President Biden on Wednesday said he’s considering a request from Australia to drop the charges against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, who’s being targeted for exposing US war crimes through standard journalism.
The Australian government has recently stepped up its pressure on the Biden administration to end its persecution of Assange, who is an Australian citizen. When asked about the Australian request, Biden said, “We’re considering it.”
The US Department of Justice first indicted Assange under the Espionage Act during the Trump administration in 2019, leading to his arrest at the Ecuadorian embassy in London and imprisonment in Belmarsh Prison, where he is still being held today.
Assange faces 17 counts of Espionage and one charge of conspiracy to commit a computer intrusion for publishing documents leaked to WikiLeaks by former Army Private Chelsea Manning in 2010. Publishing classified documents obtained by a source is a standard journalistic practice, and if Assange is convicted, it would set a grave precedent for press freedom in the US and around the world.
Biden’s comments came after London’s High Court ruled that Assange might have a chance at a limited appeal of the British Home Secretary’s decision to extradite him to the US. But the US government has a chance to avoid the appeal if it offers “assurances” that satisfy the court.
The Wall Street Journal recently reported that the US might be seeking a plea deal for Assange, although his legal team denied that the US government was looking for anything less than the full charge. A plea deal could still set a bad precedent if it criminalizes the journalist-source relationship.
WikiLeaks has been asking Americans to put pressure on the Biden administration to stop its pursuit of Assange by contacting their House representatives and telling them to support H.Res.934, a bill introduced by Rep. Paul Gosar (R-AZ) that calls for the US to drop the charges against Assange.
Click here to find your representative, or call the House switchboard operator at (202) 224-3121. Tell them to support the resolution to protect the First Amendment and press freedom.
Another reason to vote for Trump.
not even close
https://media3.giphy.com/media/BQ8LxucG2Buo0/giphy-downsized-small.mp4
So good. That must burn.
When I saw the headline then saw the author’s name,
I was ready to read a subheading with something like this:
“President Biden whose son Hunter Biden has secrets in his computer on how he took billions from Ukraine oligarchs and funded biolabs.”
or
“President Biden whose son Hunter Biden has links to the terrorists of the Crocus theater.”
Lol
Putin must be very angry about any prospect of Assange being released.
He needs to be able to say, “see, the West kills their prisoners too.”
Oh wait, he’ll say anyways, and it’ll be repeated here.
Are you paid a $20k a year GS1 salary? You write like it.
Sadly is probably GS3….smh.
Egad! 14 yrs ago was DHS/CIS analyst GS5 where sentences used were not random emotive narratives.
So you guys think shit stains like tequila man ,and the few others like him, are working for the government?
Here’s a challenge for you: Try writing a single paragraph without needlessly mentioning Putin. It’s gonna be a hard one for you
Don Julio I presume? That guy has quite the obsession with Putin. I swear to god he has a shrine to Putin where he lives in his mom’s basement.
Free Assange Now Unconditionally…!
Biden’s looking for a black site that will accept him, one with kangaroos.
More Biden lies to placate his vanishing Democratic supporters. Nothing he says can be believed (or in most cases even understood…)
“Biden Considers Dropping Charges on Assan-”
‘I’ll do anything – Do you hear me? ANY-thing to get the votes needed to keep supporting Israel’s atrocities and still win in November!’
Biden is expert in stringing people on for things that never happen.
Exactly! Our own Mark T calls it “Floating Political Balloons!”
Biden considers …. Assumes facts not in evidence.
It’s amazing what an upcoming election will make you want to “consider”.
not voting in the Hegelian Hobson’s Choice Dialectic of choosing our masters??? 32 yrs for me (didnt vote for my 2 Legislator bosses and my job(one was being recalled and lost)…
No, I am not. Don’t want “credit” for what they do (or don’t do) when elected.
The Demoncrats are desperate so they try this but I don’t think it will work.
that would please the left so maybe get him votes and nobody who it pissed off was a likely Biden voter anyway. Good chance it happens.