Julian Assange’s Pending Extradition to U.S. Elicits Strong Twitter Reactions: ‘Political Execution’
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A London court ordered WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange on Wednesday to be extradited to the United States.
Assange, 50, was arrested in April 2019 after spending several years as a refugee in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London. On the day of his arrest, U.S. charges against Assange under the Espionage Act were unsealed.
Assange has been accused of hacking and publicizing sensitive and confidential U.S. government documents. If convicted of the charges, Assange could face a maximum 175-year prison sentence.
Twitter users, from former Labour Leader Jeremy Corbyn to far-right activist Jack Posobiec, reacted strongly to the extradition order being issued, and those commenting generally found common ground.
What has happened to Julian Assange is a political execution
They never had any intention of playing by the rules
The goal was just to end the work Julian Assange was doing
— Tim Pool (@Timcast) April 20, 2022
Just as Anglo-American leaders are calling us to arms against Putin’s unlawful military invasion of Ukraine & his persecution of truth-tellers in Russia, they are conspiring to drive into an early grave the truth teller who unveiled their own war crimes https://t.co/uOwjC7fE4y
— Yanis Varoufakis (@yanisvaroufakis) April 20, 2022
What the U.S. government is doing to Julian Assange endangers everyone—eroding the freedoms of speech and the press. He faces prosecution for journalism—for publishing materials exposing war crimes and other horrors in Afghanistan and Iraq. Uphold the 1st Amendment. Free Assange.
— Justin Amash (@justinamash) April 20, 2022
The magistrates’ decision to order the extradition of Julian Assange to the US to face 175 years in prison is disappointing.
Priti Patel will now have a choice: to stand up for journalism and democracy, or sentence a man to life for exposing the truth about the War on Terror. pic.twitter.com/ORQkLJrrJL
— Jeremy Corbyn (@jeremycorbyn) April 20, 2022
Journalism is not a crime.
This morning @jeremycorbyn joined campaigners demanding freedom for Julian Assange at Westminster Magistrates Court.#FreeJulianAssange pic.twitter.com/Y5iuKkvHZm
— Peace and Justice Project (@corbyn_project) April 20, 2022
Assange to face trial for the crime of journalism https://t.co/dEr4P9n2nH
— Jack Posobiec ☦️ (@JackPosobiec) April 20, 2022
“A London court on Wednesday ordered the extradition of the WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange to the U.S., the latest but not last step in a long-running battle in British courtrooms.”
By far the worst case of journalistic persecution in the West:https://t.co/7cuoVamrnn
— Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) April 20, 2022
This morning, I watched in court as a judge ordered one of the most consequential journalists of our time, Julian Assange, to be extradited from my country to the US to potentially face up to two centuries in prison.
I never want to hear a word about our “free press” & democracy
— Richard Medhurst (@richimedhurst) April 20, 2022
This morning, I watched in court as a judge ordered one of the most consequential journalists of our time, Julian Assange, to be extradited from my country to the US to potentially face up to two centuries in prison.
I never want to hear a word about our “free press” & democracy
— Richard Medhurst (@richimedhurst) April 20, 2022
Assange won’t get a fair trial in the US. They’ll try him in Washington, like the Jan 6 protesters, in front of a crooked jury who will decide he’s guilty before the trial even starts. He did nothing wrong. https://t.co/HQzyaSqG8o
— Pat Condell (@patcondell) April 20, 2022
Julian Assange exposed US crimes in Iraq, Afghanistan and Guantanamo Bay.
That’s why the US wants to punish him and send a message to all journalists: Expose the truth and you’ll be made to regret it.
Priti Patel must stand-up for freedom of speech and refuse his extradition.
— Zarah Sultana MP (@zarahsultana) April 20, 2022
