If the charge of espionage is filed against Julian Assange (which is likely) his very life is in danger. Under the outdated Espionage Act of 1917, anyone convicted can be given the death penalty.
According to Wikipedia:
“The Espionage Act of 1917 is a United States federal law passed on June 15, 1917, shortly after the U.S. entry into World War I. It has been amended numerous times over the years.”
“It was intended to prohibit interference with military operations or recruitment, to prevent insubordination in the military, and to prevent the support of United States enemies during wartime. In 1919, the Supreme Court of the United States unanimously ruled through Schenck v. United States that the act did not violate the freedom of speech of those convicted under its provisions. The constitutionality of the law, its relationship to free speech, and the meaning of its language have been contested in court ever since.
This would set a precedent for any journalist who exposes war crimes.”
This act is intended to violate the first amendment and press freedom. It’s sole intent being used today is to silence whistleblowers and the media. If Assange is found guilty under this act, it wil set a precedent for all journalists who publish war crimes details.
Under the Espionage Act, any person who protests a war or the military draft can be found guilty and be sentenced to either 10,000 in fines, life in prison or the death penalty. This act makes it possible for the government to target anyone even pacifists.
Stated in an article at ThoughtCo. seen here:
“Just one year after its passage, the Espionage Act of 1917 was extended by the Sedition Act of 1918, which made it a federal crime for any person to use “disloyal, profane, scurrilous, or abusive language” about the U.S. government, the Constitution, the armed forces, or the American flag. Although the Sedition Act was repealed in December of 1920, many people faced charges of sedition in the midst of growing post-war fears of communism. Despite the total repeal of the Sedition Act, several provisions of the Espionage Act of 1917 remain in effect today.“
Two well known people charged under this act are Daniel Ellsberg and Chelsea Manning.
Daniel Ellsberg’s case was dismissed after he gave the New York Times the “Pentagon Papers” in 1971.
Manning received 35 years for giving Wikileaks the Collateral Murder video and thousands of cables. His sentence was commuted by President Obama in 2017. However, he was incarcerated again March 8th, 2019 for refusing to testify in a secret grand jury against Wikileaks founder Julian Assange.
The current charge against Assange holds a 5 year sentence for attempting to help Manning “hack” a government computer. There is no substantial evidence it was Assange who did this though. It is likely this simple charge is being used to get the UK to extradite him and then charge him under the Espionage Act.
The act of imprisoning a journalist for publishing war crimes is an unprecedented deed of attacking the First Amendment of the Constitution. The result of this will be deafening as it literally will be used to silence journalists everywhere.
Also, under the NDAA law of 2011 passed by President Obama, Assange could be held indefinitely without trial due to his not being an American citizen. This law would enable the DOJ to imprison him for the rest of his life.
How can a man who simply told us the truth be destroyed by a government who claims to be for freedom and justice? It’s quite simple. The US government including the CIA and FBI have become so corrupt that they truly rule the people of the US. We the People have allowed our government so much power that they have become an empire who can bully smaller countries into submission. This includes the UK.
We have allowed our elected officials to become a plutocracy where the very rich elite govern. When their corruption is exposed as well as their inhumane treatment of the lower classes, they simply jail the one who revealed the truth.
This has to stop or what freedoms we do have will be destroyed. The act of prosecuting Assange is much bigger than it appears. It will destroy democracy and free speech forever. This is an ongoing effort by the elite to gain control of the masses and make us submit to their authority. We have to fight this violation of our rights as individuals as though we are Assange. Simply because we all are!
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