The Trump admin’s new charges against Julian Assange are a fundamental threat to press freedom in the 21st century
Freedom of the Press Foundation
May 23, 2019
In a truly shocking development, Trump’s Justice Department has indicted WikiLeaks publisher Julian Assange for publishing secret government documents under the Espionage Act of 1917.
The Espionage Act, originally intended for use against spies, has been wielded against sources of journalists and whistleblowers in recent decades, but never a publisher. No matter your personal feelings about Assange, these new charges against him are unprecedented, terrifying, and strike at the heart of fundamental press freedom rights.
Freedom of the Press Foundation Executive Director Trevor Timm issued the following statement:
Put simply, these unprecedented charges against Julian Assange andWikiLeaks are the most significant and terrifying threat to the FirstAmendment in the 21st century. The Trump administration is moving toexplicitly criminalize national security journalism, and if thisprosecution proceeds, dozens of reporters at the New York Times,Washington Post and elsewhere would also be in danger. The ability ofthe press to publish facts the government would prefer remain secret isboth critical to an informed public and a fundamental right. Thisdecision by the Justice Department is a massive and unprecedentedescalation in Trump’s war on journalism, and it’s no exaggeration to saythe First Amendment itself is at risk. Anyone who cares about pressfreedom should immediately and wholeheartedly condemn these charges.
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Freedom of the Press Foundation will have much more on this story as it develops.