The prosecution of the WikiLeaks co-founder could hurt future whistleblowers, the UN’s top human rights official says
Julian Assange (co-founder WikiLeaks) could have been extradited to America. “chilling effect”Michelle Bachelet (UN High Commissioner for Human Rights) has stated that she is an investigative journalist.
Assange’s legal team filed an appeal on Friday to stop his extradition from Britain to the US, where he faces up to 175 years in jail if found guilty on espionage charges.
In April, a London court decided that Assange could be transferred to the United States. He is currently in Belmarsh Prison.
“The potential extradition and prosecution of Mr. Assange raises concerns relating to media freedom and a possible chilling effect on investigative journalism and on the activities of whistleblowers,” Bachelet said in a statement on Sunday after meeting with Assange’s wife and lawyers.
“In these circumstances, I would like to emphasize the importance of ensuring respect [for] Mr. Assange’s human rights, in particular the right to a fair trial and due process guarantees in this case,”She added.
“My office will continue to closely follow Assange’s case.”
Assange’s legal team argues that he is being “prosecuted and punished for his political opinions.”Jennifer Robinson, lawyer said that Jennifer will take the case to the European Court of Human Rights. “There is still a long way to go in terms of our appeals,” Robinson told Australia’s Channel 10 on Sunday.
WikiLeaks published many classified documents from the government throughout its history. These included footage of war crimes that were allegedly committed by US soldiers while in Iraq.
British authorities captured Assange after seven years of hiding in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London.
Share this story via social media
[ad_2]
