Help save the First Amendment
Freedom of the Press Foundation
February 22, 2024
"File:RUEDA DE PRENSA CONJUNTA ENTRE CANCILLER RICARDO PATIÑO Y JULIAN ASSANGE - 14953880621.jpg" by Cancillería del Ecuador is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.
The High Court in London is hearing arguments this week on whether to extradite Julian Assange to the United States to face charges under the Espionage Act for obtaining and publishing secret documents from a source — also known as journalism.
Whatever you may think of Assange the person, his potential prosecution and conviction in the United States would forever change journalism here. Investigative reporters and their lawyers would have to consider the risk of jail time for journalistic conduct previously considered routine. Under those conditions, self-censorship is a virtual certainty.
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We’re doing everything we can to urge the Department of Justice to drop the Espionage Act charges against Assange ahead of his potential extradition. You can help.
Now, we’re calling on you to help. Visit https://freedom.press/assange to find out how you can tell the White House and DOJ to drop this dangerous anti-press prosecution. There, you can also find suggested social media posts and emails, as well as all the resources discussed above and plenty more. You can also share our video directly to X, formerly Twitter, by clicking here.
As we’ve said before, the people best positioned to make a difference at this stage are members of the nation’s editorial boards. We encourage everyone to write letters to the editor of their local newspapers urging them to write editorials about the dangers of prosecuting Assange. You can refer to our op-ed guide for some tips.
Please help out however you can. The First Amendment is on the line.