Julian Assange Got What He Deserved
AtlanticApr 15, 2019
Julian Assange's Brother Attends State of the Union Address
Image copyright: Guy Smallman/Contributor/Getty Images News via Getty Images
The Facts
Gabriel Shipton, the brother of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, was among those in attendance for Pres. Joe Biden's State of the Union address on Thursday.
Assange has been incarcerated in the UK for nearly five years, pending the outcome of extradition proceedings to the US, where he faces trial on 18 charges for obtaining and publishing sensitive military documents relating to the Afghanistan and Iraq wars.
The Spin
Pro-establishment narrative
Assange is no journalist. As demonstrated by his publishing of hacked Democratic Party emails in 2016, his actions are closer to that of a spy than a publisher. His publishing of classified military materials put the lives of thousands of US soldiers at risk. He should be extradited and face justice for his actions.
Establishment-critical narrative
In publishing files from Iraq, Afghanistan, and Guantánamo Bay, Assange revealed numerous instances of war crimes and human rights violations perpetrated by the US. By seeking his prosecution, Washington is attempting to criminalize the truthful publication of information rather than go after the perpetrators of actual crimes in the Middle East. This is a grave threat to press freedom and should be opposed at all costs.
Nerd narrative
There's a 50% chance that Julian Assange will be extradited to the US by December 2024, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
