(AGENPARL) - Roma, 2 Ottobre 2024 - (AGENPARL) – mer 02 ottobre 2024 Image
PRESS RELEASE
Communication Division
PACE 069 (2024)
PACE recognises Julian Assange as a ‘political prisoner’ and warns against the chilling effect of his harsh treatment
The Assembly – which brings together parliamentarians from the 46 nations of the Council of Europe – also called on the US to investigate the alleged war crimes and human rights violations disclosed by him and Wikileaks. Its failure to do so, combined with the harsh treatment of Mr Assange and Ms Manning, creates a perception that the US government’s purpose in prosecuting Mr Assange was “to hide the wrongdoing of state agents rather than to protect national security”.
The Assembly called on the US, a Council of Europe observer state, to “urgently reform” the 1917 Espionage Act to exclude its application to publishers, journalists and whistleblowers who disclose classified information with the intent to raise public awareness of serious crimes.
For their part, the UK authorities had failed to effectively protect Assange’s freedom of expression and right to liberty, the parliamentarians said, “exposing him to lengthy detention in a high-security prison despite the political nature of the most severe charges against him”. His detention far exceeded the reasonable length acceptable for extradition, they said.
Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe
The Assembly brings together 306 members from the national parliaments of the 46 member states. President: Theodoros Rousopoulos – Secretary General of the Assembly: Despina Chatzivassiliou-Tsovilis. Political groups: SOC (Socialists, Democrats and Greens Group); EPP/CD (Group of the European People’s Party); EC/DA (European Conservatives Group and Democratic Alliance); ALDE (Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe); UEL (Group of the Unified European Left).
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