Hi All, I hope you are all well. Requests to President Biden to drop the case against Assange. https://mailchi.mp/dontextraditeassange/a-coalition-of-civil-liberties-and-human-rights-groups-ask-biden-justice-dept-to-drop-the-assange-case
Major press freedom groups have signed a letter asking Biden's Department of Justice to drop the indictment against Julian Assange. The letter was initiated by Freedom of the Press Foundation and signed by leading rights groups including Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, the American Civil Liberties Union, and Committee to Protect Journalists
The letter says:
"The indictment of Mr. Assange threatens press freedom because much of the conduct described in the indictment is conduct that journalists engage in routinely—and that they must engage in in order to do the work the public needs them to do. Journalists at major news publications regularly speak with sources, ask for clarification or more documentation, and receive and publish documents the government considers secret. In our view, such a precedent in this case could effectively criminalize these common journalistic practices."
Kenneth Roth, Executive Director of Human Rights Watch said: "Most concern activities that are no different from those used daily by investigative journalists worldwide. Criminalizing them would set a terrible precedent for a democracy."
Julia Hall, international secretariat for Amnesty International also noted that "the Biden administration can take this affirmative step to begin to restore respect for media freedoms."
On January 4, Judge Vanessa Baraitser blocked Assange’s extradition on medical grounds, and the U.S. has until February 12 to submit its appeal application. Then a High Court judge will review the submission, decide whether to grant the appeal, and then schedule oral arguments.Download the Letter
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The Assange Case: Why is he still locked up and what happens?
Greater Manchester & Cheshire Stop the War Coalition is holding this week's online meeting on Sunday to discuss the next steps of the campaign to free Assange. Join this meeting to discuss what’s next in the case of Julian Assange and what you can do to push for his release.
Speakers include:
Apsana Begum - British politician
Lauri Love - computer scientist, activist
Rebecca Vincent - Director of International Campaigns for Reporters Without Borders
Lucy Nichols - Greater Manchester Stop the War Coalition
Chaired by Chris Rea and Helen Rutherford Gregory.
Time: 14 February 2021, 1pm GMT
Assange Case — What next
District Judge Vanessa Baraitser has blocked Julian Assange’s extradition. While her ruling adopted the U.S. government’s extremely dangerous arguments undermining press freedom, the judge found that because U.S. prison conditions are so deleterious, it would be unjust and oppressive to extradite Julian. Almost immediately the lawyers representing the U.S. announced their intent to appeal that decision.
Two days later, the same lower courtjudge denied Assange’s bail application, meaning he will remain in the freezing cold, COVID-infected maximum-security HMP Belmarsh prison in London as he waits for the appeal process to unfold. That process could take weeks, months, or longer if the U.S. refuses to drop the case altogether.
Bristol branch of Don't Extradite Assange campaign is hosting the following week's online meeting on 20 February 2021, 2pm GMT, 9am EST, 1am AEDT
Speakers:
Kerry-Anne Mendoza - journalist, editor-in-chief of The Canary;
John Rees - Academic, writer, national officer of Stop the War Coalition;
Claudia Webbe MP - British politician;
David Miller - Prof of Political Sociology, Director of Spinwatch;
Suzie Gilbert - Film maker;
Tim Lezard - NUJ NEC Representative