Over 40 Press Freedom, Rights Groups Urge UK To Free Assange Amid New Indictment - IFJ

Over 40 Press Freedom, Rights Groups Urge UK to Free Assange Amid New Indictment - IFJ

Over 40 international press freedom, human rights and privacy rights organizations have called for the immediate release of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange in an open letter to the UK government, the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) said in a press release on Friday, as the publisher turns 49 years old

MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 03rd July, 2020) Over 40 international press freedom, human rights and privacy rights organizations have called for the immediate release of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange in an open letter to the UK government, the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) said in a press release on Friday, as the publisher turns 49 years old.

Earlier this week, Assange's legal team participated in an administrative hearing in London after the US Department of Justice issued a new indictment over the whistleblower's suspected conspiracy with Anonymous-affiliated hackers. Assange himself missed the hearing due to health reasons.

"Reporters without Borders, PEN International, ARTICLE19, the International Federation of Journalists, and the National Union of Journalists are among the 40 rights groups who have signed on to the letter, initiated by the Courage Foundation, a whistleblower support network which campaigns for Mr Assange's freedom and the public's right to know," the press release said.

According to the co-signers, the indictment is "an unprecedented escalation of an already disturbing assault on journalism in the US, where President Donald Trump has referred to the news media as the 'enemy of the people'."

"Seventeen of the 18 charges against Mr Assange are under the 1917 Espionage Act, marking the U.S.'s first-ever attempt to prosecute the publication of truthful information in a fundamental test of the First Amendment's protection of press freedoms. Mr Assange has also been charged with conspiring to violate the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, which uses language similar to the Espionage Act," the IFJ said.

The US authorities "relentless pursuit" of Assange threatens journalists across the world, as well as the public's right to know the truth, the group said, adding that the new indictment is another attempt to show that the pursuit was not triggered by Assange's publication of newsworthy truthful information.

"Press freedom groups have warned since his arrest and initial indictment in April 2019 that a U.S. conviction for Mr Assange an Australian citizen who operated in Europe and was granted asylum and citizenship by Ecuador would criminalise publishing around the world, allowing the United States to dictate what journalists can publish beyond its borders. The United Kingdom, which is detaining Mr Assange on the U.S.'s behalf, has the power to stop the extradition process and let him walk free immediately," the press release added.

Assange was arrested in London in April and sentenced to 50 weeks in prison for jumping his bail back in 2012 when he took refuge inside the Ecuadorian embassy in London to avoid extradition to Sweden, where he faced sexual assault charges, and possible extradition to the United States.

In May, the US Department of Justice indicted Assange on 18 charges, mostly regarding violations under the Espionage Act, and demanded his extradition from the United Kingdom. If convicted of these charges, the WikiLeaks founder faces up to 175 years in prison.