Freeing Assange could mean freeing the press, but will the United States give up its vendetta against Assange? The UK Home Secretary is expected to sign off on Julian Assange’s extradition to the United States this week. Journalists all over the world are afraid that the extradition of Assange means the end of a free press.

Julian Assange’s brother Gabriel Shipton joins Mehdi Hasan to discuss the latest in his brother’s case. Press Freedom Riding On Upcoming Julian Assange Decision, The Mehdi Hasan Show

Julian Assange’s brother and father are still advocating for his release, as well many journalists, human rights organizations, a group of over 300 doctors, and the committee to protect journalists. If Julian Assange is extradited to the U.S., it is likely that he will face a 175-year prison sentence for crimes the U.S. claim fall under the espionage act.

This week, the UK Home Secretary is expected to sign off on Julian Assange’s extradition to the United States over leaks provided by U.S. Army Intelligence that was published. There were other leaks too, such as the Hillary Clinton emails, and Special Council Robert Mullers report that confirmed leaks in Trump’s 2016 campaign. In 2019, after rape charges against Assange were dropped, then President Donald Trump charged Julian Assange under the espionage act.

Journalists all over the world are afraid that the extradition of Assange means the end of free press. They say that the laws that are being used against Assange could easily be used against them and that the case represents a threat to the free press and to the first amendment. Gabriel Shipton says that there is hope and that the government of Australia has in the past voiced it’s support for Assange. Though legal avenues are running out for Julian, if it is decided that Assange will be extradited his lawyers will be able to appeal to a higher court, but it is the same higher court that has already ruled against Assange.

Previously;

Julian Assange is to be extradited on 18 charges in the U.S. for publishing documents the government did not want people to know about.  

The U.S. vendetta on Julian Assange reads like a James Bond movie with Mike Pompeo.