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Washington has allegedly agreed to a set of conditions regarding the potential trial of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange if he is extradited to the US to face espionage charges, several media outlets reported on Tuesday.
The signed guarantees, which have been shared on X by New York Times correspondent Megan Specia, apparently assure that the 52-year-old Australian national would be able to rely on the US Constitution’s first amendment, which protects free speech, would not be prejudiced at trial because of his nationality, and would not face the death penalty if convicted. It’s noted, however, that while these assurances are “binding,” the decision on the “applicability of the First Amendment” would be “exclusively within the purview of the US courts.” Washington’s promises come after the British High Court in London ruled last month that if the US failed to provide these guarantees, then Assange would be able to appeal against his extradition to the US to stand trial for publishing classified military documents. Assange has been held in London’s top-security Belmarsh Prison for the past five years. He was initially arrested by British police in 2010 for sexual-offense allegations that he denied. In 2012, Assange jumped bail and was granted asylum in the Ecuadorian embassy in London. He was arrested again in 2019 when Ecuador revoked his asylum, and has remained in Belmarsh ever since. The US, meanwhile, continues to demand that he be extradited to American soil to stand trial on 17 counts of espionage, over the publication of classified Pentagon military documents in 2010 that detailed alleged US war crimes in Iraq and Afghanistan. Assange faces up to 175 years in prison if extradited and convicted. His legal team as well as his supporters have claimed that the case against him is political in nature and is being waged by the West as revenge for exposing its alleged war crimes. His attorneys have also been insistent against the sought extradition of Assange to the US, arguing that it would put his life and well-being at risk, and have previously dismissed any assurances given by Washington as meaningless, claiming it would be impossible to rely on them if their client is actually extradited. The Blog Tags Widget will appear here on the published site.
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As of Thursday, WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has been confined to London’s Belmarsh Prison for five years.
His detention “makes a mockery of the USA’s obligations under international law,” Amnesty International said. The grim milestone was marked by press freedom activists, human rights organizations, and Assange’s wife Stella, who described her husband’s continued imprisonment as “the scariest prospect” imaginable for their family. “He is indefinitely imprisoned… his health is deteriorating… he is risking imminent extradition really, because he is just one step away from extradition,” she said in a video posted on X. After his arrest by British police in 2010 for sexual offense allegations that he denied, Assange jumped bail in 2012 and was granted asylum in the Ecuadorian embassy in London. He was arrested again in 2019 when Ecuador revoked his asylum, and has remained in Belmarsh ever since. The US Justice Department unsealed an indictment against Assange on the day of his arrest, charging him with 17 counts of espionage. If extradited to the US and convicted, the former WikiLeaks boss faces up to 175 years in prison. The charges against Assange stem from his publication of classified material obtained by whistle-blowers, including Pentagon documents detailing alleged US war crimes in Iraq and Afghanistan. Assange “remains arbitrarily detained in the UK on politically-motivated charges, brought by the USA for exposing their suspected wrongdoing,” Amnesty International Secretary General Agnes Callamard said in a statement on Thursday. “The US authorities have failed to conduct a full and transparent investigation into their alleged war crimes. Instead, they have chosen to target Assange for publishing information leaked to him – even if it was of public interest. The ongoing persecution of Assange makes a mockery of the USA’s obligations under international law, and their stated commitment to freedom of expression.” Already in poor health after seven years holed up in the Ecuadorian embassy, Assange’s condition has deteriorated further during his incarceration in Belmarsh. Former UN Special Rapporteur on Torture Nilz Melzger has described Assange as showing “all symptoms typical for prolonged exposure to psychological torture,” while the WikiLeaks founder was too ill to attend his most recent extradition hearings. Last month, Britain’s High Court ruled that Assange cannot be extradited until the US provides assurances that he would not be subjected to the death penalty if found guilty by an American court. The British court said it would decide whether to grant Assange a final appeal against his extradition once these assurances are given. However, US President Joe Biden told reporters on Wednesday that he is “considering” a request by Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to drop the case against Assange. Biden’s comment – which came after reports that the Justice Department was considering striking a plea deal with the former WikiLeaks chief – was described by Stella Assange as “a good sign.” “It’s well past time” for Assange to be released, International Federation of Journalists President Dominique Pradalie said in a statement. “If Julian Assange is jailed in the US, there is not a journalist on earth who will be safe.” The Blog Tags Widget will appear here on the published site.
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