Why Julian Assange Must Be Freed – OpEd
Eurasia ReviewMar 26
UK High Court Delays Decision on Assange US Extradition
The Facts
The UK High Court has delayed a decision concerning whether WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange may be extradited to the US until May 20 — concluding that the journalist holds arguable grounds for appeal that require assurances from the US.
Judge Dame Victoria Sharp and Justice Jeremy Johnson dismissed six of Assange's nine appeals but found Assange's claims that extradition was incompatible with Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights credible.
The Spin
Establishment-critical narrative
Assange must be freed. The illegitimate attacks by the American state against the WikiLeaks founder for exposing the US' war crimes in Iraq are nothing short of disgraceful, constituting a level of persecution against whistleblowers previously unseen in American legal history. America is seeking to punish Assange for revealing the truth about their illegal military operations — journalism and transparency must be protected at all costs.
Pro-establishment narrative
Julian Assange is no journalist. Not only did he publish millions of stolen classified documents, he indirectly helped repressive regimes in Iran and China, as well as terror organizations such as al-Qaida, by disseminating that material. Such actions put US soldiers and sources in extreme danger. The US Dept. of Justice is correct to go after him.
Nerd narrative
There is a 50% chance that Julian Assange will not be extradited to the US after Jan. 1, 2025, according to the Metaculus prediction community.