measures that violate people's rights. Dropping four points compared to last year, Argentina is the country in the region that has declined the most. The recommendations Transparency International is making this year are key to ensuring that the Americas end the scourge of corruption and overcome an unfolding crisis of democracy and human rights. In addition, the governments of the region must take decisive action to strengthen transparency, integrity and independence of their justice systems and offering protection to prosecutors assigned to investigate cases of corruption and human rights abuses. They should also protect whistleblowers. In light of the grave situation in the region, the international community must support activists, journalists and whistleblowers.

International Anti-Corruption Day - 2021

                  A little more than one month ago, precisely on 9th December, the whole world celebrated the importance to fight corruption. This year there will be election in October, so let's see what the candidates will promise to help us in this important fight, ask them about it. The public money must be very well used, so that we can have better schools, better hospitals, better security, better streets and roads, better jobs, greater development, less inequality, less injustice. So a better functional government and consequently a better country for all. The fight against corruption is very important,  so we all should be involved in this fight, because the theft of public resources harm us all. But we all should know that this fight is not easy, because activists for this important ethical cause can become a target at some powerful persons, the people should not be naive, there are many people that are not interested in this activism, in this fight.  This post is a summary of two articles. The first was published at  https://www.un.org/en/observances/anti-corruption-day. The second was published at   https://www.transparency.org/en/news/international-anti-corruption-day-2021-summit-for-democracy-civil-society

                 Corruption affects all areas of society. Preventing corruption unlocks progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals, helps protect our planet, creates jobs, achieves gender equality, and secures wider aceess to essential services such as healthcare and education. While it is everyone's right to benefit from strong anti-corruption efforts, misconduct and wrongdoing is stealing away valuable resources at a time when they are most needed to respond to and recover from the COVID-19 crisis. The 2021 International Anti-Corruption Day seeks to highlight the rights and responsibilities of everyone, Government officials, civil servants, law enforcement officers, mainstream media, the private sector, civil society, academia, in tackling corruption. And yet it is not only countries that need to unite and face this global problem with shared responsibility. Every single person, young and old, has a role to play to prevent and counter corruption, in order to promote resilience and integrity at all levels of society. To achieve this, policies and measures need to be in place for people to be able to speak up and say no to corruption. The U.N. Convention against Corruption emphasizes the responsibility of governments to put in place effective whistle-blower protection to ensure that persons who speak up are protected from retaliation. These measures contribute to effective, accountable and transparent institutions towards a culture of integrity and fairness. Reducing the risk of corruption requires strong anti-corruption bodies, better oversight, more open and transparent public procurement and enhance anti-corruption compliance by the private sector. In addition, countries also need to ensure support and protection for whistleblower and journalists uncovering corruption.                                                                                      We want a world where common good prevails and power is held to account, and that is what we are fighting for. 2021 should have been a landmark year for anti-corruption but, it has fallen short. There have been some significant developments. For example, thanks to our and our allies' determination, the momentum to end the abuse of anonymous shell companies is finally catching on. But the U.N. General Assembly Special Session against Corruption held in June was not exactly we hoped it would be. Governments blatantly ignored civil society's calls to address grand corruption, so much so that they refused to even acknowledge it. Grand corruption is the kind of high-level corruption that results into large-scale theft of public funds and resources. Corruption schemes involving large amounts of money and high-level officials nearly always stretch across borders. Past failures to prevent and confront such cross-border corruption have had a detrimental impact on the health of democracies. The international community recognised that corruption undermines democracy when states adopted the U.N. Convention against Corruption in 2003. Over 15 years have passed, and as the latest Corruption Index showed, most countries around the world have made little to no progress in the fight against corruption. In the worst affected countries, the failure to combat public sector corruption has meant suffering for ordinary people, who continue to be denied basic public services, deprived of economic opportunities and are locked into poverty. In many others, it has been a decade during which policies were skewed in the interests of a powerful few, while accountability mechanisms were weakened or even captured. 

