A win for Julian Assange and a loss for press freedom? – podcast
After years in ferocious pursuit, the US has finally agreed to a plea deal with the WikiLeaks founder. But there are fears it may set a dangerous precedent. Julian Borger reports
For more than a decade Julian Assange has been hidden away – for seven years he was confined to the Ecuadorian embassy in London, refusing to come out in case he was arrested – until he was finally removed and detained in Belmarsh prison. In a small cell for 23 hours a day he faced charges that, had he been extradited and convicted, would carry a sentence of up to 170 years in a US prison. But now finally, and suddenly, he is being freed.
A plea deal with the US Justice department has reduced his 18 charges to one – carrying a sentence of five years. And the time he has spent in jail allows him to be freed by the court immediately. Finally, he can see his family in his home country of Australia.
But, explains Julian Borger, the deal is a dangerous one for journalists. Michael Safi hears how Assange is being prosecuted under the US Espionage Act – a law that goes back more than 100 years. Using it against someone who has disseminated classified information could make it easier to use such a law against investigative journalists in the future. Will this set a worrying precedent?
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