US Officials Developed Plans to Kidnap, Poison or Assassinate Julian Assange
On Sunday, Yahoo News published an in-depth investigation based on conversations with 30 former US officials, that detailed "one of the most contentious intelligence debates of the Trump presidency" - what actions should be taken against WikiLeaks publisher Julian Assange. Parts of the United States government developed plans to kidnap, poison and assassinate Assange, who is an Australian citizen.
According to the report, senior US intelligence officials also lobbied the White House during the Obama era to degrade First Amendment protections for Assange and others reporting on national security leaks by designating them as 'information brokers' rather than journalists.
Suelette Dreyfus, Executive Director of Blueprint for Free Speech, said:
"The implication of the Yahoo News investigation is that pressure was brought on the US Department of Justice to hasten a prosecution in order to avert other parts of the government from undertaking actions that are blatantly illegal.
“This year marks the fiftieth anniversary of the Pentagon Papers. The disregard of US officials for basic rule of law principles in the Assange case brings to mind the prosecution of Daniel Ellsberg, which was dismissed in the ‘totality of government misconduct.’
"It is alleged American intelligence enlisted British intelligence in their plans. That the US and British governments would contemplate doing this to a citizen of a close ally is deeply disturbing. A natural perception for Australians now is that Julian Assange’s safety can no longer be assured inside either the United States or the United Kingdom.
"The continued efforts to extradite and prosecute Julian Assange threaten his life and offend any sense of justice. The case continues to exert a chilling effect on investigative journalists and national security reporters everywhere.
"We call on President Biden to drop the charges and uphold international standards on the protection and safety of journalists. Julian Assange should be allowed to come home to Australia"
Rights and media freedom organisations have made repeated appeals to the US and UK Governments to stop Assange being extradited to the United States and for the charges he faces there to be dropped.