Debate Should Assange be extradited for trial?

[VisionofMilotic]

Should Australian publisher and founder of Wikileaks Julian Assange be extradited to the United States and prosecuted?

After a 7 year asylum Assange was expelled by the Ecuadorian government from their embassy in London last spring, and taken into the custody of British police. Assange has been charged by the United States with violating the Espionage Act for sensitive content he published about activities by the American government abroad. He could receive a prison sentence of up to 175 years if found guilty. His case is a controversial one, as the Espionage Act is normally associated with the prosecution of whistleblowers in the government who make classified information public, this was the case of Chelsea Manning. However, there isn't a precedent in the US for prosecuting a journalist who published information leaked to them. This is I think a fascinating case that will examine potential national security risks and freedom of the press.

If you would like to read a little more about the legal hearing here's an article about the current situation.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news...ulian-assange-extradition-hearing/4857467002/

I have a very strong opinion on this case, but I would like to read a few comments from members before I give my take. Go forth and debate!

 

[VisionofMilotic]

There was an interesting update today that pertains to Assange. Chelsea Manning, the American soldier turned whistleblower who supplied Assange with video evidence of war crimes by the US in Iraq and Afghanistan has been released from prison today. She has repeatedly refused to testify against Assange, and just now a judge ordered that her incarceration served no coercive purpose after a suicide attempt by Manning. Also the grand jury against Wikileaks has been dismissed.

https://www.newsweek.com/chelsea-ma...before-grand-jury-julian-assange-case-1492062

I would like to believe that this is an indicator that charges against journalist Julian Assange may drop next as well. I hope that is the case.

I will go on record now and share my opinion. I think Assange should never have been threatened with extradition to the US to face charges. I don't see the nuances in Assange's case that existed in even the case against Chelsea Manning. Manning broke a law that I think she should have broken--the Espionage Act, and I think this is a law that should be repealed because it is often weaponized to hide misconduct by our government, and instead punish someone for revealing the truth.

What Manning did was not legal, yet it was the moral thing to do under the circumstances, rather than stay quiet.
She leaked proof of crimes by our government abroad to the news, and will be on the right side of history for it. I think she deserved the clemency she received from President Obama, and believe that she did a service of such importance that it outweighed national security concerns.

Julian Assange's prosecution however is far more unsound legally because he is just the journalist who reported what Chelsea Manning revealed to him. What he did is what Glenn Greenwald did by publishing the evidence Edward Snowden leaked to him about the NSA spying on America citizens, or what Woodward and Bernstein did during Watergate. Going after the press for what they publish is unconstitutional-- this should not stand up in court. The only thing that can be proven against Assange is that he printed facts about the United States that made our government look bad. The idea that this administration would trump up charges to silence a journalist is frightening. If this goes forward then I think free speech loses.

I really hope Chelsea Manning gets well soon, and hope that Assange is free next.

 

[Roxas]

Manning and Assange should be left alone IMO