On Wednesday, a resolution was introduced to the House of Representatives expressing that “regular journalistic activities” are protected by the First Amendment and calling for the U.S. government to drop its prosecution against Wikileaks founder Julian Assange. The bipartisan resolution, co-sponsored by Rep. Paul Gosar (R-AZ) and a group of bipartisan lawmakers, aims to end the 11-year-long prosecution against Assange, who is facing charges under the Espionage Act for publishing classified U.S. military documents.
The resolution cites that Assange, an Australian citizen, was charged by the U.S. government for allegedly helping U.S. Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning access Defense Department computers without authorization. However, the resolution states that Manning “already had access to the mentioned computer” and that there is no proof Assange had any contact with her.
The charges against Assange were brought by the Trump administration in connection with the 2010 publication of cables detailing war crimes committed by the U.S. government in the Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, detention camp, Iraq, and Afghanistan. The materials also exposed instances of the CIA engaging in torture and rendition.
The resolution also highlights the impact of Assange and Wikileaks’ publications, including the 2010 “Collateral Murder” video showing the U.S. military gunning down civilians in Iraq, including two Reuters journalists. It also mentions the organization’s disclosure of information on the hiring of child prostitutes by Defense Department contractors, and other instances of human rights abuses and civilian killings.
Assange has been held at London’s high-security Belmarsh Prison since he was removed from the Ecuadorian Embassy in 2019 for breaching bail conditions. He had sought asylum at the embassy since 2012 to avoid being sent to Sweden over allegations of rape, which were later dropped.
Bipartisan congressional resolution calls on US officials to drop charges against Julian Assange
Rep. Paul Gosar, R-Ariz., introduced a resolution expressing that “regular journalistic activities” are protected by the First Amendment and that the U.S. government should end its… pic.twitter.com/L61RMDOBUU
— Jim Ferguson (@JimFergusonUK) December 17, 2023
The resolution notes that if extradited to the U.S., Assange could face up to 175 years in prison. It also highlights bipartisan efforts by lawmakers in the U.S. and Assange’s home country of Australia to demand the U.S. government drop the charges and end its extradition requests.
This includes a recent letter to President Biden signed by more than a dozen lawmakers urging him to end the prosecution and a visit by Australian lawmakers to Washington D.C. to advocate for Assange’s freedom. The resolution also mentions a previous bipartisan resolution introduced in 2020 calling for the charges against Assange to be dropped.
While critics of Assange argue that his actions put the lives of U.S. allies at risk, the resolution stresses that there is no evidence that publishing the classified documents did so. It also warns that prosecuting Assange under the Espionage Act would set a dangerous precedent and allow the U.S. government to imprison journalists for First Amendment-protected activities.
The resolution also highlights the support of numerous human rights, press freedom, and privacy rights advocates and organizations for Assange’s release. The resolution concludes by urging the U.S. government to drop all charges against and attempts to extradite Julian Assange and allow him to return to his native Australia if he so desires.
In summary, the resolution introduced by Rep. Gosar and his colleagues seeks to protect freedom of the press and end the ongoing prosecution against Julian Assange, who many argue is being unjustly targeted for his work as a publisher. The bipartisan support for this resolution signals a growing concern among lawmakers over the potential impact on free press and speech if Assange is convicted under the Espionage Act.