Julian Assange was a political prisoner. This is what the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe examined this Wednesday which, beyond this consideration of the founder of WikiLeaks, asked the United States to modify its espionage lawso as not to use the rule again against journalists or whistleblowers.
“The Assembly considers that the disproportionately harsh charges brought by the United States against Julian Assange under the Espionage Act, putting him at risk, de facto, of being life sentence(…) justify the designation of Mr. Assange as a political prisoner”, includes the text of the resolution that the organization approved today by 88 votes for13 against and 20 abstentions.
The institution said the United States’ “incorrect use of the Espionage Act of 1917 to pursue ‘the Australian’ has caused a dangerous deterrent effect” regarding “editors, journalists and whistleblowers” when “reporting on government misconduct.”
It is for this reason that he asked the United States – which is not part of the Council of Europe but is an observer country – to “urgent reform” so that it is not applied against editors, journalists and whistleblowers, but against “the malicious attempt to undermine the national security” of the State.
Likewise, the international organization called on American authorities to conduct “comprehensive, impartial and transparent investigations into allegations of war crimes and human rights violations.” revealed by WikiLeaks and Mr. Assange, to hold those responsible to account.
On the other hand, she also asked him to “cooperate in good faith” with the Spanish judicial authorities who are investigating the case. alleged CIA espionage against Assange at the Ecuadorian embassy in London through the security company UC Global, run by former Spanish soldier David Morales.
Furthermore, the resolution regrets that the United Kingdom “failed to effectively protect the freedom of expression” of Assange, after imprisoned for five years at Belmarsh Maximum Security Prison (United Kingdom), while asking this country to “urgently check” your extradition laws. A request which aims to prevent the surrender of “individuals wanted for crimes of a political nature”.
It was this Wednesday’s vote at the Council of Europe Assembly that led to the day before Assange breaks his silence After released last Juneafter reaching an agreement with American justice in which he pleaded guilty to violating the aforementioned US law. In these statements, he indicated that if he was able to leave prison, it was not because “the system worked”, but because he pleaded guilty to “doing journalism”.
