Oliver Stone and Michael Moore Support Julian Assange in Op-Ed

Oliver Stone and Michael MooreDimitrios Kambouris/WireImage; Ethan Miller/Getty Images

Filmmakers Oliver Stone and Michael Moore spoke out in support of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange today in a New York Times op-ed, declaring themselves "deeply grateful for the accomplishments of WikiLeaks." Assange is currently living in the Ecuadorean Embassy in London after the country granted him diplomatic asylum.

Moore and Stone praise Assange and WikiLeaks for exposing "the uglier acts" of the American government, including the release of footage that appears to shows a U.S. attack helicopter killing Baghdad civilians seemingly at random, and information about the Obama administration's pressuring of other nations not to prosecue Bush-era officials for torture. 

Although Moore and Stone call for a thorough investigation of the sexual assault allegations that have prompted a warrant for for Assange's arrest in Sweden, they also accuse the governments of Britan and Sweden, and not Assange, of impeding the investigation. The co-authors point out that he hasn't been formally charged with a crime. They also note that Assange has offered to be questioned in London by Swedish authorities and would even return to Sweden if the country promised not to extradite him to the United States, where he could face charges under the Espionage Act.

"Mr. Assange has every reason to fear such an outcome," Stone and Moore write. "The Justice Department recently confirmed that it was continuing to investigate WikiLeaks, and just-disclosed Australian government documents from this past February state that 'the U.S. investigation into possible criminal conduct by Mr. Assange has been ongoing for more than a year.'"  

At the end of their piece, the filmmakers note the possible global consequences if Assange is extradited to the United States, particularly because the founder is neither an American citizen, nor did his actions take place on American soil. 

"If the United States can prosecute a journalist in these circumstances, the governments of Russia or China could, by the same logic, demand that foreign reporters anywhere on earth be extradited for violating their laws," they write. "The setting of such a precedent should deeply concern everyone, admirers of WikiLeaks or not." 

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Madonna Faces $10.5 Million Lawsuit Over LGBT Support in Russia

After Madonna challenged St. Petersburg's gay pride ban at a concert there earlier this month, a group of activists has announced they will file a $10.5 million lawsuit against the pop star for "moral damage," reports RIA Novosti, a Russian news agency. Members of the Union of Russian Citizens, the civil group People's Assembly and the New Great Russia party are submitting the lawsuit today.

"We demand that she pay for moral damage suffered by St. Petersburg residents as a result of her actions during the show on August 9th," a spokeswoman for the Union of Russian Citizens said. "We must defend our right to normal cultural life without propaganda of values and views that contradict the Russian culture."

A lawyer representing the group said the "psychological stress and emotional shock" was felt beyond the show's attendees, claiming many other people were affected by footage of the show and reports on the Internet. "While speaking of tolerance, she abuses the feelings of believers," said Alexander Pochuyev, claiming Madonna's "open promotion of homosexuality" was at fault. The singer handed out handed out pink bracelets and repeatedly showed support for the LGBT community during her set August 9th, despite protests in the city.

The lawsuit adds more controversy to Madonna's MNDA tour: Elton John bashed her earlier this month and called her career "over." She displayed World War II-era footage of the Warsaw Uprising at a tour stop in the Polish capital, in reaction to protests. In July, a Paris crowd booed and call her a "slut" after her 45-minute set at an unexpected show. France's far right National Front party announced they will file a lawsuit against Madonna for her use of Nazi imagery at a tour stop in Paris. She has also canceled the Australian leg of her MDNA tour and was recently sued over an uncleared sample on her 1990 hit "Vogue."

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Madonna Faces $10.5 Million Lawsuit Over LGBT Support in Russia

After Madonna challenged St. Petersburg's gay pride ban at a concert there earlier this month, a group of activists has announced they will file a $10.5 million lawsuit against the pop star for "moral damage," reports RIA Novosti, a Russian news agency. Members of the Union of Russian Citizens, the civil group People's Assembly and the New Great Russia party are submitting the lawsuit today.

"We demand that she pay for moral damage suffered by St. Petersburg residents as a result of her actions during the show on August 9th," a spokeswoman for the Union of Russian Citizens said. "We must defend our right to normal cultural life without propaganda of values and views that contradict the Russian culture."

