Justice Dept. and Julian Assange reach plea deal in case that threatens press freedom

AP Photo/Cliff Owen
The Espionage Act is an unconstitutional law used to prosecute whistleblowers and news publishers.
The Espionage Act is a broad secrecy law that outlaws the sharing of defense information with anyone, for any reason.
In recent years, the law has been wielded to stifle dissent and journalism. Whistleblowers have been imprisoned under the law. It’s also been used against journalists and news outlets that publish government secrets.
We must reform the Espionage Act to distinguish between spying and the exposing of wrongdoing.
Misguided debates around the Espionage Act have led to a flood of misinformation about what the often-abused law actually does in practice. Left unchecked, it will have a lasting effect on important reform efforts.
For years, DOJ has abused the Espionage Act against whistleblowers and journalists. A new bill could potentially change that.
Regardless of your feelings on Assange, the U.S. indictment against him will criminalize common newsgathering practices used by countless journalists.
The Nixon admin tried to prosecute the New York Times under the same statute the Justice Department is going after Julian Assange today.
A UK appeals court has allowed the United States to proceed in its extradition of Wikileaks publisher Julian Assange, overturning an earlier ruling that denied prosecutorial efforts based on the inhumane conditions of the American prison system.
The United States prosecution of Julian Assange is a threat to press freedom around the globe. A coalition of more than two dozen press freedom, civil liberties, and international human rights groups is demanding the charges be dropped.
A brave whistleblower served as a source to stories that shaped the public understanding of the otherwise secret U.S. drone program. He's serving a prison sentence as lawmakers reckon with the very information he revealed.
As major news organizations meet with the Department of Justice today to discuss the recent journalist surveillance scandals, it’s vitally important that they press the Attorney General to drop the prosecution of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. If the case continues, it would render the new press freedom progress worthless.
A coalition of two dozen press freedom, civil liberties, and human rights groups call for an immediate end to the prosecution of Julian Assange by Biden's Department of Justice.
Freedom of the Press Foundation's statement on the the rejection of the US's extradition request of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange