News Orgs Urge US To Drop Charges Against Assange

The New York Times reports:

The New York Times and four European news organizations called on the United States government on Monday to drop its charges against Julian Assange, the WikiLeaks founder, for obtaining and publishing classified diplomatic and military secrets.

In a joint open letter, The Times, The Guardian, Le Monde, Der Spiegel and El País said the prosecution of Mr. Assange under the Espionage Act “sets a dangerous precedent” that threatened to undermine the First Amendment and the freedom of the press.

“Obtaining and disclosing sensitive information when necessary in the public interest is a core part of the daily work of journalists,” the letter said. “If that work is criminalized, our public discourse and our democracies are made significantly weaker.”

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The New York Times and four European news outlets called on the U.S. government to drop its charges against Julian Assange for obtaining and publishing classified diplomatic and military secrets. They warned that his indictment “sets a dangerous precedent.”https://t.co/HAAZ8wz1SZ

— The New York Times (@nytimes) November 28, 2022