John Pilger: The Betrayers of Julian Assange
Consortium NewsDec 26, 2022
The Facts
According to a court order issued on Friday, Julian Assange has lost his latest challenge at London's High Court, which has deemed that the WikiLeaks founder lacks the legal grounds to appeal his extradition from the UK to the US, where he is wanted on criminal charges.
While a January 2021 ruling determined that Assange shouldn't be extradited to the US due to a potential risk of suicide, US authorities successfully appealed the decision. Australian-born Assange currently remains in Belmarsh prison in South-East London.
The Spin
Establishment-critical narrative
This legal decision is extremely concerning, bringing Assange — victimized for exposing US crimes — dangerously close to being extradited. Assange shouldn't continue to be targeted, and instead, journalism and freedom of the press should be protected. The historical weight of the outcome of such a saga cannot be overstated, and Pres. Biden must urgently drop the charges and close the case against Assange.
Pro-establishment narrative
While many see Assange as a freedom fighter, the reality is that WikiLeaks is a Russian front for undermining the US. His publication of classified information put an untold amount of lives at risk, and this cannot be ignored. For sensible people, the evidence is damning —Assange must face the consequences of his actions in the US.
Metaculus Prediction
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