If Julian Assange is actually sent to the United States, any journalist could be in the crosshairs for revealing crimes of state, says lawyer and journalist Sara Vivacqua in an interview with Brazil de facto.
UK Home Secretary Priti Patel on Friday authorized the journalist’s extradition at the request of Washington. That means he will be turned over to a government that uses a World War I anti-espionage law to prosecute him.
After the extradition was authorized, a period of 14 days was opened for the defense to present a possible challenge.
“It’s a dangerous precedent for freedom of expression. We need to remember that Assange is being extradited and accused of espionage under a 1917 law that was made to persecute anti-World War II pacifists. He is being classified as espionage by [condutas] typical of journalists, talking to sources – in this case, Chelsea Manning – requesting information from the source, retaining that information and publishing”, highlights Vivacqua.
The lawyer, who lives in the UK and has dialogue with people involved in the defense, says that Assange’s revelations of US war crimes in its invasions of the Middle East were also published by media outlets such as The Guardian, Le Monde, New York Times and El País.
The human rights implications of extradition will be discussed live this Thursday (23), at 9:30 am, with Stella Assange, Assange’s wife, Jennifer Robinson, Assange’s lawyer (of the Doughty Street Chambers Office), Vijay Prashad, journalist (International People’s Assembly) and Zuliana Lainez, deputy -President of the IFJ (International Federation of Journalists)
:: UK authorizes Assange’s extradition to the US; activist can spend the rest of his life in prison ::
Vivacqua highlights that, if US President Joe Biden had the intention, he could end the extradition process against Assange, but he prefers not to do so and continues with a process initiated by then-President Donald Trump. In addition, the United Kingdom and Australia, Assange’s home country, could also make political decisions and guarantee freedom for Assange, but would prefer not to do so.
For the lawyer, it is a case of lawfare, the manipulation of laws and the judiciary against political enemies. “Lawfare doesn’t mean winning the final battle or losing the final battle, it means taking the enemy to the extreme, to the extreme of humiliation, to the extreme of the mental situation and taking the family along, it’s a message to people not to do as this person did “, says the lawyer and journalist.
Editing: Arturo Hartmann
