Extradition proceedings against Wikileaks publisher Julian Assange are set to conclude on 4 January, when District Judge Vanessa Baraitser is due to give her decision in a 10 am hearing at London’s Central Criminal Court (the Old Bailey).
With just days to go to this historic judgment, RSF again condemns the targeting of Assange for his contributions to journalism and calls for his immediate release.
It is clear that this case is politically motivated and that it aims to make an example of Assange in order to intimidate media outlets all over the world.
If the US government is successful in securing Assange’s extradition and prosecuting him for his contributions to public interest reporting, the same precedent could be applied to any journalist anywhere.
he possible implications of this case simply cannot be understated; it is the very future of journalism and press freedom that is at stake!
Prior to this decision, RSF has been submitted via email the final version of its petition to Number 10, the Ministry of Justice, the Home Office, and the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office calling on the British authorities not to extradite Julian Assange.
RSF will also post a visual with the names of all the petition’s signatories on its home page and on all of its international social media accounts.
RSF will go to the Central Criminal Court in London on 4 January in order to try to attend the hearing and closely follow developments in this case.
REPORTERS WITHOUT BORDERS
Rebecca Vincent
Director of International Campaigns