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Mats Gehlin (police officer): To begin with, I would like you to tell us about how you got to know Julian and when you met him for the first time.
Donald Bostrom: I met Julian for the first time this spring the spring of 2010, that is. I don't recall exactly which month, but it was in connection with his being interviewed for Aftonbladet by a journalist named Johannes Wahlstrm. I then learnt via Johannes and Aftonbladet that Julian would be coming to Sweden and I was asked if I wanted to participate in a meeting_.
So, Julian had a rather important presentation in Sweden through an important assignment an interview in Aftonbladet. That was possibly what made him decide to travel to Sweden at that time. He was also thinking about Sweden in any event, due to the freedom of expression and the press, the laws that exist_. I was asked if I wanted to participate in a meeting in connection with his visit here_ with Julian and some journalists. Of course I said yes. I and many others were curious and interested in what this was all about.
So we had a meeting with him, a number of journalists who had received the same invitation. What is happening now is that there is a journalistic co-operation around WikiLeaks. The most recent media that have become known are Der Spiegel, The Guardian in London and the New York Times_. Other newspapers and TV stations are also involved. And in Sweden this was some sort of embryo which could develop into something similar. There were a number of journalists from various workplaces, including media organizations like Swedish Public Television and Aftonbladet, who were also involved in those discussions. So, of course it was extremely interesting.
Then Julian went abroad again...
[...]
Donald Bostrom: Yes, in the spring.
Matt Gehlin (police officer): Yes, all right.
Donald Bostrom: And the second time was also before summer.
Matt Gehlin (police officer): And the third time, that was when he was to give the presentation?
Donald Bostrom: Just so. He had been invited by Broderskapet and, in connection with that, Anna Ardin had called me. I had not met her before, but we soon got on quite well. It was because there was enormous interest from the media, and she wondered if she could pass all the media inquiries on to me in the event that there were a great many_.
So when they called her, which is part of being the organization that invites, she often passed them along to me. |
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Name(s:) |
Donald Bostrom |
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Title: |
Journalist |
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Concerning: |
Sweden versus Assange |
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Url: |
Url Link
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Title: |
Assange & Sweden, Police Interview Protocols |
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Authoring or Creator Agency: |
Nordic News Network |
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Concerning: |
"Sweden versus Assange |
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Title: |
Assange & Sweden
Protokollen Fran Polisforhoren |
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Authoring or Creator Agency: |
Nordic News Network |
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Concerning: |
"Sweden versus Assange |
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Then Julian went abroad again, and then returned. And then we had another meeting, continued the discussion. If we are going to do this, we said, what shall we do, how shall we do it, and what do we want to do. As I recall, no decisions were made and no organization was established_.
So, there was nothing formal; it was just sort of at the discussion stage. But I remember that all the Swedish journalists felt pretty much the same that one sees material which is worth its weight in gold for a journalist, then of course we want to see the sources. And here was the opportunity to get the sources, literally for a lot of issues, not only those that are already known. In that case we would then, as journalists, assess the general interest and, based on that, perhaps publish something. That is to say, not publish everything as WikiLeaks usually does but select a more normal Swedish journalistic angle on the material. And on that point we were pretty much all agreed.
Then nothing more became of it. Then Julian travelled abroad again, and there was that collaboration with Der Spiegel, the New York Times and The Guardian...
[...]
Donald Bostrom: Yes, in the spring.
Matt Gehlin (police officer): Yes, all right.
Donald Bostrom: And the second time was also before summer.
Matt Gehlin (police officer): And the third time, that was when he was to give the presentation?
Donald Bostrom: Just so. He had been invited by Broderskapet and, in connection with that, Anna Ardin had called me. I had not met her before, but we soon got on quite well. It was because there was enormous interest from the media, and she wondered if she could pass all the media inquiries on to me in the event that there were a great many_
So when they called her, which is part of being the organization that invites, she often passed them along to me.
