IN a major blow for Julian Assange, a UK high court has denied the WikiLeaks founder permission to appeal his extradition order, a decision which his family says brings him “dangerously close” to being taken to the US where he faces criminal charges under the Espionage Act. Though his team has vowed to launch a new appeal, the high court not only refused his appeal, but in a separate order, denied Mr Assange permission to appeal and challenge the dismissal of other parts of his case. In early 2021, a UK judge had rejected a US request to extradite Mr Assange, as it found such a move would be “oppressive” to his mental health. But that decision was overturned 11 months later after the US gave assurances that his rights would not be violated.

America’s relentless pursuit of Mr Assange speaks volumes for its hypocrisy on the subject of press freedom and human rights. While it positions itself as a crusader for democracy and a free media, the Assange case is a clear example of how a whistleblower is being punished for putting Washington’s dark truths before the world, which is unlikely to forget the facts unveiled by WikiLeaks. By making public internal and classified documents originating from US embassies around the world, Mr Assange exposed the reality of America’s foreign policy. Among other things, the leaks unearthed the horrors of war, civilian casualties and military abuse meted out by US soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan. The Harvard Business Review had said at the time that the disclosures were “historic, if not seismic”. The American government’s pursuit of Mr Assange means that investigative journalists and whistleblowers who publish information the US wants to hide will be subjected to the same hunt. It is evident that the case against Mr Assange is politically motivated. As a country that lectures the world on rights and values, the US should really restrain itself.

Published in Dawn, June 11th, 2023