WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has sent the World Socialist Web Site an important statement warning of government and corporate efforts to curtail the democratic exchange of information. He has requested that it be read during the WSWS Webinar, “Organizing Resistance to Internet Censorship.”

The video live stream will feature a discussion between WSWS Chairman David North and journalist Chris Hedges. It will be streamed live by video on Tuesday, January 16, at 7:00 pm EST at wsws.org/endcensorship.

Assange has spent the past five and a half years trapped in the Ecuadorian embassy in London, facing the prospect of arrest and extradition to the US if he leaves. He was recently granted citizenship by the government of Ecuador. Assange has been persecuted for WikiLeak’s role in exposing US government war crimes.

The discussion between North and Hedges will explore the political context of the efforts to censor the Internet and abolish net neutrality, examine the pretexts used to justify the suppression of free speech (i.e., “fake news”), and discuss political strategies to defend democratic rights.

Hedges and North will also field questions from on-line listeners, which can be submitted at wsws.org/endcensorship and at facebook.com/wsws.org.