Ron Paul has joined with other eminent political figures from around the world in endorsing a letter from Lawyers for Assange to several government officials of Great Britain. The letter makes the case for the immediate release of Julian Assange of WikiLeaks and the termination of the extradition proceedings against him.
Assange, a citizen of Australia imprisoned in Britain, is being subjected to an effort to extradite him to the United States for prosecution for actions related to making public United States government secrets.
The Lawyers for Assange announcement, posted Sunday at Consortium News, provides a list of the endorsers, a link to the open letter, and additional information. The announcement begins with the following comments regarding the open letter and its endorsers:
As Julian Assange fights U.S. extradition at the Old Bailey in London, over one hundred eminent political figures, including 13 past and present heads of state, numerous ministers, members of parliament and diplomats, have today denounced the illegality of the proceedings and appealed for Assange’s immediate release.
The politicians from 27 different countries and from across the political spectrum have joined 189 independent international lawyers, judges, legal academics and lawyers’ associations by endorsing their open letter to the UK Government warning that the U.S. extradition request and extradition proceedings violate national and international law, breach fair trial rights and other human rights, and threaten press freedom and democracy.
Find the Lawyers for Assange announcement here.
Assange is also the focus of Paul’s Monday editorial “The War on Assange is a War on Truth.” Paul concludes the editorial by writing that President Donald Trump “should end the US government’s war on Assange…and on all whistleblowers and their publishers.” You can read Paul’s editorial here.
