WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, who is currently imprisoned in the United Kingdom and faces extradition to the United States, has been awarded the 2019 Dignity Prize by the Catalan Dignity Commission, Australian media reported on Friday
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 10th January, 2020) WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, who is currently imprisoned in the United Kingdom and faces extradition to the United States, has been awarded the 2019 Dignity Prize by the Catalan Dignity Commission, Australian media reported on Friday.
According to the news.com.au portal, Assange was awarded the prize in recognition of his efforts to raise awareness about the difficulties citizens faced in order to vote in the 2017 Catalan independence referendum, amid a Spanish government crackdown.
"This deeply meaningful Dignity Award from the Catalan Dignity Commission in gratitude for Julian's courageous journalism, recognises the essence of his belief and practice, that a fierce free, truthful and independent media holding Governments and other powerful entities accountable to the people, is the most important protection we have to defend freedom and democracy," Assange's mother Christine remarked, as quoted by the media outlet.
Assange regularly tweeted information about the Spanish government's attempts to influence the referendum result and also advised citizens of what cellphone applications to use to avoid government shut downs. Under pressure from Madrid, the Ecuadorian embassy frequently cut off Assange's access to the internet, the media portal stated.
The Catalan Dignity Commission began honoring individuals and organizations that promoted Catalan independence and raised awareness of human rights issues in the region in 2002. In an October 2017 referendum, which Madrid called illegal, over 90 percent of voters supported Catalonia's independence from Spain.
Assange resided in the Ecuadorian embassy in London from 2012-2019 after claiming for asylum. In April, the embassy allowed UK police to enter and arrest the WikiLeaks founder, who was eventually sentenced to 50 weeks in prison for breaching bail conditions in 2012, relating to rape accusations in Sweden that have since been dropped.
In May, the US Department of Justice indicted Assange on 17 charges under the Espionage Age and demanded his extradition. If convicted of these charges, the WikiLeaks founder faces up to 175 years in prison. Then-UK Home Secretary Sajid Javid approved the extradition request, stating that he did not believe Assange would face death or torture if extradited. His extradition case is set to be heard in February.
