19/05/2024

Revealing war crimes is not a crime.

WikiLeaks editor and publisher Julian Assange is facing a 175-year sentence for publishing truthful information in the public interest.

Julian Assange is being sought by the current US administration for publishing US government documents which exposed war crimes and human rights abuses. The politically-motivated charges represent an unprecedented attack on press freedom and the public’s right to know – seeking to criminalise basic journalistic activity.

If convicted Julian Assange faces a sentence of 175 years, likely to be spent in isolation which would drive him to commit suicide.

UK district judge Vanessa Baraitser ruled it would be oppressive to extradite him to the United States of America and refused to extradite him, yet the case eventually moved to the UK Supreme Court which overruled her decision. The US extradition request then moved forward to the UK Home Secretary.

Priti Patel, the then Home Secretary, signed the request to extradite Assange in June. Assange’s legal team are fighting the extradition and have now filed an appeal to the High Court. The High Court now must approve the grounds of the appeal.

If the UK extradites Assange it would violate Article 4 of the US-UK extradition treaty, which bars extradition for political offences.

Extraditing Julian Assange to the United States would kill him.