Over 30 Parliamentarians, from six parties as well as independent MPs and Lords, have written to the US Attorney General sent today, 11 April, requesting that he “ends the extradition proceedings against Julian Assange.”
The British MPs are joined by lawmakers in the United States, Australia, Mexico, and Brazil who are also writing to the US government asking for proceedings against Assange to be dropped.
The letter from British MPs notes that, “This April 11th marks the fourth anniversary of Mr Assange, an award-winning journalist and publisher, being detained in His Majesty’s Prison Belmarsh in London, where he awaits a decision on extradition to the United States of America.”
The parliamentarians warn that extradition “would clearly have a chilling impact on journalism and would set a dangerous precedent for other journalists and media organisations. It would also undermine the US’ reputation on freedom of expression and the rule of law.”
They call upon the US Attorney General to “take a stance to uphold the First Amendment of the US Constitution and drop the extradition proceedings to allow Mr Assange to return home to Australia.”
The full letter is below.
On the call to end extradition, Richard Burgon MP said:
“British Parliamentarians are increasingly alarmed by the potential extradition of Julian Assange to the United States. Any extradition would, in effect, be putting press freedom on trial. It would set a dangerous precedent for journalists and publishers around the world.
Four years on since Julian Assange was first detained in Belmarsh High-Security prison, now is the right moment to draw a line under this outrageous prosecution initiated by the Trump Administration, drop the charges against Julian Assange and allow him to return home to Australia.”
THE LIST OF SIGNATORIES
MPs
Richard Burgon MP (Labour)
David Davis MP (Conservative Party)
Caroline Lucas MP (Green Party)
John McDonnell MP (Labour Party)
Angus MacNeil MP (Scottish National Party)
Liz Saville-Roberts MP (Plaid Cymru)
Jeremy Corbyn MP
Kenny MacAskill MP (Alba Party)
Diane Abbott MP (Labour Party)
Apsana Begum MP (Labour Party)
Ian Byrne MP (Labour Party)
Dan Carden MP (Labour Party)
Ben Lake MP (Plaid Cymru)
Clive Lewis MP (Labour Party)
Rachael Maskell MP (Labour Party)
Andy McDonald MP (Labour Party)
Grahame Morris MP (Labour Party)
Kate Osborne MP (Labour Party)
Bell Ribeiro-Addy MP (Labour Party)
Tommy Sheppard MP (Scottish National Party)
Zarah Sultana MP (Labour Party)
Claudia Webbe MP (Independent)
Mick Whitley MP (Labour)
LORDS
Baroness Jane Bonham-Carter (Liberal Democrat Party)
Baroness Caroline Cox (Cross-bench)
Lord Bryn Davies (Labour Party)
Lord Hugh Dykes (Liberal Democrat Party)
Lord John Hendy KC (Labour Party)
Baroness Molly Meacher (Cross-bench)
Lord Jonny Oates (Liberal Democrat Party)
Lord Diljit Rana (Conservative Party)
Lord Prem Sikka (Labour Party)
Lord Paul Strasburger (Liberal Democrat)
Lord Andrew Stunell (Liberal Democrat Party)
Lord Tony Woodley (Labour Party)
Baroness Jane Bonham-Carter (Liberal Democrat Party)
Lord Paul Strasburger (Liberal Democrat)
LETTER TO THE US ATTORNEY GENERAL
Merrick B. Garland
Attorney General of the United States of America
US Department of Justice
950 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
WASHINGTON DC 20530-0001
Dear Attorney General,
We write to you as members of the UK Houses of Parliament to request that you end the extradition proceedings against Julian Assange.
This April 11th marks the fourth anniversary of Mr Assange, an award-winning journalist and publisher, being detained in His Majesty’s Prison Belmarsh in London, where he awaits a decision on extradition to the United States of America.
As you will be aware, this threat of extradition follows a decision by the Trump Administration to bring charges against Mr Assange relating to his role as a journalist and publisher in publishing evidence of war crimes, corruption and human rights abuses.
If Mr Assange were to be extradited to the United States, he faces a prison sentence of up to 175 years for his publishing work which was carried out in the United Kingdom and in partnership with globally leading news outlets.
This would clearly have a chilling impact on journalism and would set a dangerous precedent for other journalists and media organisations. It would also undermine the US’ reputation on freedom of expression and the rule of law.
Given this, there is a growing clamour for the release of Julian Assange. Anthony Albanese, the Australian Prime Minister, has urged the United States to end the prosecution of Julian Assange, who is an Australian citizen.
Likewise, extradition is opposed by the former United Nations Special Rapporteur on Torture, Nils Melzer, and the Council of Europe’s Commissioner for Human Rights, Dunja Mijatović.
Globally leading human rights organisations such as Amnesty International and Reporters Without Borders have also warned against the impact of extradition and called on the United States to drop the charges.
As we approach the fourth anniversary of the detention of Julian Assange in the HMP Belmarsh we request that you take a stance to uphold the First Amendment of the US Constitution and drop the extradition proceedings to allow Mr Assange to return home to Australia.
Yours sincerely