The Evolution of Democracy and Human Rights in Latin America

                This post is a summary of the report with the incomplete title above published at https://www.corteidh.or.cr/tablas/r35102.pdf

               For years, scholars have attempted to provide a concrete definition of democracy and to establish its linkage to human rights. Both concepts have evolved alongside western culture. On the one hand, ancient Greeks developed democracy to be a system of government that would provide an effective, legitimate means of making decisions for the citizenry. On the other hand, human rights doctrine developed from Aristotle's teachings on equity and the debates that arose about justice as a value. In contemporary times, democracy and human rights have merged in the movement for social justice. In the American continent, the Charter of the Organization of American States (OAS) and the American Declaration of the Rights and Duties of Man, proclaimed in Bogotá in 1948, eight months before the UDHR, clearly stipulates a link between human rights and democracy. After the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, a systematic evolution of democracvy took place around the world. At the time, the main challenge for Latin America was to complete its own democratic transition and begin to consolidate and strengthen its political infrastructure. Latin American governments have failed to raise the standard of living and have ineffectively addressed economic, social and cultural rights. In general, Latin America, has failed to inspire even moderate optimism for a more sound economic future, of the kind that should naturally result from democracy and a climate of participation by the population. One of the primary impediments to the full consolidation of democracy in Latin America is the exclusion of broad sectors of society. Such systematic exclusion clearly violates the principles of equality and non-discrimination articulated in the human rights instruments currently in force throughout the region. The 1991 Santiago Commitment marked the most optimistic moment in Latin America's transition to democracy. It was the consequence of a constructive and positive attitude toward the system of protection of human rights and the consolidation of democratic governments in the region. Unquestionably, "fundamental freedoms" are at the heart of this process, but democracy will surely fail if it does not attend to question of poverty and other issues related to the quality of life. Social, including political; economic and cultural rights, however, are still perceived as "second class" rights and most of the governments in the region do not have the political will to comply with them. These challenges are emblematic of the current flaws in Latin America democracy. Consolidating democracy requires strong national institutions, and in this sense, Latin America has a long way to go. A large and often corrupt bureaucracy makes modernizing the state structures an almost insurmountable task. Interest groups resist much needed changes in the three branches of power. Transparency and a new culture of accountability are essential for strong and credible state institutions. The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights and the Inter-American Court of Human Rights are increasingly seen as reliable alternatives for the pursuit of justice when national systems of justice prove ineffective. Recent amendments to the statutes of the Commission and the Court will help the two organs cooperate more in the future. The Court has allowed victim-petitioners greater participation, which should result in more access to justice. As a result, the credibility of the inter-American system has increased over the last decade and the scope of its work has grown to encompass many delicate issues of human rights abuses that were previously ignored. These advances, however, are not occurring on a large enough scale and the inter-American organs can only respond effectively to the challenges they face if they receive sufficient funding. The OAS continues to be crippled by budgetary restrictions which severely limit the extent to which it can practically pursue its mandate.

World Day of Peace 2022

                   Yesterday 1st of January the world celebrated the peace. This commemorative day was created by the Catholic Church, because for the U.N. the International World Peace is 21st of September. The governments worldwide should try to spend less in weapons. We all should try to do from violence a thing of the past. For this I think a better international and national justice is essential. More economic sanctions should be implemented on countries that have ambitions on territorial expansion, such as Russia and China. In national level I think the homicides should have a hard punishment, prisoners, but especially murderers should work in prison to pay for their maintenance. This post is a summary of three articles. The first was published at   https://www.mary.org/blog/202112/world-day-peace-2022#.YdBAYjPMLIU. The second was published at   https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/peace-justice/. The third was published at   https://theowp.org/reports/what-can-we-do-to-contribute-to-world-peace/

