Several supporters of the founder of WikiLeaks, including his companion Stella Morris, called for his release on January 5, the date which corresponds for the whistleblower to the crossing of the milestone of 1,000 days of detention in the British high security prison of Belmarsh.
The Australian national, holder of several journalism awards for the many public interest revelations to which he has contributed, is being held in UK detention in appeal proceedings initiated by the US party demanding his extradition across the Atlantic. “1,000 days today – 1,000 days too long – that the founder of WikiLeaks is unjustly imprisoned in a high-security prison in London, where [son état de] mental and physical health is very worrying, ”wrote on social networks the NGO Reporters Without Borders (RSF) which, through multiple initiatives, has often called for the release of J. Assange.
“Today is the 1000th day that Julian Assange will spend in prison, in a high security prison environment, where his health is deteriorating day by day, for having disseminated true information and denouncing war crimes” , for his part underlined his French lawyer Antoine Vey.
“1000 days of detention in” British Guantanamo “, denounced WikiLeaks in an infographic prepared for the occasion.
The National Union of Journalists (NUJ), the national union of British journalists, on the occasion shared an appeal demanding the release of the Australian national.
“The British action once morest him is a legal scandal”, further deplored the association of German journalists, which has several tens of thousands of members. The organization issued a statement in which it particularly regrets that the fate of J. Assange arouses only “limited indignation” at the international level.
Almost a year following having refused the American request for extradition of J. Assange, the British justice agreed on December 10 to look once more on the file, thus responding favorably to the call formulated in this direction by Washington. Prosecuted in particular within the framework of an American law on espionage, the founder of WikiLeaks risks in the United States up to 175 years in prison, in a case which represents, according to his supporters, an extremely serious attack on the freedom of the hurry. Contrasting with the press releases, forums, petitions and other punchy actions organized to demand his release, the Assange affair is currently facing the deafening silence of Western chancelleries, yet little timid regarding other issues concerning the freedom of the hurry.
