The New York Times along with four other news agencies have called upon the United States of America to drop the charges against Julian Assange (WikiLeaks founder) and said that he would be prosecuted according the Espionage Act “sets a dangerous precedent” That could lead to a loss of freedom for the press.
The joint open letter, written by The Times, The Guardian, Le Monde, Der Spiegel and El País, expresses concern for prosecuting Assange for obtaining and publishing classified diplomatic and military secrets, noting “publishing is not a crime.”
“This indictment sets a dangerous precedent, and threatens to undermine America’s First Amendment and the freedom of the press,” The letter stated. “Holding governments accountable is part of the core mission of a free press in a democracy.”
WikiLeaks has released 251,000 cables from the U.S. State Department, which WikiLeaks obtained in 2010. “disclosed corruption, diplomatic scandals and spy affairs on an international scale,” Also known as “Cable gate,” The publications collaborated with Assange in publishing notable revelations.
This is the result “Cable Gate” Assange was also detained in connection with leaks. Assange was held on April 12, 2019 under a U.S. warrant and remains in custody. “high security British prison usually used for terrorists and members of organized crime groups,” The letter states that he will be extradited to America while the letters are being sent.
Assange is currently facing up to 175 year in a maximum security American prison.
The editors and publishers met together while “publicly criticize his conduct in 2011 when unredacted copies of the cables were released,” They now focus their attention on his imminent prosecution by the U.S. government.
“Obtaining and disclosing sensitive information when necessary in the public interest is a core part of the daily work of journalists,” The letter stated. “If that work is criminalized, our public discourse and our democracies are made significantly weaker.”
While the letter was not intended to address Assange’s hacking allegations, it did admit that Assange may have been involved in such a conspiracy. “some of us are concerned about the allegations in the indictment that he attempted to aid in computer intrusion of a classified database.”
