Julian Assange, journalist and publisher of WikiLeaks, is being held as a political prisoner for exposing war crimes. The UK High Court has dismissed his appeal against extradition to the United States, where he faces 175 years in prison. His transgression? Publishing proof of war crimes of the United States.
Amnesty International has previously said: ‘If the Home Secretary certifies the US request to extradite Julian Assange it will violate the prohibition against torture and set an alarming precedent for publishers and journalists around the world’
A single judge, Justice Swift, has rejected all eight grounds of Assange’s appeal. This leaves Assange with one last opportunity to appeal in the UK courts. A final appeal, limited to 20 pages, must be submitted to a two-judge panel within five working days. If this last-ditch effort fails, the case may be taken to the European Court of Human Rights.
The repercussions go beyond Julian Assange who has been tortured by the world’s most powerful empires, this has reshaped the landscape of journalism worldwide.
Stella, Assange’s wife, remains hopeful amidst the storm. She announces that Assange will apply for an appeal to the High Court. The case will then be heard by two new judges. Their hopes are pinned on Assange avoiding extradition to the United States. The act that has brought Assange to this predicament was not a crime, but a service to the global public: publishing information that exposed war crimes committed by the US government.
The legal proceedings surrounding Assange have dragged on for over three years in UK courts. The US government, intent on extraditing Assange, is eager to try him on 18 charges related to WikiLeaks’ release of documents exposing US war crimes. Despite an initial court ruling against extradition on mental health grounds, this decision was overturned by the Court of Appeals, swayed by promises from the US government. If extradited, Assange would be the first publisher prosecuted under the Espionage Act, which does not provide for a public interest defense. This could lead to a sentence of up to 175 years in prison.
In this dire scenario, the only crime that stands out is the injustice being inflicted on Assange. A man who sought to illuminate the dark corners of government operations now faces a life behind bars. The governments of the UK and the US, in their pursuit to punish Assange, have exhibited a shocking disregard for truth, transparency, and justice. Their actions are a bleak testament to the lengths power structures will go to protect their own interests, even at the cost of the very pillars that democracy stands upon: truth and transparency. The situation is a sobering reminder of the cost of truth in our world today, and the enormous courage it takes to reveal it.
Photo: “RUEDA DE PRENSA CONJUNTA ENTRE CANCILLER RICARDO PATIÑO Y JULIAN ASSANGE” by Cancillería del Ecuador is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0