WikiLeaks can count a victory today as Reykjavik District Court in Iceland has ruled that Valitor, (formerly VISA Iceland) violated contract laws by blocking credit card donations to the whistleblowing organisation.
VISA and MasterCard’s local partner, Valitor has been ordered to resume processing donations to WikiLeaks within two weeks or face 800,000 kronor ($6k) in daily fines.
Naturally WikiLeaks head honcho Julian Assange is pleased with the result. He is quoted on the Russia Today website as saying:
“This is a significant victory against Washington’s attempt to silence WikiLeaks. We will not be silenced. Economic censorship is censorship. It is wrong. When it’s done outside of the rule of law its doubly wrong. One by one those involved in the attempted censorship of WikiLeaks will find themselves on the wrong side of history.”
It must be some relief to a man who still appears to be negotiating his way into a long stay in Ecuador to avoid extradition from the UK to Sweden.
The blockade is said to have cost the organisation more than $20m in donations but the organisation is right back on the case now as there is a chance to get finances flowing again. The Wikileaks home page already carries a statement that says:
The 💜 of EU tech
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For almost a year we have been fighting an unlawful financial blockade. We cannot allow giant US finance companies to decide how the whole world votes with its pocket. Our battles are costly. We need your support to fight back.
As pointed out on the Washington Post site, Valitor can still decide to appeal but for now it seems that WikiLeaks is back in action when it comes to collecting funds in this way.
Image Credit: New Media Days / Peter Erichsen
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