                    For the past 55 years, the Roman Catholic Church has highlighted the fundamental, yet weighty, call to peace by celebrating World Day of Peace. Each year, on 1st, our Pope issues a World Day of Peace message inviting Catholics throughout the world to stop and learn about it and act for peace. The Peace we are invited to embrace, on this day, goes way beyond an tension of inner tranquility. It includes a willingness to enter into the contradictions and tension of injustice and brokeness in our lives, our community and our world. We are called to see, to understand, and to act in a way that ensures abundance, prosperity, and well-being for all. This is the biblical notion of shalom: abundance, prosperity, and well-being. Pope Francis states, "when in Hebrew we wish shalom, we wish for a full and prosperous life, but also according to truth and justice. The message of World Day of Peace varies from year to year. However, the theme is always fixated on creating a culture of care in our relationships. The exact focus each year changes to meet the needs and rising issues of that particular year. On January 1st, 2022 Pope Francis calls us to act for peace by reflecting on this message entitled Education, Work and Dialogue Between Generations: Tools for Building Lasting Peace. In 2022, Pope Francis invites us to consider three challenges: 1) We are invited to read the signs of the times, so that the direction of this change awakens new and old questions with which it is right and necessary to be confronted. We are called to hear the challenging facts, speak the hard truths, move towards the demanding actions. Denial is not an option for us. 2) Pope Francis seeks to answer questions about education and how it contributes to peace. 3) This message also looks at the extent to which generations are in solidarity with each other and whether governments succeed in setting a horizont of peace.                                                                                                                          Conflict, insecurity, weak institutions and limited access to justice remain a great threat to sustainable development. The number of people fleeing war, persecution and conflict exceeded 70 million in 2018, the highest level recorded by the U.N. refugee agency (UNHCR) in almost 70 years. In 2019, the U.N. tracked 357 killings of human rights defenders, journalists and trade unionists in 47 countries. Human rights are key in shaping the pandemic response. By respecting human rights in this time of crisis, we will build more effective and inclusive solutions for the emergency of today and the recovery of tomorrow. Human rights put people centre-stage. Responses that are shaped by and respect human rights result in better outcomes in beating the pandemic, ensuring healthcare for everyone and preserve human dignity. Among the institutions most affected by corruption are the judiciary and police. Corruption, bribery, theft and tax evasion cost some US$1.26 trillion for developing countries per year, this amount of money could be used to lift those who are living on less than US$1.25 a day for at least six years. The rule of law and development have a significant interrelation and are mutually reinforcing, making it essential for sustainable development at the national and international level. Violence against children affects more than 1 billion children around the world and costs societies up to US$ 7 trillion a year. 50% of the world's children experience violence every year. 1 an 3 internet users worldwide is a child and 800 million of them use social media, any child can become victim of online violence.                                                                                                    What can we do to contribute to world peace? 1) Personal commitment to nonviolence. As an individual, we need to insist on peacefully solving any conflicts we encounter. Speak out against prejudice and discrimination; help people in trouble. You can get involved in promoting peace through communities and find a organization and be a volunteer that works towards peace. 2) The public has a right to know about wars and conflicts, what is happening, and the reasons behind it. After knowing that, the public is able to move s further step to push its government to intervene or not. 3) Worldwide democratization. There is a very little possibility a war will happen between two democratic states. Therefore, governments should promote democratic ideology. 4) Support equal opportunities and resources access. 5) Other methods such as sports and education are effective tools to develop peace and community building. 6) We can offer mental support and feel sympathy for all the people who are suffering and struggling for their lives. 7) We can reiterate how important peace is and we spread our voice to make the world hear it. 

Spend More On education, Less On Weapons

                      This post is a summary of three articles. The first with the incomplete title above was published in December 2021 at https://www.ncronline.org/news/vatican/pope-francis-2022-peace-message-spend-more-education-less-weapons. The second was published in December 2021 at  https://www.ncronline.org/news/vatican/pope-francis-2022-peace-message-spend-more-education-less-weapons. The third was published in April 2021 at  https://www.sipri.org/media/press-release/2021/world-military-spending-rises-almost-2-trillion-2020 

