(PrimeChronicle.org) – Julian Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks, currently faces charges under the 1917 Espionage Act for publishing classified documents including a video of a U.S. airstrike that killed civilians in Baghdad. The U.S. government refers to the leak as one of the worst compromises of classified intelligence.
Assange has been detained in British custody awaiting extradition to the U.S since April 2019. The Australian parliament voted in favor of asking the US and the UK to allow Assange to return home to his family in Australia. In response to the pressure, President Biden claimed he’s “considering” withdrawing Assange’s case.
“Consider” may not be strong language, but marks a change in the United States position. Controversy around the WikiLeaks founder remains. In February, State Department spokesperson Matthew Millar expressed disapproval stating that Assange’s actions did not constitute legitimate journalism.
The Freedom of the Press Foundation came out in support of Assange. The foundation outlined the steps Assange would have taken and asserted that each was standard journalistic practice including meeting with a whistleblower and publishing the relevant information. Maja Sever, president of the European Federation of Journalists, came out in support of the WikiLeaks founder. Sever stated that the majority of journalists believe that Assange is being targeted for following standard journalistic practice.
In 2019, the editorial board for the Washington Post offered a mixed message and expressed that while Assange uncovered significant documents, they do not believe he followed normal journalistic practice. The New York Times editorial board offered similar mixed messaging stating that Assange’s crimes are unquestionable, but that Assange’s persecution could represent an attack on the First Amendment.
Major news outlets are normalizing putting government officials in temporary positions. The public currently is feeling a growing gap between what the news is telling them compared to what they are witnessing themselves. Voices like that of Assange are necessary to bring authentic news back to the public.
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