What expert witnesses said
The prosecution of Julian Assange is political in nature because: Trump prosecuted after the Obama administration explicitly decided not to, the Trump admin is uniquely aggressive against journalism, the prosecution is essentially revenge for WikiLeaks embarrassing and exposing the U.S. government, Espionage is a classic “political offense”, and a conviction on these charges would set a dangerous new precedent.
Why it matters
Article 4 of the U.S.-U.K. Extradition Treaty says, “Extradition shall not be granted if the offense for which extradition is requested is a political offense.”
Key testimony
- Eric Lewis: Under Trump, Justice Dept. is Prosecutorial Hand of the President
- Jennifer Robinson: Trump offered pardon for Assange in exchange for sources
- Mark Feldstein: The Trump administration’s “politically motivated prosecution”
- Paul Rogers on Trump’s politically motivated prosecution
- Tom Durkin: Assange would not get a fair trial in the United States
- Daniel Ellsberg: “I totally disagree with the ‘good Ellsberg / bad Assange’ theory”
- Carey Shenkman: “Highly politicized prosecution”
- Cassandra Fairbanks: High-level plan to revoke Assange’s asylum
- Judge admits political nature of Assange’s case
- Patrick Cockburn on why WikiLeaks and Assange are persecuted
- Stefania Maurizi on Assange and the war
- Robert Boyle: Chelsea Manning was punished by grand jury
- Jameel Jaffer on Trump’s view toward journalism
Read more:
- Julian Assange unlikely to face U.S. charges over publishing classified documents (Washington Post, 2013)
- Julian Assange’s arrest a ‘priority’ for US attorney general (BBC, 2017)
- Trump’s CIA Director Pompeo, Targeting WikiLeaks, Explicitly Threatens Speech and Press Freedoms (The Intercept, 2017)
- Some federal prosecutors disagreed with decision to charge Assange under Espionage Act (Washington Post, 2019)