Archiv: Freedom of the Press Foundation


18.02.2024 - 04:00 [ Freedom of the Press Foundation ]

Tell the Biden administration to drop the Assange case now

The U.S. Department of Justice claims that Assange broke the law by receiving classified documents from a source, speaking with that source, possessing the documents, and publishing some of them. In other words, things journalists at news outlets around the country do every day.

If Assange is convicted under the Espionage Act, there will be nothing to stop the government from prosecuting other journalists who publish government secrets.

Take action to protect press freedom: Tell the Biden administration to drop the Assange case now.

27.11.2022 - 15:57 [ Freedom of the Press Foundation ]

The extradition of Julian Assange must be condemned by all who believe in press freedom1

(June 17, 2022)

There is some historical irony in the fact that this extradition announcement falls during the anniversary of the Pentagon Papers trial, which began with the Times publication of stories based on the legendary leak on June 13, 1971, and continued through the seminal Supreme Court opinion rejecting prior restraint on June 30, 1971.

In the months and years following that debacle, whistleblower (and FPF co-founder) Daniel Ellsberg became the first journalistic source to be charged under the Espionage Act. What many do not know is that the Nixon administration attempted to prosecute Times reporter Neil Sheehan for receiving the Pentagon Papers as well — under a very similar legal theory the Justice Department is using against Assange.

18.09.2022 - 15:29 [ Freedom of the Press Foundation ]

The extradition of Julian Assange must be condemned by all who believe in press freedom

(June 17, 2022)

By continuing to extradite Assange, the Biden DOJ is ignoring the dire warnings of virtually every major civil liberties and human rights organization in the country that the case will do irreparable damage to basic press freedom rights of U.S. reporters.

The prosecution, which includes 17 charges under the Espionage Act and one under the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, covers events that took place more than a decade ago, but was brought only under the Trump administration — after the Obama Department of Justice reportedly considered charges but dismissed them for their dangerous First Amendment implications.