Australian editor, activist, and the founder of Wiki Leaks, Julian Assange has been spared from extradition to the United Stated on health grounds. Exuberant supporters celebrated his victory today.
From 2006 to 2010 Assange’s, ‘Wiki-leaks’ published catalogs of classified US military materials which took the world by storm. It included details of the US military involvement in avoidable civilian deaths, horrible accounts of the Baghdad airstrike, records from the Afghanistan and Iraq War logs, and about the Cable gate. After the 2010 leaks, the US government filed an extradition request for Julian, the trial of which has been going on in the UK.
Today, the district Judge Vanessa Braitser in Central London ruled that the US will not be able to extradite Assange and put him on trial for hacking, conspiracy, and violations of the Espionage act.
Assange’s defense team pointed out that the prosecution was backed up by political motivation and that the case should be halted to protect freedom of speech above all. However, the judge rejected these claims and took the decision solely based on Assange’s mental health.
Following this verdict, Assange’s supporters raising concern about other journalists of similar indictments who publish evidence on corruption, misconduct, and war crimes.
The General Secretary of the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) said that the judge has opened doors for “for a future US administration to confect a similar indictment” against other journalists.
Labour Leader Jeremy Corbyn has called for the immediate release of Julian Assange. He commented that “There remains much at stake in his case, which is being observed by so many around the world.”
The Director Amnesty International, Europe, Nils Nuizniek directly blamed the UK government for engaging in this “politically motivated process at the behest of the USA and putting media freedom and freedom of expression on trial.”
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