Julian Assange dangerously approaches extradition

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) is deeply concerned by the UK High Court’s decision rejecting WikiLeaks publisher Julian Assange’s appeal against his extradition order, bringing him dangerously close to being extradited to the United States, where he could face the rest of his life in prison for publishing leaked classified documents in 2010.

Last week, a British judge issued a three-page ruling dismissing the appeal of the WikiLeaks founder against the extradition order, leaving only one final possible step in the British courts. If extradited to the USA, Julian Assange faces a total of 175 years in prison, which means he could spend the rest of his life behind bars. 

The US government has sought the extradition of Julian Assange to prosecute him on 18 charges related to the publication by WikiLeaks in 2010 of hundreds of thousands of classified documents that exposed war crimes, and human rights violations, and fueled public interest reports worldwide.

In the event of extradition, Julian Assange would be the first publisher to be tried under the US Espionage Act, which does not provide for a public interest defense. This would set an alarming precedent that would have a lasting impact on the journalistic climate worldwide. 

(WBJ)