THE HUMAN RIGHTS

Julian Assange

USA must drop charges against Julian Assange

Authorities in the USA must drop the espionage and all other charges against Julian Assange that relate to his publishing activities as part of his work with Wikileaks. The US government’s unrelenting pursuit of Julian Assange for having published disclosed documents that included possible war crimes committed by the US military is nothing short of a full-scale assault on the right to freedom of expression.

Julian Assange is currently being held at Belmarsh, a high security prison in the UK, on the basis of a US extradition request on charges that stem directly from the publication of disclosed documents as part of his work with Wikileaks. Amnesty International strongly opposes any possibility of Julian Assange being extradited or sent in any other manner to the USA. There, he faces a real risk of serious human rights violations including possible detention conditions that would amount to torture and other ill-treatment (such as prolonged solitary confinement). The fact that he was the target of a negative public campaign by US officials at the highest levels undermines his right to be presumed innocent and puts him at risk of an unfair trial.

Julian Assange’s publication of disclosed documents as part of his work with Wikileaks should not be punishable as this activity mirrors conduct that investigative journalists undertake regularly in their professional capacity. Prosecuting Julian Assange on these charges could have a chilling effect on the right to freedom of expression, leading journalists to self-censor from fear of prosecution.

Sign the petition now and protect the right to freedom of expression.

Urge the US authorities to drop the charges against Julian Assange that stem solely from his publishing activities with Wikileaks.

Amnesty International is calling for the immediate and unconditional release of all the prisoners of conscience it is campaigning for worldwide, who are now at heightened risk due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“As this devastating virus sweeps across the globe, prisons are at risk of becoming dangerous hotspots for COVID-19. It is more important than ever that states take urgent measures to protect all those who are behind bars, including by releasing all individuals who are held simply for peacefully exercising their rights,” said Sauro Scarpelli, Deputy Campaigns Director at Amnesty International.

“Prisoners of conscience have not committed a crime, and yet they continue to be arbitrarily detained in conditions that are now becoming increasingly perilous. The overcrowding and lack of sanitation in many prisons around the world make it impossible for detainees to take preventive steps against the disease, such as physical distancing and regular hand washing. Their unjustified detention is putting them at heightened risk.”

Amnesty International is actively campaigning for the release of some 150 individuals it has designated prisoners of conscience – individuals who are detained in various parts of the world solely for peacefully exercising their human rights. While Amnesty is working on 150 cases, there are likely thousands more.

The emblematic cases Amnesty is campaigning for include Rubén González, a Venezuelan trade unionist who was arbitrarily arrested on 29 November 2018 after peacefully protesting and advocating for labour rights for workers at a state-owned mining company. He was accused of attacking a military officer and sentenced to five years and nine months.

Rubén was tried, convicted and sentenced by a military court, denying his right to a fair trial. There was no reliable evidence against him and his detention and trial were clearly politically motivated. He is already in poor health suffering from renal failure and hypertension, which puts him at higher risk of COVID-19.

Iranian human rights lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh is also a prisoner of conscience. Arrested on 13 June 2018, she was sentenced to 38 years and six months in prison and 148 lashes after two grossly unfair trials. The charges against her relate to her opposition to forced veiling laws, including “inciting corruption and prostitution” and “openly committing a sinful act…by appearing in public without a hijab”; as well as her activism against the death penalty.

Some of the legitimate activities that the authorities cited as “evidence” against her include: removing her headscarf during prison visits; giving media interviews about the violent arrest and detention of women protesting forced hijab; and belonging to human rights groups such the Campaign for Step by Step Abolition of the Death Penalty.