Human rights lawyer Stella Assange — the spouse of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange — says her husband’s ongoing extradition battle has set a harmful precedent for press freedom worldwide.
Assange is needed within the United States on 18 felony prices, together with espionage, for publishing categorised paperwork that detailed conflict crimes. If he’s extradited, he may very well be sentenced to as much as 175 years in jail.
“This is the most dangerous attack on press freedom globally because it is the United States that is going after a foreign journalist working abroad, publishing abroad,” Assange’s spouse instructed DW’s Birgit Maas.
The South African-born lawyer referred to as on different Western governments to push again in opposition to the extradition of her husband, who’s an Australian citizen detained within the United Kingdom.
“It will outline the scope of press freedom in Europe. Is it permissible for a international energy to achieve into the European area and restrict what the press can publish?” she added.
“Think about if China were to do exactly the same thing and prosecute a journalist in Germany on the same principle because that journalist exposed Chinese crimes against humanity. The premise is complete insanity and it cannot stand.”
What’s subsequent for Julian Assange?
Assange is being held in Belmarsh jail. He plans on interesting each the US and UK authorities selections to extradite him on the High Court in London.
“But ultimately, once the domestic remedies have been exhausted in the UK, he can then appeal to the European Court of Human Rights,” Assange’s spouse mentioned.
However, the present Conservative authorities is seeking to cross reforms that may override the jurisdiction of the ECHR within the UK.
“We’re very concerned that they might be accelerating the reform of the Human Rights Act in order to weaken the European court,” she added. “That is happening very quickly with a view to maybe interfering with a potential positive ruling from the European Court that could block this extradition.”
A matter of life or demise?
Assange’s life relies on him successful his extradition battle, his spouse mentioned.
The two met whereas Assange sought refuge contained in the Ecuadorian embassy in London for seven years. They now have two sons collectively and married this yr throughout jail visiting hours.
She mentioned that since being detained within the UK’s Belmarsh jail, Assange has turn into clinically depressed and may very well be pushed to suicide if he’s extradited to the US and positioned in isolation.
His bodily well being has additionally deteriorated, having reportedly suffered a ministroke in October.
“So just even if the press freedom reasons were not taken into consideration, even if you didn’t take into consideration that the US government had plotted to assassinate him… Purely on humanitarian grounds, the way Julian is being treated and what awaits him is so barbaric that the extradition should be blocked.”
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With inputs from TheIndianEXPRESS
