Al Jazeera English: Julian Assange must be freed, now. https://www.aljazeera.com/opinions/2021/10/27/free-julian-assange-now "Recent bombshell reports that the CIA considered kidnapping or killing Assange while he was holed up in the Ecuadorian embassy have cast even more doubt on the reliability of US promises and further expose the political motivation behind this case. These revelations follow evidence produced in court and not contested by the US government – that people allegedly working on its behalf had bugged the Ecuadorian embassy in London, followed Assange’s family and associates, and burgled the office of his lawyer." "The US government’s indictment poses a grave threat to press freedom both in the US and abroad. Much of the conduct it describes is conduct that journalists and publishers engage in on a daily basis. Were his extradition to be allowed it would set a precedent that would effectively criminalise common journalistic practices."
"The potentially chilling effect on journalists and others who expose official wrongdoing by publishing information disclosed to them by credible sources would have a profound effect on the public’s right to know what our governments are up to." "Indeed, at a time when press freedom is under unrelenting assault around the world, the silencing of Julian Assange would be widely felt, affecting journalists either directly or indirectly by instilling the fear of prosecution."
