A cross-party group of German lawmakers opposes the extradition of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange to the United States, where Assange is facing espionage charges, claiming it undermines press freedoms
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 22nd December, 2020) A cross-party group of German lawmakers opposes the extradition of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange to the United States, where Assange is facing espionage charges, claiming it undermines press freedoms.
On Monday, a special working group was reported to have been established in the German lower house to see Assange, whose extradition trial is being held in the United Kingdom, released. The verdict on whether or not to extradite the WikiLeaks founder is scheduled to be made on January 4 next year.
"As a joint initiative of members of all democratic parliamentary groups in the German Bundestag, we want to send a clear signal of support for the protection of the freedom of expression and the freedom of the press, which are threatened by Julian Assange's impending extradition," the group members said in a statement.
Assange was arrested in London in April 2019 and sentenced to 50 weeks in prison for jumping his bail back in 2012, when he took refuge inside the Ecuadorian embassy in the UK capital to avoid extradition to Sweden, where he faced sexual assault charges and possible extradition to the United States.
The WikiLeaks founder is indicted by the US Department of Justice on 18 charges, mostly regarding violations under the Espionage Act, and is facing extradition from the United Kingdom to the United States. If convicted of these charges, the WikiLeaks founder faces up to 175 years in prison.
