Julian Assange may be pardoned
2022.11.28 12:05
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Julian Assange may be pardoned
Budrigannews.com – Leading media outlets from the United States and Europe that had collaborated with the WikiLeaks founder said on Monday, citing concerns about press freedom, that the United States should end its prosecution of Julian Assange.
In an open letter, the Guardian, New York Times, Le Monde, Der Spiegel, and El Pas editors and publishers stated, “This indictment sets a dangerous precedent and threatens to undermine America’s First Amendment and the freedom of the press.”
In connection with WikiLeaks’ release of confidential U.S. military records and diplomatic cables, Assange is wanted by authorities in the United States on 18 counts, one of which includes a charge of spying.
His supporters claim that he is a hero of the anti-establishment movement who has been harmed by exposing wrongdoing by the United States, including in conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq.
On Monday, those media outlets celebrated 12 years since they collaborated to release excerpts from more than 250,000 documents that Assange obtained in the so-called “Cablegate” leak.
Chelsea Manning, an American soldier at the time, leaked the information to WikiLeaks, which revealed the inner workings of U.S. diplomacy around the world.According to the letter, the documents revealed “corruption, diplomatic scandals, and spy affairs on an international scale.”
A group of lawyers and journalists filed a lawsuit against the CIA and its former director, Mike Pompeo, in August over claims that the intelligence agency spied on them while they were visiting Assange in the Ecuadorian embassy in London.
Before being dragged out of the embassy and imprisoned in 2019 for violating bail conditions, Assange spent seven years there. Until the outcome of his extradition case is known, he has been imprisoned in London. He could be sentenced to up to 175 years in a maximum-security American prison if extradited.
In a dispute that has dragged on for more than a decade, his legal team has appealed to the High Court in London to prevent his extradition.
In their letter on Monday, the media organizations stated, “Publishing is not a crime.”
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