                     Pope Francis urged global leaders to spend more money on education and devote fewer resources to weapons in his 2022 World Day of Peace message. "It is high time, then, that governments develop economic policies aimed at inverting the proportion of public funds spent on education and on weaponry," the pope writes in a message released on December 17th. "The pursuit of a process of international disarmament can only prove beneficial for the development of peoples and nations, freeing up financial resources better used for healthcare, schools, and so forth," he continued. In his introduction to the three-page text, the pope laments that despite efforts aimed at fostering the conditions for peace, "the deafening noise of war and conflict is intensifying. The pope continues by offering a grim assessment of the state of world affairs. "Diseases of pandemic proportions are spreading, the effects of climate change and environment degradation are worsening, the tragedy of hunger is increasing, and an economic model based on individualism rather than on solidary sharing continues to prevail," he writes. Francis goes on to argue that education must be viewed as an investment, rather than an expenditure, which he says is vital for promoting integral human development. Such investment, the pope says, "make individuals more free and responsible, and they are essential for the defense and promotion of peace." Greater educational training, he continues, will help facilitate more dignified employment opportunities in the labor market, which he says will also help counter the rise of violence and crime around the globe.                                                                                                                                         Teaching and education are the foundations of a cohesive civil society capable of generating hope, prosperity and progress. Military expenditures, on the other hand, have increased beyond the levels at the end of the cold war and they seem certain to grow. It is my hope that investment in education will also be accompanied by greater efforts to promote the culture of care, which, in the face of social divisions and unresponsive institutions, could become a common language working to break down barriers and build bridges. The Covid-19 pandemic has negatively affected the labour market, which was already facing multiple challenges. In a particular way, the impact of the crisis on the informal economy, which often involves migrant workers, has been devastating. Many of the latter are not even recognized by national legislation. Currently only one third of the world's population of working age enjoys a system of social protection. The answer to this is an expansion of dignified employment opportunities. In light of this, there is a need to promote, welcome and support initiatives that, on all levels, urge companies to respect human rights, raising awareness not only on the part of institutions, but also among consumers. Here, politics is called to play an active role by promoting a fair balance between economic freedom and justice. As we seek to combine our efforts in order to emerge from the pandemic, I renew my thanks to all those who continue to work with generosity in the areas of education, safety and protection of rights.                                                                                                 Total global military expenditure increased 2.6% from 2019, according to new data published by Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). The five biggest spenders in 2020, which together accounted for 62% of global military expenditure, were the U.S., China, India, Russia and the U.K. Military spending by China grew for the 26th consecutive year. "We can say with some certainty that the pandemic did not have a significant impact on global military in 2020. It remains to be seen whether countries will maintain this level of military spending through a second year of the pandemic." Said Diego Lopes, Researcher with the SIPRI. In 2020 U.S. military expenditure reached an estimated $778 billion, representing an increase of 4.4% over 2019. As the world's largest military spender, the U.S. accounted for 39% of total military spending. China's military expenditure, the second highest in the world, is estimated to have totalled $252 billion in 2020. This represents an increase of 76% over the decade 2011-20. Nearly all members of the NATO saw their military burden rise in 2020. France, for example, the 8th biggest spender globally, passed the 2% of its GDP on its military for the first time since 2009. The U.K. became the 5th largest spender in 2020. The U.K.'s military spending was 2.9% higher than in 2019. Germany increased its spending by 5.2% in 2020, making it the 7th largest spender in 2020. Military expenditure in South America fell by 2.1% to $43.5 billion in 2020. The decrease was largely due to a 3.1% drop in spending by Brazil, the South America's largest military spender.

Human Rights Day - 2021

                 This post is a summary of four articles. The first was published at   https://www.un.org/en/observances/human-rights-day. The second was published at https://www.republicworld.com/world-news/rest-of-the-world-news/human-rights-day-2021-date-theme-significance-famous-quotes-and-all-you-need-to-know.html. The third was published at https://www.ninodelacaridad.com/why-should-we-celebrate-human-rights-day/. The fourth was published at https://humanrightshouse.org/we-stand-for/human-rights-defenders    