Matt Gehlin (police officer): O.K. |
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Name(s:) |
Donald Bostrom |
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Title: |
Journalist |
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Concerning: |
Sweden versus Assange |
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Url: |
Url Link
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Title: |
Assange & Sweden, Police Interview Protocols |
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Authoring or Creator Agency: |
Nordic News Network |
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Concerning: |
"Sweden versus Assange |
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Title: |
Assange & Sweden
Protokollen Fran Polisforhoren |
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Authoring or Creator Agency: |
Nordic News Network |
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Concerning: |
"Sweden versus Assange |
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2010-08-12 |
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Julian Assange: You asked how I knew Anna. To come to Sweden, it was necessary for me to get diplomatic support in order to leave England due to the security situation between my organization and the Pentagon. Political contacts in Sweden therefore suggested that I be invited by the Christian Democrats to give a presentation. A formal invitation would be sent to (inaudible) and England, so that I would have a secure journey from England to Sweden. And I understood that Anna Ardin was press secretary for Broderskapet within the Christian Democrats.
Mats Gehlin (police officer): A correction: It is not the Christian Democrats, but rather the Social Democratic
(inaudible).
Gun von Krusenstjerna (interpreter): Sorry, sorry, I apologize for giving the wrong party.
Mats Gehlin (police officer): Yes.
Gun von Krusenstjerna (interpreter): Excuse me, sorry. The Social Democrats.
Julian Assange: She was contacted by Peter [WEIDERUD ] I don't remember his last name. I believe he is the chair of Broderskapet, and a good man. Anna offered me her flat, and was also involved in organizing the press conference last Friday.
Mats Gehlin (police officer): And on what date did you come to Sweden?_
Julian Assange: I'm not sure. Perhaps the 12th between the 10th and the 12th. |
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Name(s:) |
Julian Assange |
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Title: |
Editor in Chief |
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Agency(ies): |
WikiLeaks |
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Url: |
Url Link
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Then nothing more became of it. Then Julian travelled abroad again, and there was that collaboration with Der Spiegel, the New York Times and The Guardian._
Much the same media reviewed some material, and we began to discuss the possibility of doing a similar project in Sweden with some other material.
Aftonbladet, Swedish Public TV and other journalists were involved in those discussions. It never got started no documents to dig into, no research has got started, not yet. But it is still in the air. After this storm [i.e. the sex allegations] has settled down, perhaps it will be resumed, perhaps not. I have met Julian on three occasions when he has been in Sweden and we have discussed these matters, many others and myself.
Matt Gehlin (police officer): So the first time was in the spring?
Donald Bostrom: Yes, in the spring.
Matt Gehlin (police officer): Yes, all right.
Donald Bostrom: And the second time was also before summer.
Matt Gehlin (police officer): And the third time, that was when he was to give the presentation?
[...]
[Anna Ardin calls Donald Bostrom, and asks him to hand media inquiries for the August 14 seminar.]
Donald Bostrom: Just so. He had been invited by Broderskapet and, in connection with that, Anna Ardin had called me. I had not met her before, but we soon got on quite well. It was because there was enormous interest from the media, and she wondered if she could pass all the media inquiries on to me in the event that there were a great many_.
So when they called her, which is part of being the organization that invites, she often passed them along to me.
Matt Gehlin (police officer): O.K.
Donald Bostrom: And I mentioned that I have more media experience than she I know many of the journalists who were calling her. So I said I could do it, without realizing what a tremendous amount of time it would consume. And so I believe that many people thought that I was some sort of media co-ordinator for WikiLeaks, but that was not the case._
I merely helped out helped Anna and Broderskapet to get organized for the conference [laughs]._
I have known, or have been familiar with Peter Weiderud for years. We ran into each other in international contexts. I am mainly a foreign correspondent._
Peter Weiderud is chair of Broderskapet and is also very engaged in international issues; so we have sometimes met in the Swedish parliament and so on.
But when this event was to take place, Anna was assigned to act as press secretary. It was then that she rang me and asked is [sic] she might pass the media inquiries on to me [laughs]. I told her that she could. And then a rather big circus started to build around this seminar, there was a lot of interest. And then another circus began a week later when Anna and the other woman went to you lot. At that point my telephone number was already known to the world media, so it was time for the next storm._ |
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Name(s:) |
Donald Bostrom |
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Url: |
Url Link
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Title: |
Assange & Sweden, Police Interview Protocols |
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Authoring or Creator Agency: |
Nordic News Network |
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Concerning: |
"Sweden versus Assange |
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Title: |
Assange & Sweden
Protokollen Fran Polisforhoren |
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Authoring or Creator Agency: |
Nordic News Network |
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Concerning: |
"Sweden versus Assange |
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