A lawyer representing the group said the "psychological stress and emotional shock" was felt beyond the show's attendees, claiming many other people were affected by footage of the show and reports on the Internet. "While speaking of tolerance, she abuses the feelings of believers," said Alexander Pochuyev, claiming Madonna's "open promotion of homosexuality" was at fault. The singer handed out handed out pink bracelets and repeatedly showed support for the LGBT community during her set August 9th, despite protests in the city.

The lawsuit adds more controversy to Madonna's MNDA tour: Elton John bashed her earlier this month and called her career "over." She displayed World War II-era footage of the Warsaw Uprising at a tour stop in the Polish capital, in reaction to protests. In July, a Paris crowd booed and call her a "slut" after her 45-minute set at an unexpected show. France's far right National Front party announced they will file a lawsuit against Madonna for her use of Nazi imagery at a tour stop in Paris. She has also canceled the Australian leg of her MDNA tour and was recently sued over an uncleared sample on her 1990 hit "Vogue."

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Decemberists Withdraw Support of Susan G. Komen Foundation

The Decemberists perform at the Lands End Stage during the Outside Lands Music And Arts Festival.

The Decemberists have withdrawn their fundraising support for the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation after the organization's decision to stop providing funding for Planned Parenthood.

The rockers have realigned themselves with Planned Parenthood's Breast Health Emergency Fund since Komen withdrew funding for breast cancer examinations on Tuesday. Komen claimed that a change in their grants policy prevented them from contributing further, though Planned Parenthood insisted that the foundation had bowed to pressure from anti-abortion groups.

Following Komen's announcement, the Decemberists redirected funds from their "Team Jenny" t-shirts (created for keyboardist Jenny Conlee, currently in remission for breast cancer) to Planned Parenthood. They stated on their website:

The Decemberists are deeply troubled by Komen for the Cure's recent decision to cut off funding to Planned Parenthood, a vital resource in the battle against breast cancer. Providing cancer screenings to low income women is integral to the prevention and defeat of breast cancer and it is unconscionable that Komen should politicize this very important issue by bowing to the fear campaign being waged against PP by the right. We've decided to redirect the proceeds of the Team Jenny t-shirts and buttons away from Komen for the Cure. 100% of the net profits of these items will be instead donated to Planned Parenthood's Breast Health Emergency Fund.

Please help to support this essential institution. And, if you've supported the Team Jenny effort in the past, please write to Komen for the Cure via their site or via twitter (@komenforthecure) and let them know that undermining women's health for political reasons is unacceptable.

To read the new issue of Rolling Stone online, plus the entire RS archive: Click Here

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Decemberists Withdraw Support of Susan G. Komen Foundation

The Decemberists perform at the Lands End Stage during the Outside Lands Music And Arts Festival.

The Decemberists have withdrawn their fundraising support for the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation after the organization's decision to stop providing funding for Planned Parenthood.

The rockers have realigned themselves with Planned Parenthood's Breast Health Emergency Fund since Komen withdrew funding for breast cancer examinations on Tuesday. Komen claimed that a change in their grants policy prevented them from contributing further, though Planned Parenthood insisted that the foundation had bowed to pressure from anti-abortion groups.

Following Komen's announcement, the Decemberists redirected funds from their "Team Jenny" t-shirts (created for keyboardist Jenny Conlee, currently in remission for breast cancer) to Planned Parenthood. They stated on their website:

The Decemberists are deeply troubled by Komen for the Cure's recent decision to cut off funding to Planned Parenthood, a vital resource in the battle against breast cancer. Providing cancer screenings to low income women is integral to the prevention and defeat of breast cancer and it is unconscionable that Komen should politicize this very important issue by bowing to the fear campaign being waged against PP by the right. We've decided to redirect the proceeds of the Team Jenny t-shirts and buttons away from Komen for the Cure. 100% of the net profits of these items will be instead donated to Planned Parenthood's Breast Health Emergency Fund.

Please help to support this essential institution. And, if you've supported the Team Jenny effort in the past, please write to Komen for the Cure via their site or via twitter (@komenforthecure) and let them know that undermining women's health for political reasons is unacceptable.

To read the new issue of Rolling Stone online, plus the entire RS archive: Click Here

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