Presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. celebrated the release of Wikileaks founder Julian Assange while expressing concern over the implications of the plea deal Assange struck. Similarly, advocates of free speech have also given mixed reactions and are apprehensive about the potential impact of his case on the field of journalism.
What Happened: On Tuesday, Kennedy Jr. took to X, formerly Twitter, to express his joy over the release of Assange, calling the latter a “generational hero.” However, he also voiced his concerns over the plea deal Assange had to accept to secure his freedom.
Kennedy wrote, “The bad news is that he had to plea guilty to conspiracy to obtain and disclose national defense info. Which means the US security state succeeded in criminalizing journalism and extending their jurisdiction globally to non-citizens.”
“Julian had to take this. He has heart problems and he would have died in prison. But the security state has imposed a horrifying precedent and dealt a big blow to freedom of the press.”
Rights groups have held the development with mixed feelings, Reuters reported on Tuesday. Stella, Assange’s wife, expressed joy over his release but also shared her worries about the repercussions of the case on journalists, especially those reporting on national security.
Alan Rusbridger, the former editor of Britain’s Guardian newspaper, found it unsettling that Assange was targeted with espionage laws. He also called the Wikileaks founder paving the way for a “new breed of semi-activist, semi-publisher, semi-journalist who use the internet to tremendous effect.”
Jameel Jaffer, the executive director of the Knight First Amendment Institute, pointed out that Assange’s deal resulted in him serving five years for activities that are part of a journalist’s daily routine. He cautioned that this case could have a far-reaching impact on journalism worldwide.
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) reiterated these concerns. Jodie Ginsberg, the CEO of CPJ, stated, “While we welcome the end of his detention, the U.S.'s pursuit of Assange has set a harmful legal precedent by opening the way for journalists to be tried under the Espionage Act if they receive classified material from whistleblowers. This should never have been the case.”
Why It Matters: Assange, who was held in the Belmarsh maximum security prison in the U.K., has been freed and is now en route to Australia. Assange has admitted to a single criminal charge of conspiring to obtain and disclose classified U.S. national defense documents.
Kennedy Jr., last month, said he will pardon Assange if he makes it to the White House.
"Instead of championing free speech, the US actively persecutes journalists and whistleblowers. I'll pardon brave truth-tells like Julian Assange and investigate the corruption and crimes they exposed. This isn't the Soviet Union. The America I love doesn't imprison dissidents,” he
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This story was generated using Benzinga Neuro and edited by Pooja Rajkumari
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