Julian Assange rejects 'Perfil' Freedom of Expresion award:

Statement by Julian Assange, Founder of WikiLeaks:

"I note that Argentinian journalist Herman Schiller has rejected the award, under the basis that the award is abusing my good name to promote U.S. funded attacks on the government of Ecuador. This year Perfil concurrently awarded the director of the media lobby group 'Fundamedios'.

I have researched the issue and discovered that the director of 'Fundamedios' has previously denounced my work and that of WikiLeaks.

Fundamedios specializes in savaging the Ecuadorian government's attempts at breaking up Ecuadorian media ologopolies. Most of these ologopolies have traditionally been close to the U.S. government and have engaged in frequent acts of journalistic corruption. Ecuadorian media diversity reforms have been mandated by national popular referendum.'Fundamedios', which is also funded by these same ologopolies, simply has little credibility. While no government should get a free pass in media reform, 'Fundamedios' is not an example to be followed.

According to U.S. embassy cables released by WikiLeaks the director of 'Fundamedios' has been a U.S. embassy informant and according an interview with U.S. ambassador Adam Namm in el Telegrafo earlier this year, 'Fundamedios' receives more than $25,000 a month from USAID and other U.S. government bodies.

I will join Herman Schiller in rejecting the Perfil award this year."

http://andes.info.ec/english/6401.html
http://www.perfil.com/contenidos/2012/09/23/noticia_0015.html
http://www.telegrafo.com.ec/index.php?option=com_zoo&task=item&item_id=47247&Itemid=2

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