NEW YORK, USA – The release of Julian Assange “is a very good outcome” to the long-running case, the UN independent expert on torture said on Tuesday after reports that the WikiLeaks founder had struck a plea deal with the United States.
Assange had been sought by US lawmakers after massive leaks of classified material via the WikiLeaks platform.
Alice Jill Edwards, special rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, told UN News that “people should not and should never be extradited to where they may face a torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment of punishment”, including penalties that are disproportionate to any alleged crimes that may have been committed.
“Those crimes that were exposed by Assange need to be taken seriously and properly investigated and prosecuted in the United States,” she said. “Impunity for war crimes and other violations of the laws of war only embolden actors to take matters into their own hands.”
Until today, Assange had been fighting extradition from prison in the United Kingdom to the US following the 2010 publication of secret military documents and diplomatic communications. His reported deal involves a guilty plea to one count of violating the US Espionage Act, without serving additional prison time.
UN News’s Anton Uspensky asked special rapporteur Alice Jill Edwards for her reaction to his release from prison in the UK. – Audio Credit: Anton Uspensky, UN News.
The UN independent expert on torture said on Tuesday that the reported plea deal with the United States that has led to the release of Assange “is a very good outcome” to the long-running case.
The WikiLeaks founder and whistleblower has been fighting extradition from the United Kingdom to the US for the past five years and has reportedly agreed to plead guilty to one count of violating the US Espionage Act, without serving additional prison time.
