We were relieved to see the prosecution of Julian Assange resolved without an adverse court ruling that could have existentially threatened the First Amendment. But we made clear, through news outlets from PBS News Hour to The Guardian, that the Biden administration deserves zero credit for that outcome, given that it forced Assange to plead guilty under the Espionage Act to gain his freedom.
Freedom of the Press Foundation (FPF) Executive Director Trevor Timm wrote in The Guardian, “While it should be a relief to anyone who cares about press freedom that Assange will not be coming to the US to face trial, the Biden administration should be ashamed at how this case has played out.”
FPF Advocacy Director Seth Stern added in the Daily Beast that the only impact of the plea agreement “will be to legitimize the criminalization of routine journalistic conduct and encourage future administrations to follow suit—including a potential second Trump administration.”
For more, watch Timm and Stern weigh in on the alarming implications for journalists and the press on BBC and Democracy Now, as well as in Timm’s appearance on PBS News Hour.
