A Growing Number of People and Organizations Are Supporting Assange’s Freedom

Recently, Reporters Without Borders joined in the battle for free press by demanding freedom for Assange. Many human rights organizations, doctors, journalists and celebrities have joined in this war on free speech. As the numbers keep growing, Assange’s extradition hearing looms on the horizon.

With only 2 months to go before his hearing starts, many are concerned with his obvious health deterioration. Every time he appears in court, pictures depict his declining health. Assange needs to be released and transported to a hospital that can treat his needs and the results of years of isolation and torture.

You can see his fatigue and loss of weight in each picture above. There is no excuse for 2 superpowers to gang up to destroy one man. The injustice in this case continues to grow as an innocent man languishes in prison. Keep in mind that Assange is being held for extradition. He already served the severe conviction for bail jumping. He has not stood trial, yet the U.K. judicial system holds him in its highest security prison in solitary confinement 23 hours a day. Though HMP Belmarsh many say he is on the hospital ward, it is still solitary confinement.

To make matters worse, HMP Belmarsh continues to claim they have mixups for his court appearances, holding an exhausted Assange over and making him hours late to appearances. How they can possibly screw up transportation for their highest profile prisoner is beyond me, but that is their excuse. Who knows how long Assange is made to sit in a cramped van with no access to movement or the bathroom or for the matter, a simple drink of water. Recently, before a court appearance, Assange was put in a “hot box” which entails placing the victim in a small room ranging in temperatures of 110 to 125 degrees Fahrenheit. This is meant to dehydrate and confuse the individual. It can also lead to death.

This Christmas, Assange will spend his 8th holiday without seeing his young children. He will spend it in a small cell without any company, only four walks and a door to comfort him.

If the mistreatment of Assange continues, the eventual death of free press is imminent. What will be left is a government controlled lying machine and tyranny. We must stand up for Assange’s human rights because by doing so, we stand up for our own. We cannot let this man who only published the truth to die behind bars.