‘Withdraw The U.S. Extradition Request’: Julian Assange Case Unites Squad And MAGA Member

America extradition request for Wikileaks founder Julian Assange, who has been confined at Belmarsh Jail in London since 2019, has united MAGA member Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) and “Squad” member Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) in protest.

The in any other case hostile duo are amongst 16 members of Congress who wrote President Joe Biden a letter Wednesday that urges the federal government to stop its persecution of Assange on the premise that his Wikileaks work is protected below the First Modification.

Obtained by The Sydney Morning Herald, the letter argued Assange didn’t violate the 1917 Espionage Act, which “was ostensibly meant to punish and imprison authorities workers and contractors for offering or promoting state secrets and techniques to enemy governments.”

The members of Congress went on to “strongly encourage your Administration to withdraw the U.S. extradition request” and “halt all prosecutorial proceedings towards” Assange “as quickly as doable.”

Democrat signatories included Jim McGovern, Rashida Tlaib, Ilhan Omar, Cori Bush, Pramila Jaypal, Greg Casar, Jamaal Bowman, Ayanna Pressley and Jesús García; Republicans included Thomas Massie, Eric Burlison, Paul A. Gosar, Matthew Rosendale and Rand Paul.

Assange based Wikileaks in 2006 and have become a progressive darling for publishing labeled paperwork. These included Iraq and Afghanistan Warfare cables and chilling footage of a U.S. Apache helicopter killing a Reuters journalist.

The DOJ below then-President Barack Obama declined to carry expenses towards Assange in 2013. Nevertheless, he was arrested in London in 2019 on a conspiracy cost not lengthy after Ecuador terminated his diplomatic immunity standing, leaving him open to extradition.

In 2022, the Excessive Courtroom within the U.Ok. dominated Assange could possibly be extradited to the U.S.

“We imagine the Division of Justice acted appropriately in 2013, throughout your vice-presidency, when it declined to pursue expenses towards Mr. Assange,” said Wednesday’s letter, which added “that the prosecution would set a harmful precedent” for freedom of the press.

It additionally famous the Espionage Act, which Assange could be charged with if extradited, was not created “to punish journalists and whistleblowers for trying to tell the general public about severe points that some U.S. authorities officers may choose to maintain secret.”

“America should not pursue an pointless prosecution that dangers criminalizing widespread journalistic practices and thus chilling the work of the free press,” the letter learn.

The letter additionally argued “it’s the obligation of journalists to hunt out sources” so as “to report back to the general public on the actions of the federal government.”

Assange, whose star amongst many Democrats pale after the 2016 presidential election, nonetheless has some notable supporters.

He has obtained vocal help prior to now from figures equivalent to director Michael Moore, Argentinian President Alberto Fernandez, ex-U.Ok. Labour Get together chief Jeremy Corbyn, Noam Chomsky, Roger Waters, former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-Hawaii), Edward Snowden and Daniel Ellsberg.

Learn the total letter at The Sydney Morning Herald.