Fighting extradition in
London, he faces a maximum
of 175 years in a US jail
under the Espionage Act of
1917 in an unheard-of
prosecution for practising
journalism that exposes
extensive war crimes
committed by US troops in
Iraq and Afghanistan, as
well as secret US diplomatic
cables.
In January, a British judge
rejected the US request for
extradition, but she allowed
the US to appeal against her
ruling while denying bail to
Assange. US prosecutors have
since offered to allow
Assange to serve any jail
time in his native
Australia, a condition his
legal team has rejected.
As Doctors for Assange wrote
this month in its appeal to
US President
: “We urge you to drop
the appeal and all charges
in this case that
constitutes an egregious
violation of the rule of
law, human rights and press
freedom.
“Failing to do so would
establish a precedent with
permanent, devastating
effects on the foundations
of our democracy, and
irrevocably damage the
United States’ reputation in
the international
community’s eyes. We urge
you to put an end to this
case before its dire
consequences become your
personal responsibility.”
But Washington has, long
ago, decided that its
ability to keep dirty state
secrets is more important
than any of those democratic
values cited in the doctors’
appeal. And for that, an
example must be made of
Assange to intimidate others
from following him.