                                              This year'sHuman Rights Day theme relates to 'Equality' and Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human rights (UDHR) - "All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights." The principles of equality and non-discrimination are at the heart of human rights. Equality is aligned with the 2030 agenda and with the U.N. approach set out in the document. This includes addressing and finding solutions for deep-rooted forms of discrimination that have affected the most vulnerable people in societies. Pervasive inequalities and discrimination are human rights violations and among the greatest global challenges of our time. Addressing them effectively requires measures grounded in human rights, renewed political commitment and participation of all, especially those most affected. We need a new social contract which more fairly shares power and opportunities and sets the foundations of a sustainable human rights-based economy. Human rights have the power to tackle the root causes of conflict and crisis, by addressing grievances, eliminating inequalities and exclusion and allowing people to participate in decision-making that affect their lives. Societies that protect and promote human rights for everyone are more resilient societies and better equipped to weather crises.                                                                                                                                                                                  Every year across the world, Human Rights Day is observed on December 10 to increase awareness about the fact that every person on the planet has fundamental rights. The day is marked to promote the individuals rights. Amid the COVID pandemic crisis, Human Rights Day has become significantly important to urge for erradication of exacerbated poverty, increased inequality, and other societal evils. The U.N. also encourages governments throughout the world to establish equal opportunity for all individuals on this day and to protect their rights. The humanitarian agencies also have the authority to investigate and offer suggestions in cases of human rights breaches. "human rights are not privileged conferred by the government. They are human being's entitled by virtue of their humanity,"  said Mother Teresa.                                                                                                                                                                          Human Rights Day is celebrated every year on December 10th, it was established in 1948, as a way to commemorate that we need to continue striving towards making sure that everyone across the globe is granted fundamental human rights. Now you may be wondering how you can celebrate this day, as it isn't one that we can celebrate in a traditional way. Despite this inability to celebrate it like a normal holiday, there are many ways that we can celebrate this day, such as acknowledge the rights that we have in our country that others may not have, looking at the work that charitable organizations do in our community to help better the lives of others. The next thing that we can do to help celebrate this day is help to make a change. Get involved in a movement, whether it be something small in your community or something larger like participating in a protest for something you care about. Nothing we do on this day has to be large and impacting the entire world, but everything we do has an impact on the world around us, and everything help to promote the celebration on this day.                                                                                                                                                                                                            Human rights defenders work to improve societies and contribute to peace and democracy. They are agents for positive change and development. They are key in protecting against human rights violations. Anyone, regardless of their occupation, can be a human rights defender, they are identified primarily by what they do rather than by their profession. Some human rights defenders are professional, lawyers working on human rights cases, journalists or media workers, etc. Other human rights defenders are not earning revenue from their work in favour of human rights. "I deeply admire the courage and sacrifice of human rights defenders. These individuals and organisations are our eyes and ears and conscience," said U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres. Threats, intimidation, attacks, and restrictions against human rights defenders are increasing in many parts of the world. The context is that while the situation has deteriorated for defenders, international standards have been strengthened in recent years. The U.N. adopted, by consensus, a 2017 resolution aimed at celebrating the essential role and work of human rights defenders. These trends are of course connected: The more threats and restrictions, the greater the need for a response from the international community. 

50th Birthday of Julian Assange

                   A little more than 5 months ago, precisely on July 3rd, the founder of Wikileaks completed 50 years-old. This post is a tribute to him. Unfortunately this week we had a bad news about him, he can be extradite to U.S. I am his fan since 2010. Like me, he did an activism for transparency for governments and privacy for individuals. In May 2011, I put in this blog an interview he gave to a Brazilian magazine, you can read it here  https://thepeopleteacher.blogspot.com/2011/10/jump-to-democracy.html. We all have to fight against his prison. His crime was to publish at Wikileaks serious violations of human rights, and corruption evidences, something that we all should do. Instead of prison, he deserves a compensation for his unfair incarceration. This post is a summary of the article published at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julian_Assange

