Crosby’s medical report, the Working Group’s conclusions, and Goodale’s assessment had made me think. I slowly began to wake up to my own prejudice, which had clouded my judgment and led me to summarily dismiss Assange’s initial appeal three months earlier. What troubled me most was the self-righteous ease and unshakable certainty with which I had accepted a largely unsubstantiated narrative as unquestionable fact. Now that I had scratched the thin veneer of this narrative and caught a first glimpse behind the curtain, I could no longer close my eyes to the enormous political dimensions of this case.
Be that as it may, a new fait accompli had now been established, in a manner that set all alarm bells ringing in my mind. Why now, suddenly, after almost seven years of lethargic stagnation, this hasty expulsion, arrest and conviction in such obvious violation of due process and the rule of law? Why this suspiciously mild indictment, which virtually screamed for worse? And why had the British ambassador lied to me? Why such contempt for my mandate? After all, I was no enemy, political activist, or dissident. I had been appointed by states to exercise my function in partnership and constructive cooperation with them. What was going on here? Something was obviously wrong – and now I began to seriously doubt the good faith of the governments involved.
