UN independent expert welcomes Julian Assange’s release
UN independent expert on torture, Alice Edwards, has said the release of Julian Assange is a good outcome to the long-running case after reports that the WikiLeaks founder had struck a plea deal with the U.S.
U.S. lawmakers had sought Mr Assange after massive leaks of classified material via the WikiLeaks platform.
Ms Edwards, special rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment, said in a statement on Wednesday that people should not and never be extradited where they may face torture or other cruel treatment.
“Those crimes that were exposed by Assange need to be taken seriously and properly investigated and prosecuted in the United States,” she said.
According to her, impunity for war crimes and other violations of the laws of war only embolden actors to take matters into their own hands.
Until today, Mr Assange had been fighting extradition from prison in the United Kingdom to the U.S. following the 2010 publication of secret military documents and diplomatic communications.
His reported deal involves a guilty plea to one count of violating the U.S. Espionage Act without serving additional prison time.
On Tuesday, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said his country was assisting Julian Assange following the news that the Wikileaks founder agreed to plead guilty.
He agreed to plead guilty in a deal with the U.S. and said he had left the UK.
“The government is certainly aware that Australian citizen Assange has legal proceedings scheduled in the United States,’’ Mr Albanese told Australia’s parliament during Question Time, calling the news a welcomed development.
According to court documents filed earlier on Monday, Mr Assange was set to plead guilty to one charge of conspiring to obtain and disclose classified U.S. national defence documents.
This was in return for being spared further imprisonment in the U.S. in a deal with the Justice Department.
The court documents stated that Mr Assange is expected to attend a hearing on the Pacific island of Saipan on Wednesday before returning to Australia.
Saipan, part of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands in the Pacific Ocean south of Japan, is under U.S. administration.
The deal is still to be approved by a U.S. federal judge.
(NAN)
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