Shortly before the court decision on the extradition of Julian Assange to the USA, the organization Reporters Without Borders demanded the immediate release of the WikiLeaks founder. „The US indictment against Julian Assange is clearly politically motivated,“ said managing director Christian Mihr today. „The US wants to set an example and have a deterrent effect on media professionals all over the world.“
A court in London will decide on extradition on Monday. „If the US is successful with its extradition request and brings Assange to court, the same fate threatens every journalist worldwide who publish secret information of public interest,“ said Mihr. „This is where the future of journalism and freedom of the press worldwide is at stake.“
USA argue that informants are at risk
The US judiciary is accusing the native Australian Assange of stealing and publishing secret material from US military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan together with whistleblower Chelsea Manning – formerly Bradley Manning. The 49-year-old has put the lives of US informants at risk, is the allegation.
His supporters, however, see him as an investigative journalist who has brought war crimes to light. For years Assange had evaded arrest by escaping to the Ecuadorian embassy in London. In the USA, if convicted, he faces a sentence of up to 175 years.
