2023-12-19 13:47:43
MONDE – Members of Congress introduced a resolution on Wednesday, December 13, 2023, calling on the US government to end the prosecution of Julian Assange, an Australian journalist and whistleblower. Indicted for espionage, the founder of WikiLeaks has been incarcerated in the United Kingdom since 2019 and is the subject of extradition proceedings requested by the United States. Julian Assange, who faces 175 years in prison across the Atlantic, must return home to Australia, Republican and Democratic deputies consider in their resolution, citing the First Amendment to the United States Constitution.
Since the disclosure in 2010 by WikiLeaks of classified documents related to the war led by the United States in Iraq and Afghanistan, Julian Assange has been deprived of his liberty. Targeted by an investigation by the American authorities for “espionage”, he is on probation in the United Kingdom following a European arrest warrant issued by the Swedish justice system. This accuses him of having committed a sexual offense on its territory in 2010 but Assange, on this point, has always proclaimed his innocence. In 2012, the UK Supreme Court rejected his request not to be extradited to Stockholm, viewing the proceedings as a pretext for extradition to the United States.
WikiLeaks revelations “promoted transparency”
Julian Assange then took refuge in the Ecuadorian embassy in London and stayed there for 7 years, during which he obtained political asylum and naturalization. This was taken away in 2019 by the new Ecuadorian president, Leninn Moreno, who announced the end of his right to asylum. The cyber activist was then arrested by the London police and Washington immediately requested his extradition. He was sentenced to 50 weeks in prison for violating the conditions of his provisional release in 2012 and the Swedish courts closed the case concerning him for lack of evidence.
Assange has been incarcerated at Belmarsh high security prison since April 11, 2019 and many observers report the deterioration of his health due to his isolation and denounce arbitrary detention which they call for an end to. If the British justice system refuses his extradition to Washington in January 2021, it rules in his favor in June 2022.
The founder of WikiLeaks faces a sentence of 175 years in prison in the United States which denies the journalistic nature of his work to judge him without taking into account the First Amendment, which guarantees freedom of expression and of the press across the Atlantic.
A bipartisan resolution presented Wednesday, December 13, 2023 in the House of Representatives recognizes the journalistic nature of the work of Julian Assange. The document, authored by Arizona Republican Rep. Paul Gosar, is sponsored by numerous Republican and Democratic lawmakers.
The resolution reiterates that “regular journalistic activities, including obtaining and publishing information,” are protected by the First Amendment to the United States Constitution. The signatories consider that the disclosure, by WikiLeaks, of hundreds of thousands of information, “including assessment reports of Guantanamo detainees and cables from the State Department”, “promoted public transparency”. The WikiLeaks revelations in 2010 exposed the public’s “hiring of child prostitutes by Department of Defense contractors, human rights abuses, killings of civilians, and use by the United States of psychological warfare”, lit-on.
MPs call for charges to be dropped
The document recalls that “many defenders of human rights, freedom of the press and respect for private life” have expressed “their sincere and unwavering support” for Julian Assange. In Australia, “his native country and a key ally of the United States,” 70 senators and members of Parliament support actions that would allow the founder of WikiLeaks to return home.
During his visit to the White House on October 26, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, whose support in Washington to counter Chinese influence in the Asia-Pacific is sought, discussed this matter with President Joe Biden. He expressed his concerns regarding his compatriot. “Enough is enough, I said it clearly. It’s time to close this deal”he explained to Australian media.
The United States government “should drop all charges against Julian Assange and all his extradition attempts, and the federal government should allow him to return home to his native Australia if he chooses,” concludes the resolution.
In September, the Créteil court rejected the request for interim relief from the Robin des Lois association aimed at forcing the French state to allow Julian Assange to register his request for political asylum from the United Kingdom. A month later, it was the National Rally (RN) which took advantage of its parliamentary niche in the National Assembly to propose granting political asylum to the whistleblower. The proposal, buried at the bottom of a list of six others, was not addressed.
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