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Assange
An Open Letter from Editors and Publishers: Publishing is Not a Crime
Twelve years ago, on November 28th 2010, our five international media outlets – The New York Times, the Guardian, Le Monde, El Pais and DER SPIEGEL – published a series of revelations in cooperation with Wikileaks that made the headlines around the globe.
“Cable gate”, a set of 251,000 confidential cables from the US State Department disclosed corruption, diplomatic scandals and spy affairs on an international scale.
In the words of The New York Times, the documents told “the unvarnished story of how the government makes its biggest decisions, the decisions that cost the country most heavily in lives and money”. Even now in 2022, journalists and historians continue to publish new revelations, using the unique trove of documents.
For Julian Assange, publisher of Wikileaks, the publication of “Cable gate” and several other related leaks had the most severe consequences. On April 12th, 2019, Assange was arrested in London on a US arrest warrant, and has now been held for three and a half years in a high security British prison usually used for terrorists and members of organized crime groups. He faces extradition to the US and a sentence of up to 175 years in an American maximum security prison.
This group of editors and publishers, all of whom had worked with Assange, felt the need to publicly criticize his conduct in 2011 when unredacted copies of the cables were released, and some of us are concerned about the allegations in the indictment that he attempted to aid in computer intrusion of a classified database. But we come together now to express our grave concerns about the continued prosecution of Julian Assange for obtaining and publishing classified materials.
The Obama-Biden Administration, in office during the Wikileaks publication in 2010, refrained from indicting Assange, explaining that they would have had to indict journalists from major news outlets too. Their position placed a premium on press freedom, despite its uncomfortable consequences. Under Donald Trump however, the position changed. The DOJ relied on an old law, the Espionage Act of 1917 (designed to prosecute potential spies during World War 1), which has never been used to prosecute a publisher or broadcaster.
This indictment sets a dangerous precedent, and threatens to undermine America’s First Amendment and the freedom of the press.
Holding governments accountable is part of the core mission of a free press in a democracy.
Obtaining and disclosing sensitive information when necessary in the public interest is a core part of the daily work of journalists. If that work is criminalised, our public discourse and our democracies are made significantly weaker.
Twelve years after the publication of “Cable gate”, it is time for the U.S. government to end its prosecution of Julian Assange for publishing secrets.
Publishing is not a crime.
The editors and publishers of:
• The New York Times
• The Guardian
• Le Monde
• DER SPIEGEL
• El Pais
Twelve years ago, on November 28th 2010, our five international media outlets – The New York Times, the Guardian, Le Monde, El Pais and DER SPIEGEL – published a series of revelations in cooperation with Wikileaks that made the headlines around the globe.
“Cable gate”, a set of 251,000 confidential cables from the US State Department disclosed corruption, diplomatic scandals and spy affairs on an international scale.
In the words of The New York Times, the documents told “the unvarnished story of how the government makes its biggest decisions, the decisions that cost the country most heavily in lives and money”. Even now in 2022, journalists and historians continue to publish new revelations, using the unique trove of documents.
For Julian Assange, publisher of Wikileaks, the publication of “Cable gate” and several other related leaks had the most severe consequences. On April 12th, 2019, Assange was arrested in London on a US arrest warrant, and has now been held for three and a half years in a high security British prison usually used for terrorists and members of organized crime groups. He faces extradition to the US and a sentence of up to 175 years in an American maximum security prison.
This group of editors and publishers, all of whom had worked with Assange, felt the need to publicly criticize his conduct in 2011 when unredacted copies of the cables were released, and some of us are concerned about the allegations in the indictment that he attempted to aid in computer intrusion of a classified database. But we come together now to express our grave concerns about the continued prosecution of Julian Assange for obtaining and publishing classified materials.
The Obama-Biden Administration, in office during the Wikileaks publication in 2010, refrained from indicting Assange, explaining that they would have had to indict journalists from major news outlets too. Their position placed a premium on press freedom, despite its uncomfortable consequences. Under Donald Trump however, the position changed. The DOJ relied on an old law, the Espionage Act of 1917 (designed to prosecute potential spies during World War 1), which has never been used to prosecute a publisher or broadcaster.
This indictment sets a dangerous precedent, and threatens to undermine America’s First Amendment and the freedom of the press.
Holding governments accountable is part of the core mission of a free press in a democracy.
Obtaining and disclosing sensitive information when necessary in the public interest is a core part of the daily work of journalists. If that work is criminalised, our public discourse and our democracies are made significantly weaker.
Twelve years after the publication of “Cable gate”, it is time for the U.S. government to end its prosecution of Julian Assange for publishing secrets.
Publishing is not a crime.
The editors and publishers of:
• The New York Times
• The Guardian
• Le Monde
• DER SPIEGEL
• El Pais
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//Publishing is Not a Crime//
Depends what you publish.
Mr Assange was indiscriminate in his publications and neither he, then, nor you or I now, had any idea what he was publishing and the potential harm such publication would cause.
He published it because he could, not because he thought it was necessary.
Depends what you publish.
Mr Assange was indiscriminate in his publications and neither he, then, nor you or I now, had any idea what he was publishing and the potential harm such publication would cause.
He published it because he could, not because he thought it was necessary.
As I have said before, I’m totally against individuals and governments committing criminal acts (in this case, including murder).
If you are an individual or government engaged in criminality, you must accept the risk that your criminal actions may become public knowledge – you can’t cry foul once that happens.
If you are an individual or government engaged in criminality, you must accept the risk that your criminal actions may become public knowledge – you can’t cry foul once that happens.
I agree with NJ.
Once he released the files Assange must have known that he would potentially putting lives at risk them and no understanding of human behaviour.
If laws had been broken by govts it should have been addressed by another method. I have no idea how it should have been done.
It seems obvious that each government in the world has secrets, has made deals with the devil and been involved in spying and skullduggery. It's wrong but what would you do in their place?
Once he released the files Assange must have known that he would potentially putting lives at risk them and no understanding of human behaviour.
If laws had been broken by govts it should have been addressed by another method. I have no idea how it should have been done.
It seems obvious that each government in the world has secrets, has made deals with the devil and been involved in spying and skullduggery. It's wrong but what would you do in their place?
it was also reckless to simply dump diplomatic cables en masse on the internet. Governments need to know they can communicate with their assets abroad in confidence. Assange appeared to claim that nothing should be confidentail. Apart from details aboyt his own provate life of course.
While I am uncomfortable with the idea of his extradition, I believe the man is a hypocrite, and not motivated by ideals he claims to be motivated by.
Not the Messiah, in other words, merely a very naughty boy, and a lot of prominent people have made fools of themselves by elevating him to a status he doesn't deserve.
While I am uncomfortable with the idea of his extradition, I believe the man is a hypocrite, and not motivated by ideals he claims to be motivated by.
Not the Messiah, in other words, merely a very naughty boy, and a lot of prominent people have made fools of themselves by elevating him to a status he doesn't deserve.
Even the Brazilian cross party parliament is protesting against Assange’s extradition.
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