                    Julian Paul Assange is an Australian editor, publisher and activist who founded Wikileaks in 2006. Wikileaks came to international attention in 2010 when it published a series of leaks provided by U.S. Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning. These leaks included the Baghdad airstrike collateral murder video (April 2010), the Afghanistan war logs (July 2010), etc. After the 2010 leaks, the U.S. government launched a criminal investigation into Wikileaks. In November 2010, Sweden issued an international arrest warrant for Assange over allegations of sexual misconduct. Assange said the allegationswere a pretext for his extradition from Sweden to the U.S. over his role in the publication of secret American documents. He took refuge in the Embassy of Ecuador in London in June 2012. Swedish prosecutors dropped their investigations in 2019. During the 2016 U.S. election campaign, Wikileaks published confidential Democratic Party emails, showing that the party's national committee favoured Hillary Clinton over her rival Bernie Sanders in the primaries. In April 2019, Assange's asylum was withdrawn following a series of disputes with the Ecuadorian authorities. He was found guilty of breaching the Bail Act and sentenced to 50 weeks in prison. The U.S. government unsealed an indictment against Assange, related to the leaks provided by Manning. Editors from newspapers, including The Washington Post and The New York Times, as well as press freedom organisations, criticised the government's decision, characterising it as an attack on the freedom of the press. On December 2021 Britain's court of Appeal ruled that Assange can be extradited to the U.S. to face the charges. Assange has been confined in Belmarsh prison in London since April 2019. Julian Assange was born in Townsville, Queensland, to Christine Ann Hawkins and John Shipton, a builder. The couple separated before he was born. When he was a year old, his mother married Brett Assange, an actor with whom she ran a small theatre company and whom Julian regards as his father. By the time he reached his mid-teens, he with his mother and a half-brother settled in Melbourne. In 1987, aged 16, Assange began hacking under the name "Mendax". In September 1991, Assange was discovered hacking into the Melbourne terminal of Nortel, a Canadian telecommunications corporation. In December 1996, he pleaded guilty to 24 charges and he was ordered to pay reparations and was released on a good behaviour bond. Assange studied programming, mathematics and physics at University of Melbourne, but did not complete a degree. In 1993, Assange used his computing skills to help the Victoria Police to prosecute individuals responsible for publishing and distributing child pornography. In 1996, he moderated the AUCRYPTO forum, a website "giving advice on computer security" that had 5,000 subscribers. In 1998, he co-founded the company Earthmen Technology. Assange registered the domain Leaks.org in 1999, but didn't do anything with it. He published a patent granted to the N.S.A. in August 1999, for voice-data harvesting technology: "This patent should worry people. Everyone's overseas phone calls are or may soon be tapped, transcribed and archived in the bowels of an unaccountable foreign spy agency." he said. Assange and others established Wikileaks in 2006. From 2007 to 2010 Wikileaks published internet censorship lists, classified media from anonymous sources. These including revelations about drone strikes in Yemen, corruption across the Arab world, extrajudicial executions by Kenyan police, 2008 Tibetan unrest in China, and the Petrogate oil scandal in Peru. The material Wikileaks published between 2006 and 2009 attracted various degrees of international attention, but after it began publishing documents supplied by U.S. Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning, Wikileaks became a household name. Also Wikileaks published a quarter of a million U.S. diplomatic cables, known as the "Cablegate" files, in November 2010. The files showed U.S. espionage against U.N. and other world leaders, and exposed corruption in countries throughout the world as documented by U.S. diplomats. Since his arrest in April 2019 in London, after examining Assange, Nils Melzer, from U.N. concluded that  "in addition to physical ailments, Assange showed all symptoms typical for prolonged exposure to psychological torture, including extreme stress, chronic anxiety and intense psychological trauma. In a later interview, Melzer criticised the termination by Ecuador Assange's asylum status and citizenship without any form of due process and he said that the U.S. and U.K. were trying to make an example of Assange. He also accused some journalists of "spreading abusive and distorted narratives." In September 2020, an open letter in support of Assange was sent to Boris Johnson with the signatures of two current heads of state and approximately 160 other politicians. The following month, U.S. Representatives Tulsi Gabbard and Thomas Massie, introduced a resolution opposing the extradition of Assange. In December 2020, German human rights commissioner Barbel Kofler cautioned the U.K. about the need to consider Assange's psysical and mental health before deciding to extradite him. In July 2016, artist and activist Ai Weiwei, musicians Patti smith, Brian Eno, and PJ Harley, scholars Noam Chomsky and Yanis Varoufakis and filmmaker Ken Loach were amongst those attending an event in support of Assange. In January 2021, Australian journalist John Pilger stated that were Assange to be extradited "no journalist who challenge power will be safe."