WikiLeaks finds new funding channel through French non-profit

WikiLeaks announced yesterday that  after “almost two years of fighting an unlawful banking blockade by US financial giants VISA and MasterCard” that they are back open for donations. The Fund for the Defense of Net Neutrality will now be taking donations on WikiLeak’s behalf.

It should be noted that WikiLeaks has been operational recently, having recently published “The Syria Files” to “shine a light on the inner workings of the Syrian government and economy, but they also reveal how the West and Western companies say one thing and do another.”

WikiLeaks notes that its financial blockade “came during a time of substantial economic growth for WikiLeaks but blocked more than 95% of donations, costing the organization in excess of USD 20 million.” Many believe that state/corporate blockade is a equivalent to trampling on free speech.

“The Wau Holland Transparency Reports for WikiLeaks’ finances, released today, illustrate the financial consequences of 18 consecutive months of economic censorship,” stated WikiLeaks in a press release. “For the year 2011, the blockade resulted in WikiLeaks’ income falling to just 21% of its operating costs.”

The free information publisher estimates that reserve funds will be exhausted within a few months, and they are now looking for a minimum of EUR 1 million to pay for operating costs. To do this, WikiLeaks is set to use the French credit card system, Carte Bleue, to circumvent the blockade.

WikiLeaks states:

Carte Bleue coupled with the VISA/MasterCard system globally. VISA and MasterCard are contractually barred from directly cutting off merchants through the Carte Bleue system. The French non-profit FDNN (Fund for the Defense of Net Neutrality – Fonds de Défense de la Net Neutralité) has set up a Carte Bleue fund for WikiLeaks.

WikiLeaks advises all global supporters to make use of this avenue immediately before VISA/MasterCard attempts to shut it down.

In that event, WikiLeaks and FDNN are ready to take the economic blockade ringleaders to court.

As Julian Assange said: “We beat them in Iceland and, by God, we’ll beat them in France as well. Let them shut it down. Let them demonstrate to the world once again their corrupt pandering to Washington. We’re waiting. Our lawyers are waiting. The whole world is waiting. Do it.”

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