Statement regarding the proposed extradition of Julian Assange to the United States

The Haldane Society of Socialist Lawyers opposes the extradition of journalist and publisher Julian Assange to the United States of America. We are gravely concerned that any extradition would legitimise the extra-territorial over-reach of the US state, who are which is proposing to try Mr Assange, a non-US citizen, in the US under US laws, without First Amendment protections of free speech. If extradited, Mr. Assange, will be placed in administrative detention and, if convicted, he faces a possible prison sentence of 175 years for his actions that revealed serious war crimes. Permitting the extradition of Mr. Assange to the United States would therefore set a dangerous precedent.

The Haldane Society also notes that the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, and United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention have found Mr Assange to be a victim of prolonged and severe psychological torture and arbitrary detention. Given these findings, we urge the British government to observe its duties under international law and domestic law, to investigate and to take appropriate action to address any breaches of Mr Assange’s human rights.

We are also deeply concerned about the breaches of Mr Assange’s rights to privacy and to legal privilege. Mr Assange, like all other accused, has the right to a free and fair trial. The British state is required to afford all defendants their human rights, to honour international law whether deriving from treaty or from international custom and practice, and to ensure that British domestic law is upheld. Such considerations are not intended to be optional or dependent on the nature of the crime, the nature of the circumstances or the discretion of the judge or the State.

At the present time of pandemic, the Haldane Society also strongly supports Mr Assange’s request for immediate bail, given his chronic lung and other medical conditions, the expert testimony regarding the spread of COVID-19 in prisons and other detention facilities, and the risks therefore arising to the life of Mr Assange and all prisoners from potential exposure.