In his first public statement since his release, Assange said, “I’m free today … because I pled guilty to journalism.” The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), Europe’s foremost human rights body, overwhelmingly adopted a resolution on October 2 formally declaring WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange a political prisoner. The Council of Europe, which represents 64 nations, expressed… Read more »
Contrary to US government claims, WikiLeaks’s revelations actually saved lives — and drove demand for US accountability. After a 14-year struggle, including five years spent in Belmarsh, a maximum-security prison in London, WikiLeaks publisher Julian Assange is finally free. Under the terms of a plea deal with the U.S. Department of Justice, Assange pled guilty to one count of… Read more »
From the First Amendment to the European Convention on Human Rights, Assange’s defense relies on freedom of expression. On May 20, a two-judge panel of the High Court of England and Wales handed WikiLeaks founder and publisher Julian Assange a significant victory. Justice Jeremy Johnson and Dame Victoria Sharp granted him leave to appeal the U.K.’s extradition… Read more »
The WikiLeaks publisher could be extradited if the US gives “satisfactory assurances” of rights and no death penalty. WikiLeaks publisher Julian Assange is closer than ever to being extradited to the United States for trial on 17 counts under the Espionage Act and one count of conspiracy to commit computer intrusion over WikiLeaks’s 2010-2011 revelation of evidence of U.S…. Read more »
UK law prohibits extradition to a country that may impose capital punishment. On February 20 and 21, as nearly 1,000 supporters of Julian Assange gathered outside the London courthouse, a two-judge panel of the High Court of Justice presided over a “permission hearing.” Assange’s lawyers asked the judges to allow them to appeal the home… Read more »
Australian cooperation with the United States’ cold war against China is not a slam dunk. The stakes are high as Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese arrives in Washington, D.C., on October 23 to meet with President Joe Biden. The U.S. government hopes to obtain Australia’s support for its cold war initiatives against China. Australia is one of… Read more »