Victorian lawyers and members of the public tonight met to support Julian Assange and WikiLeaks.

A packed meeting of approximately 200 people met at the Law Institute of Victoria to hear from legal advocates about the human rights issues surrounding WikiLeaks.

The meeting condemned any future call for Julian Assange’s extradition to the United States, stating he cannot receive a fair trial.

Any criminalisation of WikiLeaks is a direct attack on the media and freedom of speech, the meeting unanimously said.

Speakers at the forum included Julian Burnside QC; Professor Spencer Zifcak, President Liberty Victoria; Peter Gordon, Gordon Legal; Jon Faine, ABC and Steven Stevens, LIV President.

Julian Burnside told the meeting that it was appalling that Julian Assange had been cast adrift by our Government.

Peter Gordon said it would appear that war is being waged by big governments and big corporations to suppress information.

Jon Faine told the meeting that Assange’s predicament was pure and simple about freedom of speech. He said the issue was about a journalist getting a good yarn and making it available using whatever platform he can.

Professor Zifcak said Governments were plundering the law to silence a critic.

He said it was highly unlikely that any Australian law had been broken and the hunt for a convenient law was still on.

Rob Stary said the Assange issue had caused great disquiet in the community generally and the legal profession in particular.