Anti*Capitalist Resistance is a supporter of a free press, so we are saddened today that two of Britain’s most senior judges have ruled that Julian Assange can be extradited to the United States.

The case against Assange relates to the website Wikileaks publishing hundreds of thousands of documents referring to the United States involvement in the so-called war on terror in Afghanistan and Iraq. These ‘war logs’ demonstrated the widespread evidence of torture and deaths of civilians which were passed up the US chain of command and chillingly marked ‘no further investigation’ required. Without the leak of this information, the US military and security apparatus would have been able to dismiss the reports of prisoners confessing under torture and civilians being massacred as tall tales made during the fog of war. 

Assange and the WikiLeaks team did what all good journalists should do, and that is to shine a light on power and make critical information available to the public so that they can make up their own minds about the use of force by powerful states. This leak of information has embarrassed the United States government, its military and its allies. Assange has always claimed that his prosecution is politically motivated.

We must remember it was only two months ago that information came to light, that under President Trump’s administration, the CIA considered kidnapping and assassinating Assange on British soil.

Is Julian Assange going to be safe in US custody?  

The Secretary of State must refuse the request to extradite Assange.

This case rests on the principles of a free and fair press and allowing rigorous investigatory journalism. If Assange is extradited it will be a bleak day for those that seek to uncover the truth and hold the powerful to account. The intention of the powers that be is not only to further punish Assange ­– who has already been subject to conditions amounting to torture in Belmarsh prison – but to intimidate anyone else from following suit.

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