‘Give Assange His Passport and a Parade’, Pamela Anderson Tells Aussie PM

Baywatch star Pamela Anderson has published a furious open letter to the new Australian prime minister, calling him “lewd” and questioning his “strength and conviction” for failing to support Australian citizen Julian Assange.

Writing on the Daily Beast, Anderson criticised Morrison’s “smutty” response to her calls for the Australian government to help WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange return to Australia by giving him his passport back.

Anderson – a close friend of Assange’s – appeared on 60 Minutes Australia earlier this month to urge Morrison to “defend your friend, get Julian his passport back and take him back to Australia and be proud of him, and throw him a parade when he gets home”.

Morrison was asked what he thought about Anderson’s requests in a radio interview earlier this month. When asked if he would take Anderson’s advice and throw Assange a parade, he replied: “Well no, first of all, but next, I’ve had plenty of mates who’ve asked me if they can be my special envoy to sort the issue out with Pamela Anderson.”

Anderson was not impressed with his pathetic attempt at jocular levity. In her open letter to the prime minister, she wrote: “You trivialised and laughed about the suffering of an Australian and his family. You followed it with smutty, unnecessary comments about a woman voicing her political opinion.

“We all deserve better from our leaders, especially in the current environment.

“Rather than making lewd suggestions about me, perhaps you should instead think about what you are going to say to millions of Australians when one of their own is marched in an orange jumpsuit to Guantanamo Bay – for publishing the truth. You can prevent this.”

The open letter can be read in full below.

Dear Prime Minister Morrison, 

Your comments following my appeal to you on 60 Minutes were disappointing. 

You trivialized and laughed about the suffering of an Australian and his family. You followed it with smutty, unnecessary comments about a woman voicing her political opinion.

We all deserve better from our leaders, especially in the current environment. 

Following the show, 60 Minutes canvassed the views of Australians online. People responded in the thousands, overwhelmingly—92% of more than 7000—in favour of bringing Julian home. 

Rather than making lewd suggestions about me, perhaps you should instead think about what you are going to say to millions of Australians when one of their own is marched in an orange jumpsuit to Guantanamo Bay—for publishing the truth. You can prevent this.

Julian Assange will soon face his seventh Christmas isolated from family and friends, after 8 years of detention without charge. 

For six years he has been refused any access to fresh air, sunshine, exercise, or proper medical or dental care.

In February 2016, the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (WGAD) stated that his detention was unlawful.

For the past seven months Mr. Assange has been denied the right to receive visitors, use internet or telecommunications.

This Australian is not getting a fair go; his human rights are being openly violated.

I am hopeful Australia now has a leader with strength and conviction enough to bring him home.

Australia and the world are watching how you treat your citizen, your publisher, in dire need of help from his own government.

With hope,

Pamela Anderson