WHY OPPOSING JULIAN ASSANGE’S EXTRADITION TO THE U.S. MATTERS FOR EUROPEAN DEMOCRACY

“Organisations like WikiLeaks have laid bare countless state secrets, revealing the often grubby workings of power”. (Thorbjorn Jagland, Secretary General, Council of Europe, November 2016)[1]

The Trump Administration has confirmed that the US government has charged WikiLeaks’ publisher Julian Assange and that it seeks his extradition from the UK.[2] In the US, he faces life in prison. The US actions are a serious threat to European freedom of expression, media and sovereignty.

The United Nations has repeatedly called for Assange to walk free.

Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and other leading human rights organisations have released statements categorically opposing Assange’s extradition.

The city of Geneva recently passed a resolution calling for Assange to be granted asylum.

Parliamentary Members of the Council of Europe should:

Oppose Assange’s extradition to the US.

Ensure that the Council of Europe raises this case in its procedures and champions the issue in its work on media freedom

Press the UK government to find the solution to this issue which is available (see below)

The extradition of Julian Assange raises a number of fundamental issues for European democracy.

First, European states have clear obligations under international law to protect the rights of refugees and asylum seekers. Assange’s asylum status requires that he not be transferred to the persecuting state (i.e., the country that he was given asylum in relation to, the US).

Second, the extradition of Julian Assange is for publishing and confronts fundamental issues concerning media freedom:

The extradition by the Trump Administration of a publisher in Europe for the “crime” of publishing truthful information, would set a very dangerous precedent for the extra-territorialisation of state secrecy laws and interference in the right to publish and media freedom in Europe.

It cannot be the case that the Trump Administration be permitted to dictate what can and cannot be published in Europe.

An extradition would post an invitation to other states to follow suit, severely threatening the ability of journalists, publishers and human rights organisations to safely reveal information about serious international issues.

The Council of Europe strongly advocates for freedom of expression and freedom of the media: It states: “The right to freedom of expression and freedom of the media as protected by Article 10 of the European Convention of Human Rights are pillars of democratic security in Europe. The Council of Europe promotes an enabling environment for freedom of expression, underpinned by legal guarantees for independence and diversity of media and safety of journalists and other media actors”.[3]

Council of Europe.