Whilst the release of Julian Assange has been celebrated by his friends, family and defenders, the powers that imprisoned him remain unconstrained. Is his release a victory and for whom? While acknowledging Assange's role in exposing harsh war truths, Sophie Scott-Brown argues that "speaking truth to power" now reinforces the power structures it seeks to challenge. Scott-Brown calls for a society of shared responsibilities, free from permanent authorities, especially in light of current global crises.

Assange’s release is welcome news, but is it really a victory? And if so, of what for whom?  Assange forced on us the painful, undeniable facts proving what most people dimly suspected but didn’t want to know, that appalling things are done by all sides in a war. In doing so, he joined a select elite of people who have sacrificed themselves—their time, liberty, health, and often lives—to ‘speak truth to power.’

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