There was a two-fold gain from Assange’s decade-long abuse and the trampling of his legal rights. As millions of Britons took to the streets, the Starmer government — and the British state behind it — not only labelled them as antisemites but radically rewrote the statute books to criminalise opposition to Israel’s genocide. UK supports state terrorismBritain continues to actively support Israeli state terrorism. Independent media not toleratedThe British state — and its security services — made clear they would not tolerate truly independent or critical media that could expose their hypocrisies or bring them to book. There is no public interest defence, such as exposure of criminality by the British state or its allies.