'Send clear message...': US lawmakers urge Biden to pardon Assange
Two United States congressmen, James McGovern (Democrat-Massachusetts) and Thomas Massie (Republican-Kentucky), have urged President Joe Biden to pardon WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. They said Assange's guilty plea could set a precedent for prosecuting journalists under espionage charges. The plea deal, which ended in June 2024, ended Assange's 14-year-long legal battle and permitted him to return to Australia.
Lawmakers' concerns over Assange's guilty plea
In a letter dated November 1, McGovern and Massie said they were relieved that Assange's criminal case was resolved and an extradition request to the United Kingdom was withdrawn. However, they were "deeply concerned" that Assange was required to plead guilty to felony charges. They pointed out the potential misuse of section 793 of the Espionage Act against journalists covering national security topics, noting that this risk had previously swayed the Obama administration's decision against prosecuting Assange.
Assange's case sets a dangerous precedent, argue lawmakers
The congressmen emphasized that Assange's case was the first time the Espionage Act was invoked against a publisher. They reiterated Jodie Ginsberg from the Committee to Protect Journalists, who said that "the US's pursuit of Assange has set a harmful legal precedent." McGovern and Massie contended that pardoning Assange would remove this precedent.
Assange's family campaigns for his pardon
Assange's brother Gabriel Shipton and his wife Stella are currently campaigning for a pardon in Canberra and will continue their efforts in Washington in January. They have asked Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to push for a pardon during his farewell call with Biden. A campaign petition argues that pardoning Assange would correct an injustice and affirm Biden's commitment to democracy and press freedom.
