by Shane Trejo at bigleaguepolitics.com
Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) is leading progressive efforts in U.S Congress to rally Democrats behind the cause of freeing WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange and dropping all federal charges against the famed information liberator.
Tlaib wrote a letter signed by fellow progressive Reps. Cori Bush (D-MO), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), Jamaal Bowman (D-NY), and Greg Casar (D-TX) calling for Attorney General Merrick Garland to drop all Espionage Act charges against Assange.
“The prosecution of Mr. Assange marks the first time in U.S. history that a publisher of truthful information has been indicted under the Espionage Act. The prosecution of Mr. Assange, if successful, not only sets a legal precedent whereby journalists or publishers can be prosecuted, but a political one as well. In the future the New York Times or Washington Post could be prosecuted when they publish important stories based on classified information. Or, just as dangerous for democracy, they may refrain from publishing such stories for fear of prosecution,” the letter states.
“Every day the prosecution of Julian Assange continues is another day that our own government needlessly undermines our own moral authority abroad and rolls back the freedom of the press under the First Amendment at home,” the letter continues.
The full letter can be seen here:
Big League Politics has reported on how voices on the political right in U.S. Congress are also calling for Assange to be freed and pardoned for the non-crimes in which he has been accused by the deep state:
“Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) is renewing her push to get pardons for Edward Snowden and Julian Assange.
Greene wanted the iconic whistleblowers and information liberators to be pardoned by Trump before he left office. Trump failed to do so, but Greene is still pushing for these heroes to be given their much-deserved freedom.
“As far as pardons are concerned, I think we should pardon Julian Assange and I think we should pardon Edward Snowden. Those people deserve pardons,” she said while being questioned by the media, adding that the members of the press “should care about what I just said” because “it really matters.”